Nonprofit Organization

Congratulations to Anthony Muñoz Foundation Straight ‘A’ Students!

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More than congratulations…I want to say WAY to GO for these Cincinnati area students who are excelling in and out of the classroom.

Each year the Anthony Muñoz Foundation holds the Straight “A” Scholarship to award deserving young students who are:

  • Pursuing Academic excellence as well as Athletic achievement
  • Actively serving the community
  • Possessing a strong Ambition
  • Maintaining a winning Attitude
  • Having the ability to overcome Adversity

The nomination process ran until February 25. After all nominations were submitted, the pool of candidates was narrowed to 18 senior finalists. One male and one female senior finalist received a $5,000 grant towards their continuing education. The remaining senior finalists received a $2,000 grant. All 18 finalists celebrated their all-around achievements in April, 2013.

Anthony Munoz Foundation Straight A Student finalists

The 18 finalists: received $2,000 college scholarship

DeNesha Bell, Dolores Clark ,Jamie Daley,  Lindsay Darkins, Allison Glatt, Rachel Hall, Emily Kroger, Sarah LaCombe, Cerryia Lindberg, Ryan Burton, Shannon Chambers, Zachariah Class, Tom Cropper, Kyle Damen, Jacob Havran, Ben Linnabary, Adam Steele, and Matt Toerner.

Anthony Munoz Foundation Straight A students

The Male Senior finalist: received additional $3,000 scholarship

Shannon Chambers-Aiken HS; University of Cincinnati

The Female Senior finalist: received additional $3,000 scholarship

Rachel Hall-Saint Ursula; College Undecided

 

Accessible Playground Dedicated At Redwood

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Lots of community volunteers and organizations helped dedicate a beautiful new, wheelchair accessible playground in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Now all children will be able to play together at Redwood – a Northern Kentucky nonprofit that provides educational, therapeutic and vocational services to kids and adults with disabilities.

accessible playground at RedwoodI spoke with Bridgette Hightower, Redwood community outreach and training coordinator, about the project which was first initiated last summer. A group of GE employees were looking for a volunteer project and when they saw the playground that was originally built in the 1970s, their team leader asked if they could rebuild it. “In no time they organized the labor and donations,” Bridgette told me.

In addition to providing volunteers, GE also funded a portion of the playground equipment and landscaping costs. Additional funding for the playground was made possible from the Jack J. Smith Jr. Charitable Trust, PNC Bank and Karen Wachs, Co-Trustees, and Western Southern.  Other contributors of time and talent include Ethicon-Endo Surgery, Northern Kentucky University, P&G, JPK Landscaping, Walnut Grove Playground, Art’s Rental Equipment & Supply and Cincinnati Community Toolbank creating a dynamic community-wide partnership. GE volunteer at Redwood

Cincinnati Metro Celebrates 100th Birthday Of Patron With Free Rides

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Cincinnati Metro Rider Celebrates 100th BirthdayMeet Anna Tolliver. Just turning 100 years old, she still rides the Cincinnati Metro about three times a week for shopping and doctor’s appointments. She commuted downtown on Metro daily for 35 years before retiring from her job at the Town Club of Cincinnati.

Anna participates in Metro’s Fare Deal program which offers reduced fare for qualified older adults and people with disabilities are certified for the program, has about 8,700 registered customers.

Now the nonprofit transportation system is paying it forward. To celebrate her special day , the wonderful folks at Cincinnati Metro have given Anna an entire year of free bus rides to help her maintain her independence…which would mean until her 101st birthday.

Now that’s a reason to smile!

Cincinnati Community ToolBank Is Collecting For Nonprofits

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Got Tools?  The nonprofit Cincinnati Community ToolBank will be hosting its first Tool Drive this year to collect more tools for its member agencies to use during their projects.  More tools mean more volunteers are enabled to make Cincinnati a better place for all of us to live!  They need your help to make it a success! Cincinnati Community ToolBank

The tool drive will to be held from Saturday, May 25  to Sunday, May 26, 2013.

During this time, anyone can drop off their gently used or new tools to four Home Depot locations (Pleasant Ridge, Beechmont Avenue, Crescent Springs KY, and Western Hills) around the Cincinnati area. These tools will then be taken to the ToolBank and added to its inventory for use by non-profit organizations in community projects around Cincinnati. The ToolBank will also be accepting cash donations.

The Cincinnati Community ToolBank offers an inventory of tools—shovels, rakes, drills and so much more—to help nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers increase their impact.

 

 

Miss Junior Teen Ohio, Jessica Waters, Has Can DO Attitude

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On May 18, 2008, just days before Jessica Waters was to become 12, got the news that would rock her world. Finally, the trouble she was having with focusing and remembering in school was given a name. Jessica became one of the estimated 2.5 million AmericaJessica Waters - Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012ns diagnosed with Epilepsy, a disease of the central nervous system.

Suddenly, this young girl who liked to think of herself as the ‘tough kid’ was fighting the battle of her life. In her teenage years she has experienced three kinds of seizures including seven grand mal seizures. And her medicine altered her personality. Jessica was told she could no longer ride her bike and coaches no longer wanted her on their sports teams. She was asked not to attend parties. She was told she would never be able to dance, tumble or cheer again – her great passions. She was harassed and bullied.

It was a summer camp, Camp Flamecatcher for children with epilepsy and other disabilities, where Jessica came to realize she CAN still swim, canoe, run, swing, and do arts and crafts. And, she saw other kids doing those things too.

“It really opened my eyes,” she said. “Kids don’t realize how much they can do. Camp taught me that epilepsy wasn’t a defining factor in my life.”

But that experience wouldn’t have been possible for her without a sponsor. It is a gift that she is paying forward. She founded Cupcake Charity (with support from her mom) to raise scholarship money to send other kids to Camp Flamecatcher whose families otherwise couldn’t afford the cost. Jessica raised enough for two partial and one full scholarship, and she is working hard to raise more this year.

The Camp experience also stirred her to action in another way. “People just don’t listen to young people well and I thought what better way to do something about that then to go for a title,” she said. “I researched the pageant organizations that care about what you do for others and that is what I am all about.”

 Meet Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012

At 15, Jessica – Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012 – is a dedicated advocate for the Epilepsy Foundation, a member of her school’s Varsity Dance Team, a cheerleader for Beavercreek City Schools, received an All Team Academic AwMiss Junior Teen Ohio 2012 - Jessica Watersard and varsity letter for playing hockey, and is always looking for volunteer opportunities. Jessica is the youngest TWIG Auxiliary member for Dayton Children’s Hospital and is working with Julie Vann (previous mayor of Beavercreek) to establish a scholarship in honor of students her school has lost. For all that Jessica has accomplished, her list of accolades is simply too long to list.

I asked Jessica what her message is to other young people like herself. “I tell them to not let their disease or disability define them. You can do anything you put your mind to.”

I think that is a great lesson for all of us.

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