Awards
Voices of Giving Awards Honored Those Who Give Back
It’s so neat to see people whose lives were touched in a meaningful way, and who, when times got better never forgot and choose to give back.
Brian Brinkmoeller is one of those examples. He was a struggling single father to three curious and active girls who had a love for learning. On his own he wouldn’t have been able to afford the tuition for the Cathedral Child Development Center, a program of Children, Inc., but the organization was committed helping them no matter the circumstances. Now a successful business owner, Brian has remained steadfast to giving back to the agency that helped his family. In addition to serving on its board, he established the Monica Hughes Children’s Fund at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation to support families like his own. The Fund commemorates a young teacher at the Cathedral Center who died suddenly at age 32, and the very teacher who treated Brian and his girls as her own.
“Brian’s thoughtful gift will keep giving, ensuring that Children, Inc. will always be able to serve kids regardless of their family’s financial situation,” said Jordan Huizenga, director of development for Children, Inc.
Brian and 23 other warm hearted philanthropists in our area were honored recently by the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council with Voices of Giving Awards. This was the fourth year that I’ve helped them with the post even publicity and it is so inspiring to hear their stories.
The 14th annual Voices of Giving Awards were presented by PNC and were hosted by Local12 News Anchor John Lomax at CET. The program included featured speaker Lee Carter, co-chair of the 2012 World Choir Games United States, and a performance by the Cincinnati Girl Choir directed by Dr. Eva Floyd. The 2012 event was co-chaired by Mary Alice Koch (PNC Bank) and Chandra Mathews-Smith. Committee members included Sue Ellen Stuebing (CET), Carol Stevie (CISE), Tracy Monroe (Ronald McDonald House), Michelle Mancini (American Cancer Society), Telly McGaha (Redwood), Susan Kulick (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center), Karen Kruer (NKU Foundation), Misty Griesinger (Association Connection), Jim Friedman (The Jewish Federation), Lori Asmus (Episcopal Retirement Homes), and Sally Alspaugh (Xavier University).
“Greater Cincinnati nonprofits making measurable impact in the communities where we live and work rely on generous donors to help them sustain their mission. Our Voices of Giving Awards is our way of saying ‘thanks’ to our philanthropists for being purposeful in helping to ensure the longevity of causes important to them,” said Lori Asmus, Voices of Giving committee member.
The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council is a professional association for people whose work includes developing, marketing, and administering charitable planned gifts for non-profit institutions and a variety of other legal and financial settings.
2012 Voices of Giving honorees
To view all of the photos from the event, please click here.
(Note: photo is of Cindy and Brian Brinkmoeller with Jordan Huizenga in the back)
Cincinnati Teachers Embark On Global Fellowships
What a great opportunity for these eight Cincinnati teachers to pursue learning with some very unique and creative ideas. I saw this on the Strive Together website. The Fund for Teachers recently awarded them $39,000 in grants to embark on global fellowships throughout the summer. Strive partners with the Fund for Teachers to administer the grants locally.
Here are three examples of what they’ll be doing:
• Carla Lamb (Clark Montesso
ri High School) who will explore art adorning walls/public spaces in Seattle, Berlin and Prague to witness how intended barriers now connect communities and to teach students that street art can be purposeful, embody strong aesthetics and unite diverse populations;
• Robert Hollifield (Gilbert A. Dater High School) who will navigate through seven national parks, three private nature reserves, three active volcanoes, and one costal ecosystem in Costa Rica to introduce students to biodiversity outside their urban Ohio environment and ignite a passion to engage in local activities promoting environmental awareness and protection; and,
• Anne-Catherine Foster (Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies) who will participate in an intensive Spanish language immersion program in Boquete, Panama, to better comprehend how ESL students’ life experiences inform their success in acquisition of the English language and culture.
(Note: image is of artwork by Carla Lamb titled Raven Evermore. It is displayed on Michigoose’s Gander at Quilts and Life blog.)
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 g
et 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
A Teen’s Perspective On ‘Caring’
On April 17, 2012 Erin Daniels, a junior at North College Hill High School in Cincinnati, will be among 40 local students who will be honored by the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati as a YMCA Character Award recipient. Each of the honorees has her/her own very unique story of making a difference but what they all share is how they are role models for the character values of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility.
I was with Erin recently for a television interview and afterward asked her what it means to be ‘caring’. This is what she said.
YMCA Character Awards 2012 news release
2012 YMCA Character Award recipients 2012
The YMCA Character Awards Event will be April 17, 2012 at the School for Creative & Performing Arts. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $25 for an adult or $10 for a youth. To purchase a ticket, please call 513-246-3205.
I have a few tickets to give-a-way. I will be drawing on this coming Wednesday from among my Good Things Pledge champions. Not a champion yet? It’s simple. Just visit the page and add your contact information.
