Generations of Entertainment
When it opened in 1919, the Sharonville Cultural Arts Center (SCAC) was a vaudeville theater, presenting specialty acts that were popular at the turn of the twentieth century. 100 years later, at the dawn of a new decade, the historic building is still in the business of entertaining, featuring theater, fine art and film for all ages.
Better Bedtime in Butler County
Two to three percent of children in the United States don’t have beds. In Butler County, that’s at least 8,000 kids, sleeping in makeshift spots each night. Local activists are uniting around a motto that is changing those statistics: “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”
Creating A Fluffy Connection
Most people love the excited, panting grin of a dog as it walks up to meet them. When people at our local hospitals see Bella coming, their faces relax even when they aren’t having a good day. The calming energy of this Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix breaks through the patients’ tough circumstances and keeps them present in the moment, just scratching…Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Article Tera Michelson | Photography Provided West Chester and Liberty Township are overflowing with good neighbors. A partnership of three compassionate organizations under one caring umbrella, Caring Like Angels & Heroes is designed to strengthen our community by offering help for our neighbors in need. Together, they honor those who often get overlooked: caregivers for the ill and aging; struggling individuals…
Putting The Miles In Smiles
Article Maria Eilers | Photography Len Kaltman & Kimheart Moeung Her strength of character combined with her physical strength is what sets this Lakota West senior apart. Ali Hausfeld is currently preparing to break the Guinness World Record for Fastest Half-Marathon Dressed as an Emoji in order to raise awareness and funds for The Dragonfly Foundation. The Dragonfly Foundation provides support…
Bright Building, Bright Future
When members of the Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty resumed the school year in January, they walked into a brand new state-of-the-art building. Located on nine acres on the site of the former Union Elementary School, the club is a safe place for children to go after school who might otherwise go home to an empty house. The…Hoops From The Heart
Points don’t matter for Free Throws for Kids. The only point is to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of kids and families at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Each April since 2014, teams gather to shoot free throws, raise money and have a lot of fun. Local husband and wife team, Mark and Sarah Johnston, started the…
Students Spreading Love
When students walk through the doors of Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School (MTCES) in Liberty Township, they can feel the atmosphere of friendship, growth and teaching beyond what the books cover. Highlighting a commitment to community service, MTCES continues to impress upon its students the importance of giving back to the community, just as Mother Teresa did.Beyond The Suit
A successful job interview requires more than a power suit. Dress for Success Cincinnati not only dresses women for interviews, but also addresses the obstacles that keep disadvantaged women from taking their turn on the workforce runway. With programs that empower women to succeed in business and break cycles of poverty, the Dress for Success Cincinnati runway is more like…Uniting Through Music And Faith
Stroll through any number of parks or shopping districts in West Chester and Liberty Township during the warmer months and you’re guaranteed to find concerts, bands, stages and fun. Our community certainly loves outdoor entertainment. However, there’s one concert near the end of the season that’s a bit different from the rest: Sing Out Against Poverty.
Understanding Community Needs
In November we reported that the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty was preparing to launch a first-ever Community Needs Assessment in conjunction with Ignite Philanthropy Advisors. Six months later, the Foundation has concluded the assessment and shares results.
Uniting A Community For 95 Years
For more than 95 years, Butler County United Way has been creating a brighter future for those less fortunate in our community. By focusing on community outreach and positive impact through their mission of connecting and mobilizing resources, Butler County United Way is creating long-term solutions for individuals and families, ranging from education to financial stability and healthy living. They…Girls Run The World
Since 2009, Mary Gaertner has worked for the Cincinnati chapter of Girls on the Run, a running program that inspires young girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Gaertner has seen many girls participate in the unique program, and at the finish line of each season’s 5k race, she always sees something…
Pillars of Support
The success of any construction project is based upon the strength of its supports. One local nonprofit is in the business of building pillars of support around low-income families in Butler County. By partnering with volunteers to make home repairs, Supports to Encourage Low-Income Families (SELF) builds up economically challenged families to withstand the storms of life.Hands Against Hunger
If you’re looking for a way to accomplish that New Year’s resolution to make a difference, look no further. Down the road in Sharonville, a local non-profit organization offers a chance to do just that. A Child’s Hope International (ACHI) seeks to mobilize the community to help care for vulnerable children around the world by sending them healthy meals and clean…
Reaching Out And Handing Up
“It’s a hand-up, not a hand-out.” That’s how Lourdes Ward describes the services she and her team have been providing at Reach Out Lakota for more than 23 years. Reach Out Lakota’s mission is to give a hand-up to those in need throughout West Chester and Liberty Township.
Philanthropic Priorities
Rarely is a single organization able to identify and respond to the needs of an entire community; however, that’s exactly what the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty is hoping to achieve next Spring. The Foundation will partner with Ignite Philanthropy Advisors to conduct the first-ever comprehensive community needs assessment for the West Chester and Liberty Township area. The final result…
Paint the Town Pink
You may have seen PRG’s supporters driving around town: cement mixers, delivery vans, cars and work trucks, all a shade of proud pink. October is breast cancer awareness month. Join in the fight. Contact Jan Middleton, Director of Community Partners and Education, to get involved as a donor, survivor or patient: 513.568.8880. PinkRibbonGirls.org
ART FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Art, in its many forms and expressions, exists in every community and culture. From the days of etchings in caves and on rock, humans have tried to express the things of value, the things that are thoughtful, and the things that escape words through an artistic medium. French artist Henri Matisse proclaimed that “creativity takes courage,” and there is no…
Never Give Up
The Little Free Library organization started a global movement when it was founded in 2012. There are currently more than 36,000 Little Free Library book exchanges around the world, represented in all 50 states and more than 70 countries. Little Free Library is helping exchange an estimated 9.3 million books a year. With the official motto to “Take a Book,…
Safe Families for Children
Every day there are households of all varieties living in crisis. Even in flourishing suburban communities like West Chester and Liberty, there exist families who are overwhelmed by desperate situations. Not everyone has access to family members or friends on which they can depend when life is at an impasse.
Pioneer in Philanthropy
Within moments of connecting with Erin Clemons, President and CEO of The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty, you can’t help but feel she is a person that you would like to get to know. She is personable and gracious, humbly pointing the spotlight away from herself and onto others. Her leadership style fits like hand-in-glove to an organization that strives…
Parking Power
While we shop and dine at Liberty Center, we can make a difference. All we have to do is park our vehicle in one of the 204 best parking spots at the mall—the street spots with Change for Charity parking meters. Managed by the Liberty Center Foundation, Change for Charity collects parking meter fees to contribute to six local charities…
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!
Most of us remember our high school proms with fond memories of sparkly dresses, big hair, awkward photos and plenty of bad dance moves. While prom is a rite of passage for many, it’s a tradition with costs that are out of reach for numerous women in the Greater Cincinnati area. Center Pointe Christian Church in West Chester opens Cinderella’s…
The Promised Land of Butler County
Volunteers are the foundation of Family Promise. You can make a difference in the lives of families who have suffered the ordeal of losing their home. Family Promise is seeking congregations in Butler County and volunteers. For information about how you can help, contact Family Promise of Butler County:
The Greatest Gift
For information on becoming an organ donor, go to Kidney.org. Register as a donor at DonateLife.net. Liz Doriott is a giver. Each Thanksgiving she gives away turkey dinners to those in need within her medical practice, where she treats lower income families that have trouble obtaining proper medical care. She’s a giving physician, missionary, wife, mother and friend. Due to…
