Cincinnati’s Unique Heritage Being Told In Cincy Story Mural

Something truly wonderful is happening. It is transcending generations, bringing together diverse people from just about every local community. Our great city of Cincinnati is being told, one person, one story, one neighborhood at a time. Old shoeboxes are coming out of storage. Camcorders and iphones are popping up in storefronts and street corners. Memories are being inked in vivid detail as prose on pieces of lined paper.

It is all a part of a first-time project called the Cincy Story Mural. Through a series of what are being called harvesting events, the public has been invited to share photos, videos, narratives, and drawings to help tell the story of their unique corner of the world. And by the spring of 2012 (which is fast upon us), they will all be transformed into a beautiful mural installed in locations throughout Cincinnati with an interactive online version.

Cincy Story Mural is a collaboration between Starfire Council, DIY Printing, Public Allies, Cincy.com, and artist Krista Brinkmeyer.

Krista is the vision behind the project. In her late 20’s, she has always had a passion for expressing herself through storytelling – sometimes by capturing moments in photographs and sometimes through written word. She also has a knack for making friends, an important quality for any role let alone the role of project director.

“I like myself very much. I work hard at Starfire. I am a good person and I am happy,” she wrote in her blog profile.

I sat down with Krista and her right hand man as they say, Leah Addison, an Americorp volunteer with Starfire. The idea, they told me, was sparked when Krista was developing an idea for her capstone project in her final year at Starfire U.

“I like taking pictures and showing them to my friends,” Krista said. “I’m learning to blog and email. I’m meeting a lot of people. I’m not done yet and I need everyone’s help.”

If you have a photo or story you would like to contribute, please contact them at infor@CincyStoryMural.org.

Photo Caption:

Today my friends Aaron and Sybilka and I made a poster for our Mural Launch Party.  I got my picture taken while we were working on the screen printing.  The posters are blue and silver.  The posters tell about the project and they have a QR code on them so people can scan with their phones and read more about the project.

About Starfire U

I really couldn’t describe it better than the words used by Starfire on their website….

Starfire believes every person has gifts that should be valued and respected. Time at Starfire is spent discovering those gifts and finding the people and places where those gifts are able to shine the brightest. Starfire recognizes that all people want acceptance and need relationships. There is great value to relationships with the community and neighbors so an emphasis on building connection runs throughout each program. Starfire strives to maximize resources and generate new avenues and networks of connections for people.

Starfire U is a new, post-secondary opportunity focused on providing relevant educational opportunities for young adults with disabilities. It combines Starfire’s expertise in advancing socialization with traditional special education techniques. This research-based program will have a positive lifelong impact on the lives of people who experience disabilities.

The Starfire U curriculum includes communication, safety, transportation, health, citizenship, technology and volunteering. The knowledge and experience gained in the program helps people to become integral parts of their community.

Over the course of the four-year program, there is exposure to new opportunities, a chance to explore and define a person’s gifts and talents, find valued roles in their community, and build a network of support. The curriculum is designed to:

• Connect with the Community
• Develop Friendships
• Increase Social Confidence
• Gain Experiences at Local Colleges, Businesses, and Non‐Profits
• Contribute through Service
• Build Occupational Skills
• Develop Personalized Future Plan

 

 

People Working Cooperatively Helping People With Disabilities

Each year through People Working Cooperatively, thousands of volunteers working in tandem with professionally trained staff reach out to homeowners without the financial means to maintain their home, and thus, maintain their independence. The organization strengthens communities by providing professional, critical home repairs, weatherization, modification and other repair services that residents would not be able to afford on their own. PWC’s Modifications for Mobility Program specifically offers costly accessibility adaptations to homes for people with disabilities.

 Two friends, A Common Bond

 PWC volunteer Steve Crow’s battle with cancer resulted in a prosthetic leg and a calling to help his fellow neighbors. That calling was put into action when Steve met a man with whom he shared a common bond. David lost his leg to diabetes two years ago. Using a wheelchair in a house that wasn’t built for someone with a mobility disability prohibited David from being able to come and go easily.

Steve volunteered with the Kentucky United Methodist Church to build a ramp for David.

 “I was so depressed, just so upset. I couldn’t go anywhere,” David told PWC. “It has literally been two years since I went outside the house. You can’t imagine what it is like.”

The ramp gave David a new lease on life. “Just to go outside again and smell the fresh air and hear the birds. It’s indescribable,” he said.

But the ramp was not David’s only gift. The other gift was a new found friendship with someone who understands that life can change in a moment’s notice.

You Can Help

When I worked with the Inclusion Network, we used to say…”Disability is the one minority population that any of us can find ourselves in, without any notice.” Accessibility modifications, while a necessity for someone with a disability to maintain his/her independence and quality of life, are very expensive. This makes it difficult for PWC to help everyone who needs and can benefit from the service. PWC currently has 125 people on a waiting list.

Proceeds from its upcoming Oscar Night® America Party will benefit PWC’s Modifications for Mobility Program. It will be Sunday, February 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland. Cost is $150 per person. If you can’t attend, you can still bid in their online auction at www.biddingforgood.com/PWCoscars. For more, please visit their website or call Chris Owens, 513-351-7921.

 

 

Lisa Fitzgibbon Honored For Work At Easter Seals Work Resource Center

Lisa Fitzgibbon, CEO of the Easter Seals Work Resource Center, was just honored for 33 years of great service and great accomplishments. The Work Resource Center is a place where youth and adults with disabilities gain skills they need to live more independently through employment. It serves more than 10,000 each year and 86% of those who have gone through its training have found permanent, competitive employment.

Thank you to Lisa and her staff for all that they do to help people with disabilities to be included, for focusing on their abilities and strengths, and for helping others to see those strengths as the gifts that they are.

 

Rutgers Football Player Makes A Comeback At Life

Eric LeGrand had so much he wanted to accomplish in life.  A member of the Rutgers football team, he was a leader on and off the field. Then, in one split second, one hit changed his life forever. Eric was told he would never breath again without a ventilator. He was tole had had a 5% chance of recovering any neurological function. In all of his football glory, he has never had a victory quite like this one. One flinch, one breath, one movement and one moment at a time he has made his comeback. He is not defined by his disability. He  is working to a degree and fulfilling a dream of providing commentary of Rutgers football on the radio. And this past weekend he led his team back onto the football field – in his wheelchair.

His story is reported by ABC News.

A Raft Trip For People Who Appreciate Nature With All Their Senses

The Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) knows you don’t have to see through your eyes to experience and appreciate nature’s scenery. In fact its annual inclusive rafting trip has become a favorite tradition for clients, volunteers and staff.  This summer more than 100 people with and without vision paddled their way down the Whitewater River to a picnic ground where games and a cookout awaited.

Planning assistance for the event was provided by Morgan’s Brookville Canoe Center.

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