Diversity : For Good

Dan Regenold is a bit of a hero to local nonprofits this holiday season. He approached a broad group, from schools to health centers, with an engaging gift offer: Let us fill a truck with supplies your clients need. All you have to do is help spread the word and take the donations.

Fill The Truck started last winter as a one-truck effort to support The Healing Center at Vineyard Community Church in Springdale. The concept is as simple as it is brilliant. Rent a semi, fill it with donations of everything clients in trouble need. Allow donors to select what they’d like to donate online, then do the truck-filling work for them. The first efforts led to an overflowing truck, and Regenold, CEO of FrameUSA and long-time supporter of local nonprofits, to thing bigger.

This year, Regenold and his team have 11 trucks around the region, two in the city of Cincinnati. The NAACP has a truck to support the community at Frederick Douglass School. The George Hust Co. has a truck in its Northside lot to collect donations for Churches Active in Northside (CAIN).
 
For Mimi Chamberlain, executive director of CAIN, Fill the Truck is an unexpected chance to support the growing list of families in need of everyday items, from toothbrushes to blankets. “People can choose the nonprofit they want to support and even select items they’d like to donate,” Chamberlain says. “The technology makes it simple and fun.”

Other nonprofits supported by trucks include: The Healing Center, Valley Interfaith Food & Clothing Center, Inter Parish Ministry, Brighton Center, SON Ministries, Matthew:25 Ministries, One Way Farm, Hannah’s Treasure Chest and Reach Out Lakota.

Making the donations online allows donors to shop for specific items – donate $20 and buy a winter scarves and gloves OR a toddler’s winter coat OR 60 rolls of toilet paper. Boots, socks, blankets and hygiene items are all on the list, which nonprofits hope local gift-givers to check more than twice.

Do Good:

• Visit the site and make your selections now.

• Buy and bring your own items to the truck of your choice. NOTE: All donations much be new items.

• Send a thank-you to the Fill the Truck team.

By Elissa Yancey

Hei Kyung Byun, in describing her limestone sculpture at the YWCA Women’s Art Gallery, likened the piece to her “awakening” from a strict cultural background into a freedom of her own. “Yet part of me still struggles in detaching myself completely from my history and background, as seen in the way the woman is eternally bound to the stone from whence she came.”

Awakening women to a life of personal strength and peace is the goal of Cincinnati’s YWCA. Its Women’s Art Gallery, located on the second floor of the YWCA, provides space and support to women’s artists, encourages their gifts and gives them visibility in the only gallery in Cincinnati that showcases only women’s art.

This fall and winter, the YWCA commemorates two decades of supporting women artists in the gallery with the new exhibit, “Celebrating 20 years of Empowering Women.” “We went back to women who had participated in the very first group exhibit” explains Yvette Johnson-Hegge, YWCA executive coordinator. “We wanted to show what they are doing now and how far they had come.” 22 women were invited back and offer a diverse spectrum of styles and mediums that reflect their self-expression, from quilts and oils to photography and stone.  

Johnson-Hegge sees the art gallery as a far-reaching educational tool. “Our clients, women and children, are here and exposed to art that they may not be otherwise.” The YWCA also uses the artwork in the gallery to expose issues that bring challenges to women everywhere. Over two decades, the gallery has offered exhibits on cancer survival, grief, child endangerment and racism. “Part of our mission is eliminating racism,” Johnson-Hegge says. “So in all of our shows, we work to make sure we have diversity among the artists,” be that culture, race or artistic expression.

Do Good:

Visit: Celebrating 20 Years of Empowering Women Artists, which runs through Jan. 12, 2012 at the YWCA Women’s Art Gallery, 898 Walnut St., downtown. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., or by special arrangement. Please call 513-241-7090 for more information.

Donate: To the YWCA Women’s Art Gallery, empowering women artists for 20 years.

Support: the many programs at the YWCA, including the 2012 YWCA Career Women of Achievement Awards; nominations will be accepted through Jan. 3, 2012.

By Becky Johnson

Formed in 1997 in response to an influx of immigrants from Latin America, Su Casa was the first organization in the region to focus on the needs of a new generation of Cincinnati newcomers.

Originated at St. Charles of Borromeo Church, Su Casa entered under the umbrella of Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio in 2005; today it is recognized as one of the first places new immigrants go to help find their way in Cincinnati. Su Casa, a social service center, helps more than 100 families each month with everything from shelter, healthcare, employment and a place to feel welcomed.

Through its 14 years in Elwood Place, Su Casa has adapted to the needs of every person who comes through the doors. Major areas remain providing information and referrals, health promotion and literacy education.  With a Hispanic population that has doubled in the past 20 years—local estimates now range from 30,000 to 40,000—the city’s residents have a growing need for Su Casa services.

Workers at Su Casa assist clients in finding health care providers, obtaining food stamps and dealing with legal issues. Health services can include everything from finding a doctor to workshops about topics from domestic violence to asthma. Literacy education ranges from basic language classes to GED classes in both Spanish and English.

“Everyone has different needs,” says Giovanna Alvarez, director of Su Casa. “We do our best to help everyone that comes to us.”

Sustained through grants, donations and fees for some of their services, Su Casa’s social workers work with volunteers who even provide yoga and piano lessons. Their well-rounded approach enables immigrants to locate services and support, as well as establish a new and healthy life in Cincinnati.

Do Good:

Volunteer: With a wide variety of programs, there is a wide variety of volunteer needs.

Donate: Every bit helps Su Casa to integrate new immigrants into the community.

Attend: Su Casa’s annual banquet and silent auction and help support their mission.

By Evan Wallis

The Ohio Justice & Policy Center had been working on the issue for three years. Its workers knew that one box on job applications often left qualified workers without a prayer of an interview opportunity. “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?”

Nearly 2 million Ohioans with felony and misdemeanor convictions faced a no-win situation when applying for jobs, adding to unemployment lines and perpetuating cycles of poverty.

Support from the AMOS Project, a nonprofit coalition of 25 congregations, helped push a Fair Hiring Policy through Cincinnati City Council in 2010 and helped pass a statewide bill to build pathways to post-incarceration employment.

How did an organization formed out of a shared commitment to advancing justice and improving quality of life end up working on fair hiring practices? “We started to realize that in a lot of neighborhoods, being out of work was closely connected to having a criminal record,” says AMOS Project Executive Director Paul Graham.

Since its founding in the late 1990s, the AMOS Project has crossed denominational and political lines to take public positions on issues that impact “everyday people,” Graham says. “We work on issues that are counter to power structures. Most folks are actually in the category of the have-nots.”

Graham, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, grew up in Illinois. He ran an interfaith organization in Massachusetts before moving to Cincinnati in 2008 to help the AMOS Project with a massive Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign.

“We run the largest non-partisan GOTV campaign in Hamilton County,” says the 31-year-old Kennedy Heights resident.  After that job was done, he was hired to take on the nonprofit’s leadership role.

The AMOS Project partners with a number of like-minded nonprofits, including the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Ohio Faith & Justice, the Ohio Justice & Policy Center and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Its current work revolves around immigrant rights, worker rights and building networks of parishioners across denominations, around the city.

Do Good:

• Build a website. Currently, the AMOS Project’s limited staff hasn’t allowed for the construction or maintenance of a website. If you can help, email Graham or call the office, 513-751-2222.

• Like the AMOS Project on Facebook. Keep up with the latest news and activities online.

• Make a difference. Donate your time or money to support the AMOS Project’s work. Call the office, 513-751-2222, to find out how.

By Elissa Yancey
Follow Elissa on Twitter.

Growing up in the most biodiverse country in the world gave Miriam Kannan a love for biology. In her work at Northern Kentucky University, that passion has led to an award with for her work in academia and the Latino community.

Kannan, a native of Quito, Ecuador, started at NKU in 1979. In her time teaching microbiology, Kannan has received numerous awards for her academic work, She was named a Regents’ Professor at NKU, and Nov. 14, she received one of YMCA’s Black and Latino Achievers of the Year Award.

For Kannan, the award reinforced the work she has been doing for decades in Cincinnati’s Latino communities. The past president of Kentucky’s Academy of Sciences currently serves as director of NKU’s Latino Center for Excellence, and in 2004, she started a Fun with Science summer camp.

The Fun with Science camps was started with NKU’s Latino Student Affairs Director as a way to reach out to Latino and multicultural middle and high school students to engage them in a week filled with chemistry, physics, geology and microbiology. The camp started as volunteer work for Kannan and some fellow faculty, but now, they have received funding and attract students from all over the world.

“Our camp has metamorphosed into an English language learner’s camp,” Kannan says. “Much of this work is why I was nominated for this award.”

The YMCA also serves as a perfect place for Kannan to find ambitious students to attend and help with her summer science camp. She pairs one undergraduate with every four camp attendees, giving them chances to interact with people from different backgrounds and opening their eyes to the diversity of plant and human life in the world.

“This award means a lot since it came from the community I work in,” Kannan says.

Do Good:

Contact: Miriam Kannan and see how you can help with the Fun with Science Summer Camp.

Volunteer: at the YWCA and give back.

Donate: to the YWCA and provide financial support to families who can afford things such as summer camp

By Evan Wallis
 

Students at Hughes High School have signed up, as have dozens of Cincinnati Zoo and Cincinnati Nature Center employees. Even Mayor Mark Mallory is in on the action. Together, they have reduced nearly 900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere in our region. Not bad for a Green Umbrella opened just more than a month ago.

What’s your Green Umbrella? launched in October. It’s a site dedicated to consolidating all of the sustainability efforts throughout the region under one, well, umbrella. It’s a space where information about green building, green living, green learning and green transportation, as well as other important initiatives, take root.

In addition to providing a constantly updated news feed with information about sustainability-related events and initiatives around the region, What’s your Green Umbrella allows users to track their own path toward earth-friendly living. Register as a user and you can track how your recycling and choice of transportation impacts the environment. Register as part of your employer’s team and see how you stack up against your eco-friendly competition. For example, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden remains in a tight competition with the Cincinnati Nature Center for most tons of CO2 reduced.

The new site also offers tips on green living, local resources and the chance to win prizes that will keep you in harmony with nature.

Do Good:
• Get under the umbrella. Register to see how you rate and help your employer or group gain traction as a regional force for the environment.

• Make a donation. Support green initiatives throughout the region.

• Check on the progress. See how your business, neighborhood or faith community rates in this competition – remember, under the green umbrella, everybody wins!

By Elissa Yancey

Small groups of teens huddled together, talking about companies they admire. Apple, Google, Facebook top the lists. They spend the rest of the evening listing what makes good companies great, and what makes non-profits successful. The 60 youth come from high schools throughout the region. Together, they represent the latest class of UCREW: Cincinnati.

Formed as a school-year based student advisory board, UCREW is an outgrowth of the non-profit UGIVE.org, which gives students and young people opportunities to learn and grow through volunteering. Now in its fourth year, UCREW will create an awareness building event called AMPLIFY and, for the first time ever, launch a social business.

A the second group session of the six-month program, UCREW teens brainstormed about business ideas and causes they would love to support. From healthy living to employment training, their wide-ranging social concerns give a hint as to their awareness of the needs around them. Business ventures ranged from online services to a series of fitness classes for teens that could raise funds to support similar classes for inner-city youth.

“I’d never heard of social entrepreneurship before,” says Grace Kennedy, 17, a senior at Lakota East High School. “(UCREW) really made me interested in business, which I have never been before.”

In addition to planning a social business, UCREW teens take part in volunteer efforts as a group. They participate in planning and mentoring sessions, all geared to prepare them to become long-term philanthropists as well as well-rounded citizens. An added benefit? Since teens come from a wide range of high schools, UCREW offers like-minded peers opportunities to build not only a business, but also cross-town friendships.

Do Good:

• Join UGIVE. Whether you are a parent, a non-profit, a part of a school community or student, you can find ways to connect.

• Keep UGIVE free for non-profits and schools. Every donation to the non-profit helps.

• Learn more about UCREW. Though launched in Cincinnati, UCREW now operates in eight Ohio cities. Find out how you can help support the effort and spread the word.

By Elissa Yancey
Follow Elissa on Twitter.

What started as a crusade to save an elementary school in 1984 has turned in a community-based establishment into its 27th year of existence.

Nestled in Over-the-Rhine, Peaslee Neighborhood Center is a beacon of community involvement.

“We bring people to our center to discover what community really is,” says Kathy Hunt, Peaslee's executive director.   

At 215 E. 14th St., Peaslee's exterior is decorated with colorful murals. Trees line the building. Inside, the building retains its elementary school charm; it feels like a place for learning. “This is a peaceful place in Over-the-Rhine for peace, education, and people to empower themselves,” says Nina Bosken, an Americorps member at Peaslee.   

The center offers many programs, both in community education and educational programming. Programs include private piano lessons, African drumming classes, and service learning opportunities.

The bottom floor houses a fully licensed education center with space for 47 children, aged six weeks to five years old. Children are grouped into classes by age, and all students come from low-income housing, most in Over-the-Rhine or the surrounding areas.

Education is activity-based, with students spending time outdoors, working on literacy, or working the center's community garden, for which they care entirely themselves.

On the community education end, Over-the-Rhine residents, college students, high school students, and other organizations can come and perform service learning days. These days include a “pep talk” from community education volunteer coordinator Jenn Summers and three hours of service at up to seven different non-profit organizations in the neighborhood. The morning concludes with lunch at Peaslee and an afternoon of reflection-based activities asking participants to apply what they learned.

These community education days aren't self-serving: they affect all of Peaslee. “We educate on multiple levels. Kids downstairs [in the Child Development Center] are impacted by the kids coming to serve,” Summers says.
 
Despite their diverse programming, everything Peaslee does focuses on one connecting concept.

“It's participatory education. Everything is hands-on,” Hunt says. In addition to their own programming, the Peaslee Neighborhood Center serves as a network for other like-minded organizations. They provide office space for tenant non-profits, all of which focus on social justice or civic engagement.

“We offer community support for each other, and we share missions, visions, and values,” Hunt says.

Do Good:

Attend: Peaslee's Holiday Stories dinner and silent auction on November 18 at Music Hall.


Donate: and help the Peaslee Center continue to provide education for everyone.

Volunteer: and help teach kids from low-income families.

By Gina Gaetano

In a nation where 7,000 students drop out of high school every day, Cincinnati has been recognized for its collaborative efforts to stem the tide.

This month, Cincinnati achieved national recognition as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance and the investment firm, ING. Cincinnati competed with more than 300 large and small communities across the country that have been working to lower student drop-out rates through services and support to youth. The city of Norwood also received the award this year, having lowered its high school dropout rate by 13 percent in the past decade.

The award competition, now in its fifth cycle, is part of the Alliance’s Grad Nation campaign, a 10-year initiative to end the high school drop-out crisis and create a healthy, 21st century workforce.

One Cincinnati youth, Genine Gray, received a $2,500 scholarship from the Alliance and ING. Gray, the only student to receive this award in the nation, recognized Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates (JCG), Bethany House, Dress for Success and Bridging the Gap for supporting her journey from homelessness to high-school graduation. JCG president Barbara Seibel, in turn, credits the Southwest Ohio Regional Workforce Investment Board for financial support. “Their Workforce Investment Act grant to JCG makes it possible for youth like Genine to be in JCG.”

Cincinnati, now a two-time award winner, continues to build on collaborative initiatives, like its Safe Routes to School Initiative, designed and implemented by local residents, the Cincinnati schools, the Department of Transportation and Cincinnati police.   

The city’s Strive Partnership, a national model of aligning resources to raise graduation rates, provided help and technical assistance in the application process. But, again, it asks that the honors be shared. “The award itself is really owed to the hard work of our partners, including the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, ArtsWave and Artworks, among others,” says
Strive’s Ben Greenberg.

Do Good:

• Learn: about what Strive Partnership is doing to align resources to raise graduation rates in Cincinnati.

• Volunteer: at one of the many organizations that are helping support Cincinnati youth, like Connect2Success, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates  and Bridging the Gap

• Support: America’s Promise Alliance, founded by former general Colin Powell, to prepare young people for college and promising careers

By Becky Johnson
 
 
 
 
 

Since 2006, the Off the Streets program offered through Cincinnati Union Bethel has assisted women recovering from a life of prostitution and substance abuse by helping them develop the life skills and self-esteem they need to turn their lives around.
 
Off the Streets connects women to community resources that assist them with substance abuse and mental health issues, and pairs them with facilitators who have been involved with prostitution themselves. This award-winning model has helped hundreds of women find hope and empowerment by working with others who have “been there” and who understand the difficult path to recovery.

“Our program moves these women toward safety, recovery and re-integration into the community,” says Brittany Ballard, development director at Cincinnati Union Bethel. “Many times the women come to us with only the clothes on their backs. Right away we provide them with shelter, food, clothing – and a non-judgmental environment.”
 
Approximately 76 percent of the women who enter the Off the Streets program are homeless and have no other housing option. To these women, the safe and non-judgmental environment offered by the program, combined with safe housing at the Anna Louise Inn, can make all the difference in learning a new way of life.
 
Nearly half of the women who enter the program are self-referred. Approximately 36 percent are referred through the criminal justice system, and 15 percent by other community programs. The program’s intake /outtake coordinator actually hits the streets herself – to find women living lives of prostitution who are open to getting help.
 
Since its launch, success rates are remarkable. According to program statistics, of 226 women who were engaged in the program for 30 days or longer, 89 percent reported no longer being involved in prostitution. In addition, 99 percent reported a decrease in substance abuse while 81 percent reported no longer using at all.
 
Off the Streets has received numerous awards and recognition, including the Ohio Association of Non-Profit Organizations Excellence Award (2006), the Community Police Partnering Center CPOP Award (2007) the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce Non-profit of the Year Award (2008) and Honorable Mention Winner of the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award (2008). Soon it will launch a new facet of programming that leads program graduates even further along the road to healthy and productive lives.
 
Beginning Oct. 27, Off the Streets will host a brand new program called “Women Leading Healthy Change,” designed, among other things, to foster communication and understanding between health professionals and women involved, or formerly involved, in prostitution. Rachel Robitz, a medical student at University of Cincinnati, is the leader behind this new 10-week program. A trained dancer, Robitz became acquainted with Off the Streets in medical school when she elected to volunteer at the site as a ballet teacher. “Ballet helps these women to see their bodies differently – to re-learn their bodies in a more positive light,” Robitz says. From those initial interactions, she “fell in love” with the program and the positive things it was doing for these women.
 
Women Leading Healthy Change will be co-led by a medical student and a graduate of the Off the Streets program. It brings together former prostitutes and healthcare professionals to get them talking – and understanding – one another. The program also seeks to interest women in affecting their own communities as far as public health is concerned, by using what they’ve learned to help others. “There is definitely a leadership and empowerment component,” Robitz says.

“Many times these women avoid seeing a doctor out of fear and misunderstanding,” Ballard says. “This new program is designed to reduce the stigma of prostitution among healthcare professionals, and educate the women on the importance of healthcare.”
 
Once the 10-week program is over, the women can apply for a scholarship set up through Cincinnati State to receive more training and possibly identify new career paths. “Women Leading Healthy Change adds validity to the voices of these women, and empowers them through a positive experience in leadership,” Robitz says.
 
Do Good:

• Help fund a scholarship through Cincinnati State. Contact the Women Leading Healthy Change program for details

• Donate. Off the Streets relies on donations to serve women in need. Can’t donate financially? Personal care items and clothing are needed as well.

• Volunteer. Contact Kari Kester at 513-768-6930.

• Write a letter. Be supportive of women in the program by writing them a note of encouragement.
 
By Deidra Wiley Necco

 

If you’re in the mood for a cup of coffee, to see local art or do your part to support the American Cancer Society, a local gallery has you covered.

Artists for a Cause Silent Auction, held at Oakley’s Redtree Gallery for four weeks in October and November, benefits both the American Cancer Society and the local artists who have donated special pieces.  

The mission of Redtree, a combination art gallery and coffee shop, is to encourage both emerging and established artists, with an emphasis on the local arts community. Local artists create over 90 percent of the art featured at Redtree, which features all mediums styles and expressions.  
 
With six open-call shows a year, the gallery actively supports emerging artists who may never have shown before. Alison Lee, marketing and development director for Redtree, sees that as one of the gallery’s main missions: “to get people to submit art, to have the courage to do that.”   

The coffee shop, with its fair-trade coffee, specialty drinks and relaxed seating, offers opportunities to continue this conversation about art every day. “I feel it breaks down barriers, maybe the idea of art galleries being stuffy or unapproachable,” Lee says. Visitors who come for a cup of coffee may never have visited an art gallery before. “This exposes them to artwork and inspires a sense of community” with the art world.  

The ongoing Artists for a Cause is one of Redtree’s group shows. Suggested by local artist Bruno Zabagilo, the silent auction has more than 30 local artists’ work, on which customers can submit written bids through an entire month. Proceeds benefit the cancer society. Gallery owner Wendy Smith sees this as another extension of Redtree’s mission. “Bruno and I have both had relationships with people with cancer, as so many people do,” she says. “And we’re always excited and happy to support an artist who is passionate about something like this.”  

Do Good:

• Attend: Opening Night of Artists for a Cause, Friday, Oct. 14, 6-9 p.m.

• Support: the American Cancer Society anytime.

• Visit: Redtree to grab a cup of coffee and bid on silent auction items. The auction ends Saturday, Nov. 5, at 9 p.m.

By Becky Johnson

At Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, Executive Director Mary B. Rivers leads the charge to ensure affordable housing opportunities and encourage community collaboration to build a healthy and inclusive neighborhood. Located at 114 W. 14th Street in the heart of the Washington Park redevelopment area, OTRCH has provided support and opportunity to low-income residents for more than 30 years.

Its current structure is the result of the 2006 merger between ReSTOC and Over-the-Rhine Housing Network aimed at creating an even stronger advocacy presence for residents struggling with issues ranging from poverty, to substance abuse, to chronic homelessness.

Over-the-Rhine continues to experience growth and redevelopment as the city’s urban core, and the hub for its rich and vibrant arts community. With its massive collection of Italianate architecture, eclectic residents, hip retail and entertainment venues and storied past OTR has become the much beloved home to a diverse community. As that community continues to evolve, there is one organization on a mission to provide support and tell the stories of low-income residents and members of the recovery population, including the homeless.
 
“OTRCH provides a range of affordable housing options for singles, the elderly, and recovery populations leaving shelters,” says Rivers. “We manage some 400 units in OTR.” In addition to individual units, OTRCH operates the Jimmy Heath House, which serves the chronically homeless and those struggling with alcoholism by providing case management and support as well as a safe place to live. OTRCH is also working with 3CDC and local developers to offer market rate housing including the newly renovated condominiums on the corner of 14th and Race, as well as new construction on Pleasant Street.
 
This week there is one more reason to spend your evening mingling with the residents and community members of Over-the-Rhine - OTRCH’s signature fall benefit. This year’s event, “Celebrating our Beloved Community,” a dinner + poetry reading benefitting Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, Thursday, Oct. 13 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Music Hall. The event will showcase four local poets with deep roots in the city's urban core: Pauletta Hansell, Desirae Hosley, Michael Henson, and Richard Hague. They will be accompanied by acoustic guitar.
 
Thursday's poetry was developed with input from OTR community members. The poets worked in community venues, including the Children’s Creative Corner, to reach a diverse group of residents. Participants ranged from homeless, to low-income residents to newly transplanted condo-dwellers. “It’s about connecting with people and seeing the value they bring to the neighborhood,” says Rivers. “Spoken word embodies the spirit of this community. It creates a way for everyone to experience and share in the love for OTR.”

In keeping with the spirit of OTRCH, residents old and new alike shared their thoughts about what makes their neighborhood special. “The idea was to weave the conversation into the lives of the residents,” says Rivers. Workshops focused on sharing stories and encouraging conversations focused on the love of OTR. “It was an opportunity for people that have lived in OTR for a while to talk about what they love about their neighborhood – and an opportunity for people to listen,” says Rivers.
 
This year’s event will also include door prizes and food from What’s for Dinner. In addition, OTRCH will give this year’s Partner Award to the OTR Marianists, three men who are dedicated to the people of the community, and who do everything from providing healthcare to the homeless, to helping those formerly incarcerated, to teaching in neighborhood schools.
 
Do Good:
• Attend “Celebrating our Beloved Community.” Tickets available online or at the door. $50 general admission; $20 with student ID
• Volunteer on Saturday mornings. Call Brittany Skelton, 513-381-1171 about Saturday morning volunteer opportunities.
• Donate furniture, beds and household items to community members in need. New items preferred.
• Participate in the Jimmy Heath Community Kitchen by bringing a covered dish and eating a meal with the residents. Call Andy Hutzell, 513-381-1171, for details.
• Spread the word! Use our social media buttons to share this story on Facebook or Tweet about it to your followers.
 
By Deidra Wiley Necco
 

When they aren’t fighting crime or protecting the universe from evil of unknown and potentially catastrophic proportions, the superheroes of Greater Cincinnati are – supporting the arts. Thanks to Enjoy the Arts, Cincinnatians will have the opportunity to channel their inner superhero at the organization’s annual fundraiser and Halloween Bash at Cincinnati Museum Center’s Union Terminal. This year’s theme, Return to the Hall of Justice, is a throwback to the local legend of the terminal’s role as inspiration for the grand headquarters of DC Comics’ Super Friends.

As the program in residence at Cincinnati Museum Center, Enjoy the Arts connects audiences, particularly young professionals, to the arts community and encourages lifelong patronage. “The goal is to make the arts more accessible by making people aware of the many opportunities to experience them in our area,” says Laura Partridge of Cincinnati Museum Center. For more than three decades, Enjoy the Arts has been doing just that. Members enjoy free and discounted tickets, upgrades and other benefits from partner organizations such as the Cincinnati Ballet, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Contemporary Art Center, the Taft Museum and many others.

Membership is $50, or $35 for full-time students. For individuals 35 or younger, the Orange Membership provides opportunities for free and/or deeply discounted tickets and one-time use vouchers. For those older than 35, the Noir Membership provides discounts, upgrades and other benefits meant to enhance arts experiences. Samantha Robinson, program coordinator says, “Enjoy the Arts encourages young professionals to become more involved in the arts community.”

While the benefits of each membership type are similar, Orange members receive offers that introduce them to arts events that might not otherwise be accessible.

There are several ways to connect with Enjoy the Arts. Hip Tips, the organization’s email news, functions as a central listing of events happening around the city. Enjoy the Arts also partners with community arts centers in the area through month-long promotions aimed at reaching out into neighboring communities. In October, Enjoy the Arts partners with the Baker-Hunt Art and Cultural Center in Covington, KY. The Clifton Cultural Arts Center serves as partner through the month of November and the Kennedy Heights Arts Center in December.

On Oct. 28, Enjoy the Arts will host its annual Halloween bash and signature fundraiser. Return to the Hall of Justice will feature a DJ, Superman cocktails and a raffle including superhero themed packages. “We encourage the community to come out and support Enjoy the Arts – you won’t want to miss this,” says Partridge.

Do Good:
• Purchase a ticket to Return to the Hall of Justice Halloween bash. 
• Become a member of Enjoy the Arts.
• Like Enjoy the Arts on Facebook and become part of their social media community.

By Deidra Wiley Necco