Monthly Archives: February 2013
Robin Roberts Is An Optimist
Circus Mojo and Redwood Bring Out Abilities
Walking on stilts. Spinning plates. Balancing a feather on a finger. Juggling. Flipping hats. Making jokes. Laughing.
Sure, those are the skills you’d expect students to learn in a class on being a clown. However, for adults who participate in the Redwood Work Activity Center that class is more about strengthening social and motor skills, confidence, and self-esteem.
It’s called CircAbility and the teachers are staff of Ludlow, Kentucky based Circus Mojo, a company that engages people of all abilities to focus on potential.
“By their reaching beyond their comfort zone in the class, our participants’ willingness to try other new things now is off the charts,” said Bridgette Hightower, community outreach coordinator for Redwood.
Lately they’ve been working extra hard practicing. That’s because this Friday night they’ll be showcasing their clown skills at Redwood’s big annual fund raiser – this year themed Destination Under the Big Top. Over 800 people are expected to attend the event that last year raised over $130,000 for Redwood services.
About Redwood:
Redwood serves over 750 individuals through 24 comprehensive programs in five areas: child development, technology solutions, 
workforce success, adult independence and integrated therapy.
Redwood is home to the only Assistive Technology Resource Center in Northern Kentucky, and one of only four in the state part of the Kentucky Assistive Technology Service. The center has assistive technology available for loan.
The Event:
Where – Receptions (1379 Donaldson Rd in Erlanger)
When – Friday night, March 1, 2013 from 7 pm to 11:30 pm
Cost – $65 at the door
More information: development@redwoodnky.org or 859-331-0880
Art From Cincinnati Students And Artists On Display
photo credit: Pete Bender
The talents of Cincinnati artists and young students will be on display at an exhibit at University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College through the end of March.
The annual Festival in the Woods is open to the public. It runs through March 29 in Muntz Hall on the UC Blue Ash campus, 9555 Plainfield Road. (Monday – Friday, 10 a.m.to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.)
Started in 1989, Festival in the Woods features more than 1,500 original works of art this year.Several local and private schools will be represented. They include Loveland, Deer Park, Indian Hill, Loveland, Madeira, Mariemont and Sycamore.
Featured artists
• Marcie May: author of “The Adventures of Penny and Tubs,” selling and signing books.
• Valerie Woebkenberg: author of “The Story the Little Christmas Tree Told,” selling and signing books and she has notecards.
• Trudy Roesch: Watercolor artist-paints a variety of winter scenes, flowers, herbs, and will have pictures and cards for sale.
• Gary Overmann: a collector of children’s’ books especially those by Beatrix Potter, Tasha Tudor. He will sell books.
• John Kraimer: director of disability services, artist, musician.
Visitors are encouraged to support a project incorporating the love of art and reading. Through the Festival in the Woods event, UC Blue Ash is partnering with the national First Book organization to provide handmade bookmarks to give to children in need. The bookmarks will be distributed with their new books.
For more information about the Festival in the Woods, visit the UC Blue Ash website at www.ucblueash.edu/performingarts/festival/festival or call (513) 936-1573.
Flashes of Hope Brings Smiles To Hospitalized Children
One afternoon every month, an exam room at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is transformed into a photography studio for kids. That’s when an organization called Flashes of Hope photographs children battling life-threatening illnesses.
Flashes of Hope was founded in 2001 by a Cleveland woman whose son was hospitalized for cancer treatments. Now there are chapters across the country. In 2012, photographers Vickie Daniels, Mark Bealer and Helen Adams formed the Cincinnati chapter. Since then, more than 250 children have been photographed.
“We wanted to bring a gift to families to offer them something that most families don’t even think about at this time in their lives,” said Vickie Daniels, co-chair of Flashes of Hope.
A story about it from Local12
People Working Cooperatively Oscar Gala Gave Family Dignity
Louise wasn’t asking for luxury, a gift, or even charity. She’s was looking for dignity. Dignity for her brother Jerry who suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of his caregivers.
Support of the PWC 2012 Oscar Night brought Jerry that dignity and the comfort of home he very much needed.
Louise, 57 and Jerry, 66, are siblings born in Moultrie, GA. They grew up in a hard scrabble life picking cotton in a rural community without many luxuries. Jerry was born with Cerebral Palsy and profound learning disabilities. Their mother worked 
hard teaching Jerry to be as independent as possible. Their father had been killed when they were young, and the family worked hard to make ends meet.
At best, their daily life was challenging. But what little they did have was violently shattered the day their mother was shot and killed – in front of the children.
“It’s something that stays with you forever,” says Louise, with tears in her eyes. “Our mother loved us and did everything she could for us and she was taken away in a horrible violent death. We saw it, we saw everything, and it just never leaves you.”
Jerry was sent to live at an adult group home in Florida. Louise and Gina made their way to Cincinnati, where other relatives were living.
As the years passed, all seemed to be well with Jerry’s care until one day when an uncle made a surprise visit to Jerry’s group home. He was shocked with what he found. Jerry was malnourished and had suffered horrible physical abuse. When Louise received the phone call, she knew the decision had already been made – Jerry would come to live with her and her friend Marietta.
But the Bond Hill home wasn’t ideal for a person with disabilities. Jerry can’t walk, so Louise had to carry him up and down the steps to use the toilet or for a bath. Louise has had had two knee replacements; Marietta has bone spurs and nerve pain in her back. They worried about dropping him.
“We didn’t want to hurt him – or us,” said Louise.
What the family needed to care for Jerry was a basement bathroom and shower. It was a difficult, expensive job due to the plumbing which was dug up from the basement floor. Also, the door where Jerry accesses the basement and his chair lift was 
widened and made more accessible. The size of the job was beyond the scope of what People Working Cooperatively typically performs.
But support from PWC’s Oscar Gala helped Jerry receive the care he needed. He now has a beautiful state of the art bathroom in his basement, and an expanded doorway to help him get in the house.
You can support PWC’s Oscar Experience: Cincinnati by buying event tickets or raffle tickets to win $5,000 at www.pwchomerepairs.org or calling 513-351-7921.
