featured
Cincinnati Nonprofit Focus: Assistance League
Heard about the Assistance League?
The Assistance League is an all volunteer nonprofit organization in Greater Cincinnati and its signature program is Operation School Bell has provided new school uniforms to 1,908 students during the 2014 to 2015 school year. The organization has helped the children in need in 35 public and parochial schools throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas. Each school uniform consists of short and long-sleeved shirts, pants, socks, underwear, a belt, a fleece jacket and a pair of shoes. Individuals and grantors enthusiastically support this program which directly impacts a child by providing an essential need – clothing. Learn more: http://www.assistanceleaguecincinnati.org/
Xavier University Students Made Prosthetic For Assistance Dog
Tiny, a beautiful, gentle golden retriever being raised and trained through nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability to give independence to a child with a disability, got some assistance of her own.
The young girl who knows n
o strangers was born with part of her front, right leg missing which caused some challenges when it came to being able to be of help to someone else. Laurie Maier, Tiny’s foster parent, reached out to Xavier University’s new Center for Innovation and within hours, a solution to Tiny’s mobility challenges was within reach.
Students in the Introduction to Making class (led by Professor Gary Lewandowski) designed, worked with prosthetist Christine Reedey to make a mold, and produced a prosthetic using a 3D printer. It was a huge accomplishment that took several prototypes to find the design that worked.
Please Help Me Welcome My New Blog Interns
For those who know me and/or have followed Good Things Going Around, you probably know this is a project that truly comes from my heart. I want it to be a place where others can visit – either on my site or through one of my social media networks – and leave inspired, or at least to have their day brightened as a result. My problem has always been finding the time to keep up with it while also maintaining my paid work.
Interns have been invaluable to me. A few months ago I spent a day on the campus of the University of Cincinnati interviewing students to work with me. I was looking for someone who also is a positive thinker and who shares my belief that everyone has the potential for making important contributions.
I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I found not just one but two incredible students with different gifts and interests who want to make a positive difference in this world – and I am truly honored that they want to do that with Good Things Going Around as a vehicle.
Through the end of the summer you will be reading and seeing their work. Please support their energy by resharing posts when they impact you. You will find links to posts on my social media networks too so please follow Good Things Going Around on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Liza came up with the idea and name for a new Good Things project, CINspirational People!, which will spotlight a broad range of people in our community and some of what inspires them. She was so excited about it that she called me days after her interview to tell me she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is such a wonderful idea and Liza will do a great job heading this up. Katie and I will also be contributing CINspirational People! Posts.
Why I am a Good Things Intern: Liza’s words
Words cannot describe how excited I am to be a part of the Good Things Going Around blog project. CINspirational People! is a new project that we have created to share inspirational stories and spread the positivity throughout the world! I could not be more humbled to have the chance to work with Lisa on this amazing project and hope that you will find a little bit of happiness through each one of my posts.
Please click here to read Liza’s letter of introduction with more information about her.
Katie is a very talented writer and has a passion for sharing the stories of diverse people. Through her writing she will explore many subjects, highlight human strengths and maybe even vulnerability, and inspire you to see the world from different perspectives. You will no doubt be impacted by her contributions.
Why I am a Good Things Intern: Katie’s words
When I was first searching for an internship for the summer, I was immediately drawn to Lisa’s project and its primary purpose of spreading positivity and light into the world via the written word. Too often, we focus heavily on the negative in favor of ignoring the positive. In searching for an internship, I wanted to find a position that would allow me the capacity and ability to use my writing and editing skills to implement positive change in my community, however that might be. Lisa’s blog project is just that. I have high hopes that this will be a space where I will grow both professionally in my writing, editing, and interpersonal communication skills, and personally, in my growth as an individual.
Please click here to read Katie’s introduction letter with more information about her.
Cincinnati Volunteers Raising Money For Amber Rooks Family
At 24, sweet, funny, Amber Rooks, died after a car struck her and four other utility works of the new Liberty Center retail development last month. Friends want to community to join them at a party, May 23, that Amber would have loved – to help raise money for her beloved son who lost his mother way too soon.
The Memorial Day Mixer will be 1 to 9 pm at Sharon Woods Trail, Saturday May 23. Activities will include volleyball, corn hole tournaments, balloon toss, potato sack races and more. Food will be sold and organizers ask attendees to bring their own drinks. For more details, please visit the event’s online page.
“Besides challenging the community to come together in this time of loss we want to challenge everyone to help make us all safer by creating what we hope will come to be known as Amber’s List,” said organizer Whitney Lawson. Amber’s List is platform that no one should drive under the influence and that as a family, group of friends, or an organization; we can help each other.
“We challenge such groups of people to create a list of names, phone numbers, and areas close to where they live so that if someone knows that they should not drive there is a willing community to embrace them and make sure that individual and the rest of us are safe,” said Lawson.
theChive Cincinnati is a local organization that focuses on the idea of community with the goal to make the world 10% better. theChive has pinpointed a charity model, just like that of a flash mob. A common ideology of Chivers around is. “We stand tall as individuals and as tall as Everest when someone needs us. We are small percentage wishing to change the world into the best it can be and will not back down for our values.” We invite everyone from all communities to join us for this memorial day mixer for a great cause. If you cannot attend this event there is a gofundme page set up for Dylan at http://www.gofundme.com/DylansChiveFriends.
United Pet Fund Opens New Center To Help Animal Rescues
I have got to say. I so admire people who have a dream and a passion, and absolutely do not quit in pursuing it.
This photo of Dr. Zekoff captures the heart of what United Pet Fund is all about.
Dr. Zeke Zekoff is one of those people. As a busy veterinarian, he has witnessed the tremendous gift of life and love given to animals who, for any number of reasons, have found themselves homeless only to be saved at the hands of caring people. Those people are the advocates, volunteers and staff of many area rescue organizations.
The problem is, there are just SO many animals in need and heart alone is not going to help those organizations flourish, or even maintain their level of sometimes very difficult, emotional and challenging work at nourishing, rehabilitating and finding new homes for those in their care.
Dr. Zekoff had a vision…to create another nonprofit that could assist those animal care and service organizations including dog and cat shelters and rescues with basic business services, education, food and emergency funding, and products.
That vision is United Pet Fund; and in five years they have supported the work of dozens of local member causes. They even hold a Pet Health Day in Over-the-Rhine once a year with a free preventative health clinic.
This week the culmination of five years of fundraising was celebrated with the grand opening of the 8,500 sq ft United Pet Fund Resource Center and warehouse. Dozens of animal advocates were there to celebrate such an important goal, and one that is going to allow for expanded services.
“I’ve always felt the need to give back to those who take care of homeless animals and use the gifts I was given that could most help them. United Pet Fund is a personal ministry to me,” Dr. Zekoff said. “This is what I will do to help this unrecognized army caring and finding homes for the animals the Lord has here now.”
He is excited about the future and wants to reach more organizations. “In five more years I would like to see United Pet Fund take on the role of “the” go-to animal support organization in the Tri-State and the State of Ohio. In 20 years, I’d like to have every major city with a UPF-type organization using the internet and major shippers to parcel out the blessings that businesses and the public donate.
“You never know when the big opportunities or supplies will arrive, but you have to be ready,” he said. “Now with the space a Resource Center provides, we can take our core mission to the next level and be a central source of distribution to really be impactful.”
