Volunteer
Cincinnati Students Learn About Volunteerism In Summer Program
“What I learned about myself this week was that I love people and care about people. It’s a great feeling from helping people and that I’m not too small of a person to make a big difference.”
“What I learned about myself this week was to not judge others and to look deeper than what is on the surface. Everyone has their own stories and is going through various things, so even things like smiling can change someone’s day.”
“What I learned about myself this week was that conversations can serve a larger purpose in breaking down cultural barriers. I can be someone who initiates that conversation in the future.”
These are just some of the many reflections Cincinnati area students have expressed after a week this summer immersed in helping others through the Mayerson High School Service Learning Program. Seventy teens from Mt. Dotre Dame, Moeller, Aiken, Withrow, Reading, Dater and Finneytown High Schools, as well as Starfire University participated.
Through my work with area nonprofits I get to see so many generous acts of young people, and so many incredible programs aimed at instilling in them these powerful character values. I don’t remember having those opportunities when I was a teen and I think it is a beautiful gift. The lessons these students are learning will impact the rest of their lives, and will 
no doubt lead them on a path of lifelong philanthropy.
The Mayerson Foundation’s program is year round and includes high schools from throughout Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. In the summer urban immersion learning week, students volunteered at 30 area nonprofits and invested $1000 in one of those organizations each week through a grant review process.
Clare Blankemeyer, coordinator for the program, told me there was a strong emphasis on story telling because ‘stories make us human.’ One group interviewed students at the Drop Inn Center. “What the students learned is that many people experiencing homelessness have jobs, are hard working and came upon difficult times,” she said.
Mayerson particpants painted a symbol representing the life and stories of each guest. Those symbols were shared with the Drop Inn guests, and will be incorporated into a greeting card collage that will be sold to offset costs of the Center’s meal program.
Other participants worked alongside Homeless Coalition Streetvibes Distributors and City Gospel Mission’s Exodus Program members to explore their community through photography in the New Voices Program. Some of those pictures will be chosen for a calendar benefitting the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.
Great work by great people making a great impact. That’s what I call a Good Thing!
Congratulations to Anthony Muñoz Foundation Straight ‘A’ Students!
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.
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.
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
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.
I 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. 
Miss Junior Teen Ohio, Jessica Waters, Has Can DO Attitude
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 America
ns 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 Aw
ard 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.
ArtsWave Cincinnati Holding Amazing Arts Race
ArtsWave announces the Amazing Arts Race, a creative scavenger hunt for young professionals in downtown Cincinnati, will be held Saturday, April 13. Registration is now open at www.amazingartsrace.com. The Amazing Arts Race is generously sponsored by the Taft Museum of Art with support of The Thomas J. Emery Memorial and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. This event supports ArtsWave’s annual community campaign for the arts which runs through April 30.
In an event inspired by the hit reality TV series The Amazing Race, teams will race to complete a series of arts challenges in Downtown Cincinnati including finding works of art and architecture, answering arts trivia, and making art themselves. Teams and organizers will use Twitter to obtain clues and complete some tasks. From origami to charades to dance breaks, these fun challenges will stretch team members’ creativity. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place teams in addition to random prize drawings.
“Last year, GE Aviation organized an arts scavenger hunt for young professionals at their company,” says Jared Queen, Campaign Manager at ArtsWave and Amazing Arts Race coordinator. “Our ArtsWave Young Professionals group loved the idea and decided this year to scale it up to an event for teams from all across the region.” Teams will move around downtown by foot and/or by car to different arts organizations and works of public art. Running gear is not required, as creativity will be as important as speed.
ArtsWave partner companies are encouraged to form teams of 2 to 4 people, but the event is open to all young professionals. Individuals interested in being paired with a team can contact Jared directly at jared.queen@theartswave.org.
Registration is $10 per person and can be completed online at www.amazingartsrace.com. Deadline to register is April 7. Teams will be notified by email and twitter of the race starting point the week of April 8.
