Cincinnati nonprofit
Enriching The Lives of Homeless Pets And Families
I’ve been so grateful to my friends who have been there for me during this past year with lots of personal issues including my mom’s ailing health. The kindness of others has given me so much strength and I’ve been looking for a larger scale way of giving back.
I’d been yearning to get back to fulfilling that side of my heart again. This past fall I visited the Interfaith Hospitality Network of 
Greater Cincinnati and learned about its Pet Support Program.
I’d been looking for a larger scale opportunity to give back for those who have shown me so much kindness. IHN’s Pet Support Program touched me on many levels – when homelessness and financial hardship hit a family, it hits everyone in that family…including the non-human animals.
Then, in early December it occurred to me when I looked at all of Dawson’s unused toys. Among other things, boredom can be a cause of behavior problems that could make finding and keeping low income housing and shelter difficult for those families. Dawson’s unused toys could be enrichment for pets whose owners wouldn’t be able to provide them – or for those pets who are being cared for by IHN while their owners are working through what they need to work through.
The idea for Gifts for Best Friends was born.
From March 14 to April 18, we will be collecting gently used HARD dog and cat toys, and new hard and soft toys. There will be drop off locations. Additionally, I am looking for individuals and organizations who would like to organize an internal collection 
among their co-workers, congregations, group members.
Special thanks to the very talented Erik Pietila for creating the beautiful artwork for the campaign!!
Please visit this link to learn more on my pet training website. Also, I will be posting updates on my So Much PETential Facebook page. Please mark yourself as *attending* or *interested* to get updates.
And, if you would like to be involved with a collection, please be in touch!
Drop Off Locations
Care Center Vets
6995 E Kemper Road
513-530-0911
General area – Montgomery/Symmes Township
Earthwise at Harper’s Point
11328 Montgomery Road
(513) 469-7387
general area – Montgomery/Symmes Township
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati
990 Nassau Street
513-471-1100
general area – near downtown
Mason Community Center
6050 S Mason Montgomery Rd
(513) 229-8555
general area – Mason
Pet Wants – Findlay Market
1813 Pleasant St
513-721-8696
general area – Over the Rhine
Pet Wants – Cincy Kitchen
1409 Vine St
513-621-3647
Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital
6229 Montgomery Rd
(513) 351-1730
general location – Pleasant Ridge
Western Hills Animal Hospital
5500 Glenway Ave
513-922-2266
general area – Western Hills
Carol’s Work Inspired By Humanity
I have often said I am so fortunate that my work has introduced me to some pretty incredible people. Carol Stevie is among them. We came to know each other through my work on the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council’s Voices of Giving Awards. A committee member, Carol had been my main point of contact 
for numerous years. Always appreciative, upbeat and welcoming, she was one of the reasons I looked forward to that project.
Carol was involved through her work with a Cincinnati nonprofit organization, Catholic Inner-City Schools Education (CISE), which supports the education of about 2000 urban students at eight Catholic elementary schools and several Catholic high schools. The CISE schools welcome all children, regardless of their religious backgrounds and economic circumstances. (Around 75% of the students at CISE are not Catholic, 83% are minorities and 93% are poor.) Carol worked there almost twenty years before her retirement, 8.5 years as its part-time associate director and 11 years as its first full-time director.
CISE was, and probably still is, her passion; although now, in her retirement she is enjoying spending quality time with her family – husband Richard, two adult daughters & spouses – Beth Walker (Tom), Laura Ash (Joe) and our four grandchildren Nathan, Evan, Ava and Eli. Retirement also gives me more time to pursue my love of travel and to plan our upcoming adventures. In the fall, she will be doing more volunteering.
Lisa: Tell me about some of what you are most proud of in life.
Carol: One of things of which I am most proud – in addition to my family – is having had the opportunity to work with CISE and have a positive influence on the lives of so many young people. The growth of community support of the CISE program over the past 20 years has been amazing. It was a privilege to work with the dedicated, hardworking CISE Board and staff, as well as with the principals, staff and faculties of the CISE schools. They are all so mission-driven and inspiring. In addition, I am in awe of the extremely generous donors who have done so much for the students at the CISE schools over the years because they feel committed to giving children the same opportunities that they have receive. Everyone involved with CISE shares the belief that education is the key to overcoming poverty.
Lisa: Where does that drive and passion come from?
Carol: My personal belief in the power of education was shaped by my mother. I grew up in East Price Hill and attended St. Lawrence School, now a CISE school. Neither of my parents had the opportunity to attend college and worked hard to provide for our family. My mother was insistent that my sister and I go to college because she wanted us to have more opportunities than she had. Mom went to work full time to pay for our tuition at Seton High School and to put us both through the University of Cincinnati. I am so grateful to her and have been inspired by her selflessness and by the great value she placed on education.
Lisa: Tell me a little about your philosophy on life.
Carol: I believe the reason that I was drawn to CISE is that we are all connected through our humanity. I love the following quote by Dr. Martin Luther King: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.”
Cincinnati ReelAbilities Celebrates Difference
These past few weeks (and months) my blog has slowed as I’ve needed to focus much of my energy on promoting the 2017 Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival organized by LADD, Inc. (and a project for the Countryside YMCA and mixing in pet training). The Festival is now a week away, March 9 to 12, and I want to share information about it. I will be back after the Festival – I’ve already got some interviews lined up!
“The Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival is a spectacle of human relationship in its purest form, generating an awareness of issues relative to us all. Awareness creates understanding, which in turn gives rise to perspective—and it is through perspective that we are able to truly appreciate and relate to others in our lives.”
-Richard Bernstein, Michigan State Supreme Court Justice
I can’t think of any words that more beautifully, more accurately explain our purpose when it comes to building a Cincinnati ReelAbilities with celebrities, parties, workshops, networking opportunities, and over 60 life changing films that showcase the art, lives and stories of people who have disabilities. Our goal with the Film Festival is to create a Hollywood-style event where our guests will have fun, meet new and enjoy the company of old friends, be moved in some way; and leave having been uplifted with a new perception of difference, appreciation and welcoming of each other.
Susan Brownknight, executive director of Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD, Inc.) – the organizing agency, has said she gets asked all the time why her nonprofit is investing such a significant amount of time and resources into building a world class film festival.
“My answer lies in the very foundation of what we do and why we do it. At LADD, we are focused and passionate about creating equal opportunities and ensuring the dignity of adulthood for all people with disabilities in our region, a community that embraces, supports and values them,” she answered, “A film festival is a powerful way for us to facilitate that and to connect with others across differences that typically lead to isolation and a hardening across arbitrary lines of thinking. Our idea with ReelAbilities is that, at the end of the day, this Film Festival is about who and what we value, and why we value it.”
Celebrations Gallore!
Thursday, March 9 at 10:00 am: Welcome to Cincinnati: Meet the Stars Q&A Event with RJ Mitte and others
Thursday, March 9 at noon: Premiere Luncheon with keynote speaker RJ Mitte.
Thursday, March 9 at 6:30 pm: Premiere Night film reception and film screening of The Astronaut’s Secret.
Friday, March 10 at 8:00 am: Interfaith Breakfast featuring keynote speaker Richard Bernstein, the nation’s first blind Supreme Court Justice.
Friday, March 10 at 5:30: Veterans Reception with keynote speaker Michael Schlitz, retired US Army platoon sergeant, Gary Sinise Foundation ambassador and Purple Heart recipient, followed with a film screening.
Saturday, March 11 at 9:30 am: Veterans Brunch with keynote speaker Bryan Anderson, a retired US Army sergeant and Gary Sinise Foundation ambassador and Purple Heart recipient.
Saturday, March 11 at 5:00 pm: Cocktails & Zombies Party with the stars and screenwriters of Spring Break Zombie Massacre, Sam and Mattie; plus other Hollywood VIPs, and Cincinnati’s own Drew Lachey and Q102’s Jenn Jordan.
Sunday, March 12 at 7:00 pm: Local Films/Closing Night Party featuring game-changing films made by and about local people.
Workshops
Additionally, Festival guests can learn how to act, model, tell their story, see entertainment, and create films on their smart phone in workshops. Please click here for the full list. While all workshops are free, registration is required.
Celebrities Help Us Celebrate Difference
Best known for his role of Walter ‘Flynn’ White Jr. for five riveting seasons of AMC’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning thriller, “Breaking Bad”, and the handsome face of GAP’s International 2014 “Lived In Summer” Campaign, RJ Mitte tops our list of Hollywood stars, dignitaries, and ReelAbilities film VIPs to join us at the Duke Energy Convention Center.
Please join us at 10:00 am on Thursday, March 9 to kick off Cincinnati ReelAbilities with a Welcome to Cincinnati: Meet the Stars Q&A Event with RJ and many of our other big name VIPs including Jamie Brewer, Lauren Potter, Kurt Yaeger, John Lawson, Nic Novicki, Bryan Anderson, Michael Schlitz, Boone Cutler, and Steve Wampler.
More VIPs will be joining us throughout the weekend’s events including Ali Stroker, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein (as the keynote speaker for our Interfaith Breakfast), Sam and Mattie, Drew Lachey, Nick Clooney, and more.
Below is a list our leading VIPs and their information.
Bryan Anderson
Anderson is a retired US Army sargaent and Gary Sinise Foundation ambassador and purple heart recipient.
Richard Bernstein
A Disability Rights Attorney, he made history when he was sworn into office, becoming the nation’s first state Supreme Court Justice for the state of Michigan.
Jamie Brewer
Known for her role of Adelaide ‘Addie” Lagdon in American Horror Story, she is also the first model with Down syndrome to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week.
Boone Cutler
Cutler is an author, columnist, music video director and Warfighter Rights leader that has become the first nationally recognized radio talkshow personality who is also a combat veteran from the current war. In 2012, Boone was diagnosed with Early-Onset Parkinson’s Disease secondary to a blast-injury in Iraq and is the national spokesperson for the Warfighter Rights’ Movement.
John Lawson
Lawson is a television, film and commercial PWD actor with past roles in the long running television crime dramas, “Law and Order,” “Law and Order: SVU and FX AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW.
RJ Mitte
Known for his role in AMC’s ‘Breaking Bad’, he was also the face of the GAP’s International 2014 “Lived in Summer” Campaign.
Nic Novicki
Nic has toured around the country as a standup comedian. Included in his acting credits are tv shows: The Sopranos, Private Practice, and Austin and Ally. He is also a producer and founder/director of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.
Lauren Potter
As an actress, Lauren is best known for her popular role as Becky Jackson in the popular television show, Glee. However, she also devotes much time to advocating and raising awareness for disability related causes..and against bullying.
Michael Schlitz
Schlitz is a retired US Army platoon seargeant, Gary Sinise Foundation ambassador and purple Heart recipient.
Ali Stroker
An actress known for her role in Glee, in 2015 Stroker made history by becoming the first Broadway actress in a wheelchair to appear on a Broadway stage
Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt
These two best friends from Rhode Island met in Special Olympics and are filmmakers of the wildly popular, kick ass movie, Spring Break Zombie Massacre.
Kurt Yaeger
A former BMX rider turned actor, Yaeger is a below the knee amputee. His most recent TV credit s include the fan favorite character on FX’s hit show Sons Of Anarchy, the new Cinemax show Quarry and a new major recurring role on CBS’ hit NCIS: Los Angeles.
Stephen Wampler
As the world and his family watched, Steve Wampler who was born with a severe form of cerebral palsy, pulled himself with one hand 20,000 times in six days to conquer the world’s biggest rock, El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The documentary of his journey was one of the 2015 Cincinnati ReelAbilities films.
Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival
March 9 to 12, 2017
Duke Energy Center
Tickets, information, and film trailers: www.CincyRA.org
For Jeff Stone, It Is More Than A Job
I’d like to introduce you to Jeff Stone, a direct care professional for Stepping Stones, a Cincinnati nonprofit whose mission is mission is to increase independence, improve lives and promote inclusion for children and adults with disabilities. Jeff began working at Stepping Stones as a summer camp counselor in 2012, and quickly added more responsibilities before joining their team as a full-time direct care professional at in 2014.
Each year the organization honors one of its employees who exemplifies its mission, and Jeff was this year’s recipient.
These are some of things his co-workers had to say about him.
“One only has to work with him for one day and you’ll see the care he puts into his second family at Stepping Stones.”
“This job is so much more than a job to him. His passion is inspiring and I love working with him.”
“He is one of the most selfless, compassionate and dedicated staff I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.”
Let’s get to know more about him.
Lisa: Please tell us about your job, what you do as a direct care professional, how long you have been at Stepping Stones, and what you enjoy most about your job?
Jeff: I have been with Stepping Stones for about four years. I started as a unit counselor at Camp Given in 2012 and have worked several Saturday Kids Clubs and Young Adult Clubs throughout the Fall and Winter. This is my third year at our UCP Campus as a direct care professional. One of the best things about being a DCP is understanding how rewarding it is to be in this field. At Stepping Stones we help individuals find pathways to independence. We offer several activities here for the participants such as, Art, Recreation, Continuing Knowledge, Technology (Computer Lab), Sensory, Life Skills, and Employment Exploration for those who are interested in finding a job some day. I also offer assistance with personal care (feeding, toileting).
I love my job because every day is different and I learn something new. There are many amazing people here, staff and participants and I have made some great friends. I love seeing the participants every day and having fun. I love making them laugh and making their day better. And I especially love making a difference in people’s lives.
Lisa: Tell us about Fred (pictured with you) and your relationship with him.
Jeff: I would have to say that Fred is one of my best friends. He is such a funny person and is loved by so many. We always have a great time together every day because we make each other laugh. Fred is extremely smart and always cares about the other participants. He is always wanting to help me throughout the day and even letting me know if I miss something. He is very observant. Another thing I admire about Fred is his patience. Even when I am having a rough day, he understands and is always trying to make me feel better. If I need him to wait for a little bit, he will and not complain about it. Being with Fred for quite some time, I’ve noticed that he loves art. He will sit and paint if I give him a canvas using several different colors. Fred also loves nature, especially birds. I can relate that to him because my mom was a birdwatcher and has shared with me her experiences and knowledge of birding. I can show him a picture of a Cardinal and he will know what that is. Fred even just finished painting his very own birdhouse not too long ago. I know for a fact though that one of Fred’s favorite things to do is laugh because you can always hear it no matter where you are in the building.
Lisa: How have you grown as a person as a result of the people whom you work with?
Jeff: The people I work with bring a whole new view on those with disabilities. A long time ago where I didn’t understand someone having a disability, I would try and avoid them because I had no idea how to approach them. My parents had to tell me that they were “special” because they also did not know how else to explain it to me when I was that young. Today, I can tell anybody that individuals with disabilities are people just like us. Maybe some of them might need our assistance in doing some things but they have rights too and should never be denied doing something they enjoy. I honestly feel like a whole new person due to my job and also feel like a better person too. I have a lot more patience, I understand situations and views better, and respect those other people who work with individuals with disabilities.
Lisa: What is a piece of advice or words of wisdom that you have received that has stuck with you?
Jeff: One of the most important things that has stuck with me is “CCF” or Campers Come First. In this case now it is “PCF” or Participants Come First. We should always try to help them first and not think about ourselves, even when we are doing something we don’t want to do. If we are watching a movie, a staff member should not pick something that they want to see only because they like it. The staff and participants should communicate and agree on what movie to watch. If a staff member has a rough day and they just do not feel like being there one day, they can do several things to calm them down (take deep breaths, take a 5 minute break, exercise after work). Staff should always remember that they should make sure the participants have a good day because it’s for them. We assist them, make friends, and should work to know them better every day.
Lisa: Who is someone who has been an influence in your life and how?
Jeff: I have met so many people and have made so many friends here at Stepping Stones. There have been several people who been an influence in my life but someone who has always stood by me no matter what is Amanda Kay. She was my boss back when I was a part of summer camp and is my boss now here at Stepping Stones/UCP. Amanda has a love for the people she works with and has helped me get to where I am today. She messaged me out of the blue asking if I wanted to interview for a job at the adult program in Norwood because I was recommended by several people. I’m really glad I did and got a job here. I can definitely call her a fantastic boss, a role model for others, and a friend.
Lisa: Outside of work, what are some of your simple pleasures?
Jeff: I love the city of Cincinnati even though my heart will always be in Cleveland (GO CAVS!!). I love going out with friends downtown and Newport, going to concerts, bowling, going Reds, Bengals, Cavs, Indians, and Browns games, kayaking, hiking seeing movies, checking out new breweries, playing basketball and football, and just being with my family. I just enjoy living life and having fun with those who I am close to.
Loveland’s Hannah Laman Wins National Award
Way to go Hannah Laman! The Loveland 12 year old was selected from more than 32,000 nominees across the country as one of 10 national Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program winners! For the award, Hannah receives a $10,000 scholarship for higher education; and Kohl’s is donating $1,000 to the nonprofit 
of her choice. (I bet that nonprofit is Adopt A Book!)
Hannah and her twin brother, Alex, (with help from their parents) founded Adopt a Book that collects and distributes new and gently used children’s book to those who can’t afford them. To date, Adopt a Book has donated 60,000 books to more than 50 organizations, schools and hospitals that serve children in need.
“The most rewarding part of sharing books with others is that other kids have the opportunity to read and own a book of their own,” Hannah told Amazing Kids! Magazine.
Link to a past post about Adopt A Book. #CINspiration
