Loveland Student Receives National Attention For Volunteer Work

How exciting for Loveland student Mack Pairan (who attends Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy)!  He was honored in Washington D.C. at the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Mack was named one of Ohio’s top two youth volunteers from the nationwide program honoring young volunteers.

In 2009, Mack began a mission that has collected over 7000 toiletry items for people in need. The enterprising then 9-year-old passed flyers out in his neighborhood, an effort that generated some 300 items. And, as is what happens a lot when you give with your heart, he wanted to do more. Mack began hosting three annual collection events.

“No matter what your age or what you have, there is always someone who is less fortunate than you, and we are all here to serve in our own way,” said Mack.

 

YMCA Character Awards Celebrated Future Leaders

If you want to truly be inspired…spend an evening surrounded by young people who are making a difference in this world in their own very personal way. This was the 15th year that the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati celebrated teen role models for caring, respect, honesty and responsibility. It was such an honor for me to work with them and get to know them in writing their bios and working on the publicity. A special thank you to FOX19, who I got to partner with us in promoting it. Each day the week leading up to the event Tracey Johnson (who emceed the event) interviewed honorees on her Morning Xtra show.

Cincinnati Enquirer story on YMCA Character Awards

 

One of Tracey Johnson’s interview with YMCA Character Award honorees

YMCA Celebrates 40 Examples Of Character Values

I’d like to introduce you to pretty awe-inspiring youth who I’m very lucky to be getting to know. They are some of our Greater Cincinnati area’s great role models for caring, respect, honest, responsibility and caring. I’m talking about the 40 teenagers who will be celebrated on April 17 as YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Character Award recipients.

Take for example…

Linnea Head, a student at Seven Hills School, whose influence has been described as ‘legendary’. A fearless model of ethics, it was during a school assembly when she stood before her student body and inspired every student to choose ‘trust’. Again she rallied her classmates to a cause when she heard about a Ugandan elementary school for displaced children.

Or

Dion’te Riley, a Withrow University High School student who traveled to the Domincan Republic to participate in a food drive. He personally collected enough food to fill 17 grocery carts for families in need.

Each one of the YMCA Character Award recipients has his/her own very personal story for impacting their world. I encourage you to please click the link and read more about them. If you know one of them…please congratulate them.

Or better yet…please join Tracey Johnson of FOX19 and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati at the YMCA Character Awards Event on April 17.  It begins at 6 p.m. at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Cost is $25 per person for adults; $10 for youth. You can call 513-246-3205 to reserve a seat.

2012 YMCA Character Award recipients 2012
YMCA Character Award recipient list 2012

WIN TICKETS!
I will have two pairs of tickets to the event to give-a-way. I will be randomly
drawing two names of people who are Good Things Pledge champions. An additional
chance will be given for participating in the Good Things Going Around Facebook page.
Drawing will be on Wednesday night, April 11, 2012.
Not a Good Things Pledge champion yet? Just add your contact information on the Pledge page!

Honoree Shamari Hinkston Talks About ‘Caring’

Cincinnati Philanthropist Has A Personal Cause

I’ve known Myrna Ethridge for about five years now, about as long as I’ve been working with the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. She is a board member of the YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program who believes so wholeheartedly in the cause because she is so passionate about the success of young people. Several years ago the YMCA honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

I love being around Myrna because she always has a smile. This past year, however, I didn’t get to see as much of her. Myrna’s split second happened in 2000. Out of the blue, this vibrant wife, mother and grandmother was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH), a life threatening disease that has made even walking up a slight incline a difficult task.

Her challenges are real and her medication costs thousands of dollars each month, which was okay when she had medical insurance, but when she turned 65 in 2007, her drug plan was no longer covered and Medicaid only paid for a portion. An organization called the Caring Voice Coalition has eradicated her fear and eased her financial burden by providing her a yearly grant for the medications costs not covered by Medicaid.

It really struck a chord with me when Myrna told me the other day, “I probably wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for the Coalition.”

And so, it was no surprise to me when her next sentence was, “It is time for me to give back.”

Myrna is organizing (with help from a small committee) a dinner fund raiser for the Caring Voice Coalition, which is headquartered in Mechanicsville, Va. Pamela Harris, the organization’s co-founder and president, will be the special guest.

The With Every Breath dinner will be April 6, 2012 at the Sharonville Convention Center (11355 Chester Rd; 45246) beginning at 7 p.m. Cost is $80 per person. For reservations or more information, please call 513-374-8360 or email witheverybreath@fuse.net.

 ABOUT CARING VOICE COALITION

Caring Voice Coalition empowers patients with chronic diseases to meet the challenges they are facing by providing financial assistance, insurance education and patient support programs. Their holistic approach and comprehensive program currently assists patients in the Greater Cincinnati area and nationally.

Chronic diseases supported by the Coalition are Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Alpha-1, Complex Partial Seizures, Infantile Spasms, Huntington’s disease, Congenital Factor XIII, Chronic Granulomatous Disorder and Narcolepsy.

Photo right:  Pamela Harris

 

 

Help For Northern Kentucky Tornado Victims

If you live in Greater Cincinnati, you already know about Friday’s relentless and tragic tornadoes that ripped through our communities destroying homes, lives and neighborhoods. As we do when tragedy strikes, we want to help.

I got a note from Ryan Courtade, president of the Northern Kentucky Youth Foundation, about an important Facebook group. Beginning last Friday the group has been constantly updating the region as a whole  and verifying information as to not have mis-information circulating on how people can help, where victims can receive help, and what donations are needed.

I encourage you to visit their group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/TornadoReliefNKY/ for the over 2,000 contributing volunteers helping Northern Kentucky rebuild itself. And if you know of anyone looking to help, or anyone that needs help, please have them visit that group and check out the documents section for up-to-date and accurate information.

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