Nonprofit Organization
Cincinnati Community ToolBank Celebrates Anniversary
I got an email yesterday from Kat Pepmeyer, executive director of the Cincinnati Community ToolBank. She was 
announcing the one year anniversary of her organization.
It is hard to believe it has been a year since I first met Kat and heard about the ‘plans’ to fulfill a great need. The Cincinnati ToolBank stewards and lends an inventory of high quality tools including carpentry, construction, custodial, landscaping gear and more. For just three cents on the dollar of their retail value, charitable organizations can borrow tools and equipment from the ToolBank for a week.
Since its inception, the ToolBank has equipped more than 20,000 volunteers with tools to complete over 1,000 Greater Cincinnati projects. Wow!
The anniversary celebration is later this afternoon at 2001 Central Ave in Cincinnati (45214) from 4 to 7 pm.
To learn more, volunteer or join as a member agency, call 513-246-0015 or visit www.Cincinnati.toolbank.org.
Donate Children’s Books To Adopt a Book
Great for Hannah and Alex (and mom) Laman!
They at it again…spending their summer finding awesome literature that they can give to organizations for other kids who 
don’t own books of their own. This time they are partnering with Cincinnati area Eddie Bauer stores (in Kenwood, Rookwood and Crestview Hills, Kentucky).
By the way, if you are not familiar with them, the Laman’s have a Cincinnati area nonprofit called Adopt a Book, and through it they have collected and donated thousands of books so that others can learn about the fun in reading too. I wrote about them in an earlier post. Here is a link to that story.
If you stop by a local Eddie Bauer store before August 18, please be sure to bring a new or gently used children’s book. Donors will receive a 50% off coupon on one regular priced item. Limit one per customer per day. Excludes First Ascent and branded items. Please visit store for additional details.
GRAD Cincinnati Surpasses $1 Million in Scholarship Awards
“Look where you want to be, envision it and achieve it,” encouraged guest speaker Curtis Mimes to the 32 2013 GRAD Scholars at the annual Scholars Reception at Cincinnati State. Only a year ago, Curtis was sitting in their place as a 2012 GRAD Scholar at Taft. In the fall, he will be a Sophomore at University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering.
At the event, GRAD Cincinnati awarded $105,500 in scholarships to seniors from the 2013 graduating classes at Western Hills University High School (WHUHS) and Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School (Taft). This class of Scholars joins over 270 other students who have been awarded the GRAD Cincinnati Scholarship since 2006. In the past eight years,
photo credit: Kim Dye
GRAD Cincinnati has awarded over $1 million in scholarships and helped identify millions of dollars in additional resources to help students afford college and achieve their dreams. This year alone, GRAD has helped our Scholars identify more than $604,000 in financial aid, scholarships and grants.
Thirty Scholars plan to go on to college in the fall and two prepare to enter the military with future plans of attending college. WHUHS student speaker, DaNesha Bell, told her fellow scholarship recipients to always remember who inspired them to persist through their high school career. Bell reached graduation day because of the hard work and tenacity she put into her education, but she is thankful for all the help she received along the way from her teachers and the GRAD staff.
GRAD Cincinnati Board member, Cheryl Nunez, gave best wishes to the 2013 scholarship recipients telling them to “remember that college is a journey, but you will always find your way back home to GRAD.” By awarding the students these scholarships, GRAD Cincinnati is supporting these students’ futures. Before awarding the students their scholarships, the Board shouted, “We’re investing in you!”
To be eligible to receive the GRAD Cincinnati scholarship, throughout their high school careers, students must have maintained a 93% attendance rate, achieved a minimum 2.5 grade point average, participated in two GRAD Cincinnati Summer Institute programs, and graduate in four years.
Submitted by Laura Reece
Social Circus Foundation Collecting Unicycles For Kids
The Social Circus Foundation, Inc.(SCF) in Ludlow, Kentucky – the Greater Cincinnati region’s most unique foundation focused on supporting programs that use 
circus acts to strengthen and enhance lives, is partnering with Reser Bicycle Outfitters and Circus Mojo to collect 100 unicycles for social circuses that are helping underserved children succeed in the Tri-State and across the globe. The drive goes through August 31, 2013. Drop off locations are below.
Social circuses are organizations that utilize circus skills such as juggling, balancing, spinning plates and riding unicycles as to teach kids of all abilities lessons in determination, focus, self-esteem, teamwork, coordination, creativity, and values. Social circuses provide educational help, nourishment and enrichment.
How will the unicycles be used?
This summer, through Ludlow’s Circus Mojo, the SCF wants to give Greater Cincinnati urban youth who are attending camp with scholarships funded by the Kicks for Kids Foundation, each a unicycle to continue practicing their skills. Additionally, the SCF will send unicycles to Kenya’s Kiberia Social Circus and Indonesia’s Hidung Merah Youth Circus.
Meshu Tamrat, the founder of the Kiberia Social Circus, and Wawan Kuriawan, a student of the Hidung Merah Youth Circus, are both artists in residence this summer at Circus Mojo. Kuriawan, 18, is from an impoverished village in North Jakarta, Indonesia. He dropped out of school in the 6th grade when his family was unable to pay for his education; and in 2009 joined the Red Nose Foundation. Circus Mojo is sponsoring his visa to study here.
“Before beginning Circus Mojo, I toured the world teaching performing and teaching. One of my former students was a refugee from the Sudan and a great unicycle performer who was tragically killed by gang violence,” said Circus Mojo Founder, Paul Miller. “Remembering him, we want to give other youth opportunities to grow. We know that the fun, enriching type of environment social circuses provide can channel young energy in a productive way and change lives. We have a theory that on every street within the I-275 loop is a unicycle collecting dust in a basement attic or garage, and we want to put those unicycles to great use.”
Drop-off locations for unicycle donation:
Reser Bicycle Outfitters
648 Monmoth Street
Newport, Ky 41071
Reser Bicycle Outfitters
1419 Vine Street
Over-the-Rhine, Oh 45202
Circus Mojo
326 Elm Street
Ludlow, Ky 41016
Unicycles can also be brought to the Devou Park Amphitheatre on August 31, 2013 for Cirque Devou Deux, a joint performance from the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Circus Mojo. Show begins at 7:30PM.
The Social Circus Foundation is also accepting monetary donations to help offset the shipping expense to Kenya and Indonesia. To make a donation, please visit www.socialcircus.wordpress.com.
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About the Social Circus Foundation
The Social Circus Foundation INC supports programs using circus to enhance the lives of people with disabilities and hospitalized children at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, for vocational training, and to study the impact of social circus.
About Circus Mojo
Founded in 2009 by former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown Paul Miller, Circus Mojo engages people of all ages to focus on abilities in hospitals, boardrooms, events, workshops, and other venues. With three focus areas – entertainment, education and community development – its programs and performances are designed to unlock personal talent, confidence, drive and spirit.
About Jason Reser
Jason has been involved in the bicycle industry since he was a very, very young guy. He’s a former Ohio and Kentucky state mountain biking champion and spent all of high school employed at Bishop’s Bicycles. Since the beginning Jason has been seriously committed to bicycle advocacy. He spends as much time in the shop as he does lobbying for mountain bike trails and improvements for bicycling across the region.
Cincinnati Area Philanthropists Honored For Generosity
Each summer for the past four years, in working on the post-publicity for the Voices of Giving Awards, I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know stories from some of our area’s truly inspiring philanthropists. And I’ve learned about the Cincinnati area nonprofits whose invaluable work is sustainable only through generosity of people like the honorees. (The Voices of Giving Awards is an event of the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council. It was sponsored by PNC and held at CET.)
While the honorees were honored for their planned gifts, they have done so much for their favorite causes often having been long time volunteers and/or supporters.
Emilie Dressler was one of the honorees. A weekly Guest Services Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati for 10 years, her genuine care is a vital part of what makes the House so special for families with critically ill
Tracy Monroe, dir. of planned giving for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati; Emilie Dressler; Tanya Cornejo, dir. of development for the Ronald McDonald House
children. Emilie is the first person worried families meet with they come to the Ronald McDonald House, and her smiling face has a magical way of putting them at ease.
“I love helping out and making a difference. If there’s anything I can do to make a family’s stay less stressful, I try to do it,” she said.
Emilie actually helps out in so many ways. In fact, I’m told there is hardly a part of the Ronald McDonald House that she hasn’t been involved in. And so, it makes sense that she would also choose to support the cause financially too. Her bequest gift will help ensure future generations of families find relief there too.
“In a perfect world, there would be no need for Ronald McDonald House. But, since there is still such a great need for the House, my great concern is the wait list to get a room. What these families face is truly overwhelming. I just want to do as much as I can now. And, by making a planned gift, my hope is to help make sure that the House will continue to be there for all families, when they need it most, and that the House will continue to grow long after I am gone,” Emilie said.
Her passion for a cause that is dear to her heart is the common thread she shares with all of the Voices of Giving honorees. Together they have collectively given tens of thousands of dollars to help ensure the sustainability of Cincinnati area nonprofits working to strengthen lives and communities.
“It is truly our greatest honor to recognize such a special group of individuals for their purposeful gifts to ensure the long term welfare of many nonprofits whose work strengthens our families and neighborhoods,” said Lori Asmus, co-chair for the event.
Cincinnati Area Philanthropist Carole Blackschleger was honored for her planned gift to the American Cancer Society
All Voices of Giving honorees included: Patrick J. Cleary (posthumously) – on behalf of Xavier University; Anne Zaring on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Bob Friedman on behalf of CET, The Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation; Emilie Dressler – on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati; Louise Morrison – on behalf of Life Enriching Communities Foundation; Shirley Davies (posthumously) – on behalf of Life Enriching Communities Foundation; Marianne and Snowden Rowe – People Working Cooperatively; Ruth F. Rosevear – on behalf of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops Orchestra; Bill Prosser – on behalf of Cincinnati Public Radio, WGUC; Betsy K. Jameson – on behalf of the Cincinnati Bar Foundation; Vincent H. Beckman (posthumously) – on behalf of the College of Mt. St. Joseph; Thomas G. Cody – on behalf of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Carl Bergman – on behalf of Habitat for Humanity Greater Cincinnati; Trey and Chris Heekin, and Kip and Jenny Heekin – on behalf of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati; Wilbur Cohen – on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati; James A. Miller – on behalf of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Susan and Tom Young – on behalf of the Cancer Support Community Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky; Barbara and Ted High – on behalf of the Episcopal Retirement Homes; and Carole Blackschleger – on behalf of the American Cancer Society. NOTE: Other honorees requested not to be listed.
For more information on them, please click on this link: 2013 Voices of Giving honorees
The 2013 event was co-chaired by Lori Asmus and Telly McGaha. Committee members included Sally Alspaugh, Diana Collins, Jessi Konnagan, Bruce Favret, Jim Friedman, Misty Griesinger, Bill Hitch, Mary Alice Koch, Susan Kulick, Michelle Mancini, Chandra Mathews-Smith, Tracy Monroe, Carol Stevie, Sue Ellen Stuebing, and Molly Talbot.
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.
