children
Loveland Twins Collecting Books For Charity
It’s no wonder Loveland Elementary School 3rd graders Alex and Hannah Laman love to read…and want others to experience that same joy. Brent and Angela Laman have always read to their children, in fact, ever since Alex and Hannah were babies.
So, when news came out that a lack of funding was going to cause some local school kids to not have access to books, the twins 
wanted to do something. With support from their parents, they had a nonprofit called ‘Adopt a Book’ up and running in no time.
What a great way to instill a love for giving…by encouraging children to find a way of passing along to others something that gives them so much joy.
Alex and Hannah (and Brent and Angela) have been busy reaching out to their classmates and other community groups. Their house has become a warehouse of sorts with stacks of stories – from Harry Potter to Dr. Seuss. Over 2,800 books have been donated to Adopt a Book so far; and Adopt a Book has in turn distributed 1,300 books to children through area organizations.
If you have children’s books that you would like to donate, please contact them at: adoptabook@fuse.net. You can also drop books off at Beech Acres Parenting Center in Anderson (where Brent facilitates some groups) – 6881 Beechmont Ave; 45230.
Cincinnati Recognized For Helping Teens Succeed
For the second year in a row, Cincinnati has achieved national recognition as one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING for its initiatives to help young people. The competition recognizes communities across the country that focus on reducing high school dropout rates and providing service and support to their youth.
An awards ceremony this week will kick off a series of community engagement events designed to create and sustain a community-wide dialogue and movement that is all about providing young people the educational and personal development options that will help them to be successful in their adult lives.
Community partners include: ArtsWave, ArtWorks, Bridges for a Just Community, The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, CET Connect, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates, The Strive Partnership, The United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati Public Schools and many more.
Cincinnati Youth Collaborative Honored Volunteer Mentors
To celebrate National Mentoring Month and the dedication of so many adults who care, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative recently honored 15 Outstanding Volunteers at its annual Thank You Mentor Dinner. Honorees are: Harry Blanton, Bishop Victor S.Couzens, Matt Curran, Mike Fredrick, Scott Grothaus, Andy Hofmann, Michael Liu, Brenda McCaskill, Sgt. Tia Pearson Miller, Tina Marie Mitchell, Darlene & Richard Ramon, Ellie Reiser, Keith Sams, Judy Schmitt and Brittany Tucker.
CYC’s Invested in Youth Award was given to Sgt. Tia Miller for her dedication to bettering the lives of young women both on and off duty. Sgt. Miller has officially mentored Dubrina for four years but has informally mentored more than five young women that she has met while on the job as a Cincinnati Police Officer.
Harry Blanton and Andy Hofmann received the Return on Investment award for their longevity in the mentoring program and having mentored at least one student through high school graduation.
Bishop Victor Couzens received the United for Youth award for his personal commitment to recruiting volunteers for the program. His passion and dedication has allowed an entire congregation to impact the lives of several hundred school students.
Thank you to all of them – and so many more – who have committed themselves to helping young people succeed in life!
Meet Na’Dreya Lattimore, A ‘Kid of Character’
At 11 years old, Na’Dreya Lattimore (a student at Holmes Elementary School) has already demonstrated she is a courageous leader eager to stand up for what she believes in. Resiliency was taught her very early through personal hardships that gave her a renewed strength of character. An honor student, Na’Dreya is a leader in the Born Leaders of Covington Kentucky (BLOCK) group and was instrumental in developing a literacy program for students at a local child care center, as well as other community service projects. Her demonstration of determination thrust her into the national spotlight last year when Na’Dreya decided to write to the President about her opinion on the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act. She felt that children who needed more help in school were holding back kids who were learning more quickly.
She closed her letter with this…’One more thing, … you need to look at us differently. We’re not black, we’re not white, biracial, Hispanic, Asian or any other nationality. We are the future.’” President Obama recited her letter in an Urban League speech. “Na’Dreya, you are right,” he said.
Na’Dreya is one of 10 kids who will be honored October 12 by the Cincinnati nonprofit organization, Character Council of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. I was thrilled when they asked me to help with writing the bios and helping them to get added exposure for the event. What a wonderful cause. One of my other favorite events of the year is working on the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Character Awards Event that honors 40 older teens for their character values. This event recognizes younger children, grades K through 8 (at the time of the end of the 2010-2011 school year).
Who are Character Council ‘Kids of Character’?
Well, at a young age, they are already role models and leaders. They’re not afraid to speak up for important causes and work hard for what they believe in. They are compassionate friends and respectful contributors to society. While diverse in their backgrounds, these are the common threads that all 10 Character Council of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky ‘Kids of Character’ honorees share. (Please see list of honorees below.)
And for that, they will be honored at the first annual Kids of Character Celebration Dinner. Anthony Muñoz, Character Council spokesperson, will join community members recognizing these shining examples of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
According to Mary Andres Russell, executive director, ” Our Board and committees all agree that in order to truly create a city and region of character, we have to reach the children and reach them early. There are so many outstanding kids in our community who have benefited from great parents and dedicated teachers. We decided to create a forum to honor these children to encourage them and that they might be a light to others. Through the process, our judges discovered a commonality — most have overcome great adversity. Instead of crumbling, they have used the adversity to shape their character.”
Character Development begins early
The Character Council, whose mission it is to foster character development in children and adults as a foundation of success, works with many local educators and organizations to teach these values to youth.
The organization recently adopted its fourth CPS school as a ‘school of character’ and this past summer it rolled out character education programs in ALL 26 Cincinnati Recreation Centers collectively serving about 2500 kids.
Event information:
October 12 at 6:30 PM
Montgomery Inn in Montgomery
‘Kids of Character’ Celebration Dinner
Cost: $75 per seat
RSVP: 513-467-0170
Founded in 2000, the Character Council of Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky engages educators, community volunteers, employers, and worship congregations in building and strengthening positive character traits as a foundation for life success. In 2010, more than 371,000 citizens were impacted with its message of good character. Among its strategies: the Council has trained and provided educational materials to more than 1000 Cincinnati police officers, employees of more than 60 local businesses, and more than 1200 local educators on promoting positive values; and offers presentations and information to the general community on good character. For more information, visit http://charactercincinnati.org.
Urban Kids Learn Life Skills At YMCA Camp Ernst
When you talk about organizations working together to strengthen young lives, this is a great example. This summer the Housing Authority of Covington partnered with YMCA Camp Ernst to offer urban kids an opportunity to grow in truly amazing ways. In doing PR work for the YMCA, I got to see it firsthand.
For 7 weeks, children in Covington public housing learned new skills, gained confidence, got to know kids from completely different backgrounds, strengthened their academics, and of course participated all of the fun activities offered at YMCA Camp Ernst.
The program was for 25 children between the ages of 6-13 and included an intensive therapeutic group experience with educational specialists, mentors, community leaders and peers in a safe, supportive environment.
Each camp day began with academics focusing on reading and math skills because statistically urban kids fall behind in the summer time. There were also five paid high-school juniors and seniors to provide one-on-one mentoring.
The story got picked up by the Associated Press. To see the story from USA Today, click here. YMCA Camp Ernst – Housing Authority of Covington AP story
To read the article from the Kentucky Enquirer, please click here. YMCA Camp Ernst – Housing Authority of Covington Kentucky Enquirer story
