Cincinnati volunteers
Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary Rescues Dogs & Cats Without Hope
Meet Matilda. At 14, her teeth are not in the best of shape and her skin is infected. Her vision is impaired from a 
cataract in one eye and a corneal ulcer in the other. And, when found after being dumped in a back alley during frigid temperatures her fur was so severely matted that it needed to be shaved, exposing her fragile outer covering to the elements.
Matilda was slated for euthanasia, but, this sweet little girl was not finished living. A guardian angel helped her find a very special place that saves dogs and cats like her that have been given up on by others.
Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary is a no-kill hospice-type facility that cares for these animals deemed ‘unadoptable’ because of advanced age, life-long ailments, terminal illness, disabilities, or temperament. The nonprofit facility provides critical care and wound management, and never euthanizes an animal due to space limitations.
“Our goal is to take animals out of situations where they would be facing imminent danger and provide them with a comfortable place to spend the remainder of their lives, no matter how long it may be,” I read on their website.
In my book, it takes truly special people to do the work that they do. The more I read about their stories, the more touched I became of their mission.
This past weekend – November 16 and 17 – they hosted a grand opening celebration of their newest and largest location that houses a thrift store and adoption center; and houses the dogs and cats in their care.
They are seeking donations for their thrift store as well as monetary donations. And, of course volunteers.
Angel’s Rest Sanctuary is located at 1263B W. Ohio Pike, Amelia, OH 45102. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.angelsrestanimalsanctuary.org or call them at 513-800-0738.
Cincinnati Area Philanthropists Honored For Generosity
Each summer for the past four years, in working on the post-publicity for the Voices of Giving Awards, I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know stories from some of our area’s truly inspiring philanthropists. And I’ve learned about the Cincinnati area nonprofits whose invaluable work is sustainable only through generosity of people like the honorees. (The Voices of Giving Awards is an event of the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council. It was sponsored by PNC and held at CET.)
While the honorees were honored for their planned gifts, they have done so much for their favorite causes often having been long time volunteers and/or supporters.
Emilie Dressler was one of the honorees. A weekly Guest Services Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati for 10 years, her genuine care is a vital part of what makes the House so special for families with critically ill
Tracy Monroe, dir. of planned giving for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati; Emilie Dressler; Tanya Cornejo, dir. of development for the Ronald McDonald House
children. Emilie is the first person worried families meet with they come to the Ronald McDonald House, and her smiling face has a magical way of putting them at ease.
“I love helping out and making a difference. If there’s anything I can do to make a family’s stay less stressful, I try to do it,” she said.
Emilie actually helps out in so many ways. In fact, I’m told there is hardly a part of the Ronald McDonald House that she hasn’t been involved in. And so, it makes sense that she would also choose to support the cause financially too. Her bequest gift will help ensure future generations of families find relief there too.
“In a perfect world, there would be no need for Ronald McDonald House. But, since there is still such a great need for the House, my great concern is the wait list to get a room. What these families face is truly overwhelming. I just want to do as much as I can now. And, by making a planned gift, my hope is to help make sure that the House will continue to be there for all families, when they need it most, and that the House will continue to grow long after I am gone,” Emilie said.
Her passion for a cause that is dear to her heart is the common thread she shares with all of the Voices of Giving honorees. Together they have collectively given tens of thousands of dollars to help ensure the sustainability of Cincinnati area nonprofits working to strengthen lives and communities.
“It is truly our greatest honor to recognize such a special group of individuals for their purposeful gifts to ensure the long term welfare of many nonprofits whose work strengthens our families and neighborhoods,” said Lori Asmus, co-chair for the event.
Cincinnati Area Philanthropist Carole Blackschleger was honored for her planned gift to the American Cancer Society
All Voices of Giving honorees included: Patrick J. Cleary (posthumously) – on behalf of Xavier University; Anne Zaring on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Bob Friedman on behalf of CET, The Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation; Emilie Dressler – on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati; Louise Morrison – on behalf of Life Enriching Communities Foundation; Shirley Davies (posthumously) – on behalf of Life Enriching Communities Foundation; Marianne and Snowden Rowe – People Working Cooperatively; Ruth F. Rosevear – on behalf of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops Orchestra; Bill Prosser – on behalf of Cincinnati Public Radio, WGUC; Betsy K. Jameson – on behalf of the Cincinnati Bar Foundation; Vincent H. Beckman (posthumously) – on behalf of the College of Mt. St. Joseph; Thomas G. Cody – on behalf of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Carl Bergman – on behalf of Habitat for Humanity Greater Cincinnati; Trey and Chris Heekin, and Kip and Jenny Heekin – on behalf of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati; Wilbur Cohen – on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati; James A. Miller – on behalf of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Susan and Tom Young – on behalf of the Cancer Support Community Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky; Barbara and Ted High – on behalf of the Episcopal Retirement Homes; and Carole Blackschleger – on behalf of the American Cancer Society. NOTE: Other honorees requested not to be listed.
For more information on them, please click on this link: 2013 Voices of Giving honorees
The 2013 event was co-chaired by Lori Asmus and Telly McGaha. Committee members included Sally Alspaugh, Diana Collins, Jessi Konnagan, Bruce Favret, Jim Friedman, Misty Griesinger, Bill Hitch, Mary Alice Koch, Susan Kulick, Michelle Mancini, Chandra Mathews-Smith, Tracy Monroe, Carol Stevie, Sue Ellen Stuebing, and Molly Talbot.
The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council is a professional association for people whose work includes developing, marketing, and administering charitable planned gifts for non-profit institutions and a variety of other legal and financial settings.
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. 
Nonprofit Spotlight – FUEL Cincinnati Providing Micro-grants
Have you heard about FUEL Cincinnati? It is an all-volunteer committee of young professionals in Greater Cincinnati that is part of Give Back Cincinnati.
Fuel Cincinnati provides micro-grants in amounts ranging from $250 to $2,000 to fund non-profit projects in the Greater Cincinnati region, including the city of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and contiguous communities. Its central mission is to involve young professionals in the region in nonprofit projects in four core areas: (1) education, (2) community building, (3) the environment, and (4) diversity.
If an applicant has a great idea for improving the greater Cincinnati region through a nonprofit project related to one of FUEL’s core areas, and if all that’s standing in the applicant’s way is the lack of a few hundred or a couple of thousand dollars, FUEL exists to remove that obstacle. This is why FUEL prefers to provide the majority of the budget for projects it funds; FUEL’s mission is to make great things happen that wouldn’t happen without it. FUEL fills a gap by making capital available for projects smaller in scale than those typically funded by traditional foundations.
Fuel is supported by generous grants from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile US Bank Foundation and from The Mayerson Family Foundations.
Hundreds Of Volunteers Packed Nearly 86,000 Meals For Kids
What a wonderful sight. Over 300 volunteers gathered last weekend at nonprofit Kids Against Hunger of Cincinnati just as they do many Saturdays to pack nearly 86,000 meals for hungry and starving children in our Greater Cincinnati region and abroad.
Over 30,000 children die every day around the world from preventable causes. They die from hunger, dirty water and the lack of basic medical care. Over 10 million children each year – every year.
Kids Against Hunger food packets are a specially formulated rice-soy casserole that nourishes starving children and their families in nearly 40 countries. The simple ready to eat meals have been developed by some of the world’s leading food scientists at Cargill, Pillsbury, General Mills and ADM. Just one package provides six nutritionally-complete servings to feed starving children around the world as well as the hungry here at home, and all for the low cost of 25 cents per serving.
Volunteers and monetary donations are always welcome. Please visit their website at this link to learn more.
