Nonprofit Organization
Character Council Honors Greater Cincinnati Heroes Of Character
Samuel Wenger
When it comes to understanding everybody’s basic need for being included, Loveland Middle School student Samuel Wenger has a pretty good grasp. Actually, as a 7th grader, Samuel understands the meaning of friendship, acceptance and belonging better than many adults.
Just ask his close friend. Corey’s impulsiveness and language delays made getting to know others somewhat difficult. That is, until he met one of the most popular students in school. Samuel purposefully sought Corey out to include him at recess, in the lunch room, and in class; and, by mid-year, their classmates also came to realize Corey had gifts to share.
That story of genuine caring is not unique. In Runner’s Club, if a student was struggling to finish or seemed lonely, it was always Samuel who would break apart to join him or her.
However, don’t think for a second that I am writing about a boy who has everything easy. Samuel’s asthma has been the cause of many emergency trips to the nurse’s office, missed classes and missed recess. But he never misses finishing his homework and making the honor roll.
On November 7, 2012, he will be among five students and four adult leaders to be recognized by the Character Council of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as Heroes of Character.
Adult honorees include Dr. Jane Knudson of Indian Hill Schools, Matthew Long of Green Recycling Works, Dan Hurley of Leadership Cincinnati, and George Vincent of Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP. Other Kids of Character honorees are Ty Battle of St. Vivian School in Cincinnati, Julia Feldmann of Union Elementary in West Chester, Brookln A Davis of Rees E Price Academy in Price Hill, Dillon Held of St. Veronica School in Anderson Township.
United Way of Greater Cincinnati Needs Tax Preparer Volunteers
United Way is seeking volunteers to help provide free tax preparation to low-income families at more than 30 local sites through the Regional Earned Income Tax Credit Collaborative (EITC) initiative. Volunteers are needed to help prepare returns with easy-to-use computer software.
No previous experience is necessary. Volunteers will receive free IRS tax training and certification, allowing them to learn a skill that may be beneficial in their personal and professional lives. Their assistance will help families avoid preparation fees and high interest rate refund anticipation loans.
Work schedules are flexible and volunteers can also participate as screeners/greeters or as translators instead of tax preparers. There are over 30 different tax prep sites in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Eastern Indiana with hours available during the day, at night or on weekends during tax season, January 31 to April 15, 2013.
EITC is the nation’s largest anti-poverty program, benefitting families. Last year, more than 17,500 tax returns were filed locally, generating more than $20.2 million in refunds. Orientations are brief, lasting about one hour. Volunteers are welcome to attend orientation without registering, but for those interested in registering visit makeworkplay.com
Volunteer orientations are scheduled for:
Southwest Ohio:
- October 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m., United Way of Greater Cincinnati, 2400 Reading Rd, Cincinnati OH 45202
- November 15, 7-8 p.m., Elder High School Schaeper Center, 4005 Glenway Ave, Cincinnati OH 45202
- November 20, 6-7:30 p.m., Workforce One of Butler County, 4631 Dixie Highway, Fairfield OH 45014
- December 4, 6-7:30 p.m., Workforce One of Butler County, 4631 Dixie Highway, Fairfield OH 45014
Northern Kentucky
- October 30, 6-7:30 p.m., Center for Great Neighborhoods, 1650 Russell Street, Covington KY 41011
- November 8, 6-7:30 p.m., Center for Great Neighborhoods, 1650 Russell Street, Covington KY 41011
To volunteer or learn more about the Regional Earned Income Tax Credit Collaborative, visit www.makeworkpay.com/volunteer
Cincinnati Oyler School Now Has OneSight Vision Clinic
Have you heard about the new OneSight Vision Clinic at Cincinnati Public School’s Oyler School? The Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation is a founding partner and OneSight is funded by the company that owns LensCrafters and Pearl Vision and Sunglass Hut.
Families of kids who attend Oyler don’t have a lot of money. Marilyn Crumpton with the Cincinnati Health Foundation told www.marketplace.org ‘s Amy Scott even parents with Medicaid can’t always get their kids to the eye doctor.
“Sometimes it’s a choice between going to the grocery or taking that bus trip,” she says. “Poverty interferes with children getting health care,” Crumpton said.
Oyler is a CPS Community Learning Center, a neighborhood hub in Cincinnati’s Lower Price Hill that leverages public and private partnerships to offer dental, medical and vision care plus tutoring, quality after-school programming and more to remove barriers in the way of student success.
They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Thanks to so many who have come together with one common goal – to help young people achieve.
Several Thousand To Walk For Suicide Prevention
On Sunday, October 14, over 2000 people are expected to unite at the University of Cincinnati’s McMicken Commons and walk together to raise awareness (and funds) about the need for the important work of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
Emily Reitenbach-Molina will be among them. Below is her story:
We walk first and foremost to pay tribute to Shannon’s life. We don’t want how her life ended to define who she was, so we walk to remember how she lived. Shannon battled for more than half her life with an eating disorder, which is a physical, emotional and mental illness. It was her illness that controlled her life. She wanted to battle this disease alone, but her illness was bigger than she was. Although Shannon was never alone, her disease prevented her from seeing that. We don’t want anyone else to have to suffer the way she did, no one should have to battle any illness feeling alone. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. For so many unfortunately, there are not treatments for their illness, but fortunately for those who suffer with depression and mental illness, there is help and you can and deserve to live a happy and healthy life. We walk to make sure people know that they are important and we need them here. We walk to provide a voice for those who suffer in silence.
We walk to give hope and support to others so they know they aren’t alone in this journey. We walk to raise funds for education and research, but most importantly, we walk to raise awareness, for our own healing and prove that, “broken hearts, still beat.”
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is at the forefront of a wide range of suicide prevention initiatives — each designed to reduce loss of life from suicide. Among them:
- Fund scientific research
- Offer educational programs for professionals
- Educate the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention
- Promote policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention
- Provide programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk, and involve them in the work of the Foundation
The local Cincinnati Chapter has a number of important programs including providing education for teachers, support for survivors, and developing a web-based program for reaching at risk students.
With a suicide attempt estimated to occur every minute of every day in the United States and over 38,000 lives lost each year, the importance of AFSP’s mission has never been greater, nor our work more urgent.
This weekend will be the AFSP’s 9th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk. Last year over 1,500 people participated and they are expecting many more this year. It is a FREE event (however donations are welcome), and is very family and stroller friendly, with a 3 mile walk around the perimeter of the University of Cincinnati’s McMicken Commons. Day-of registration begins at 10 am. with the walk beginning at 11 a.m.
ArtsWorks Cincinnati Mural To Go Up In Mt. Adams
A sure sign that summer is over in Cincinnati…the final dedication for ArtWorks Cincinnati Summer Project is next week, October 16, at 5:30 pm. The Mt. Adams Mural is one of 15 projects in our neighborhoods – at the hands of 115 students. And, it is the very first mural in the program that incorporates both painting and mosaic. These pictures are of the work in progress. I can’t wait to see it on the building at 1136 St. Gregory Street!
Below are pictures of the work in progress:
