ArtsWave formerly the Fine Arts Fund is the largest arts fund of its kind in the United States. Did…read moreyou know the greater Cincinnati area raises more money for the arts than the largest cities in the country - NYC, LA, San Francisco? Due to the work of ArtsWave, money raised during their annual giving campaign supports more than 100 arts and community organizations in our area from community arts centers, and arts non-profits to the largest arts organizations in town - Symphony, The Ballet, Opera, Cincinnati Art Museum. You can't miss their annual arts sampler weekend where you can check out arts all over town for free. They also have an active YP group, which gets together to enjoy many performances throughout the year Its amazing we're blessed by the arts in our community making Cincinnati a great place to live due to ArtsWave!

The phenomenal work of the Fine Arts Fund has helped the arts community flourish in Greater…read moreCincinnati. The oldest fine arts fund in the United States, the Fine Arts Fund has been serving the cultural needs of this region for over 80 years. The primary responsibilities of this organization are to fund and support local artistic and cultural endeavors, through services such as marketing, fundraising, board development, and other administrative functions. The goals of the Fund are to raise money in the workplace for arts, foster excellence through support of regular programming, and minimize the disparity between ticket/admission price and actual costs of producing programs. Their campaign in 2007 raised over $11.7 million making it the #1 united arts fund in the country. What is so impressive about this number is that over half of the contributions came from individuals in the workplace. Keep up the great work of keeping the arts alive in Cincinnati.

In 1993, the Inner City Youth Opportunities organization was founded by Jeanne and Phillip Bell…read more They saw inner city children struggling in the classroom and with family problems, and they wanted to help. Seeing the positive impact that sports has on the development of children, the Bells took to combining their love of tennis with helping local inner city kids succeed in the classroom and out in the real world. By combining tennis, academic intervention, and youth development programs the ICYO strives to teach the children important life skills to succeed (according to ICYO Newsletter and website). Through the Academic Intervention Program, the ICYO offers tutoring and homework help four days a week, assisting with anything from reading, writing, and spelling to organization skills, math, and even computer/keyboarding. During the summer months, Mrs. Bell runs a tennis program at Withrow High School, Monday through Thursday for three hours. I was a volunteer three years ago and it was such a great experience and it felt really good to help the many children with their tennis, watch them enjoy it, and just to be their friend while I was there. Transportation (and meals) to all ICYO events is free, and for those really interested in tennis, they will take them around to play in the area tournaments. Although I was too young to see it at the time, playing in these tournaments and sometimes seeing the Bells spending their Friday and Saturday nights watching their program's kids play tennis is truly remarkable. The best thing is when they issue their seasonal newsletter and you can read some of the success stories. The most important thing to the Bells and their staff and many volunteers is teaching the children life skills and leading them down the right path towards earning a high school degree. In the summer tennis program in 2005, I worked alongside a man who was ICYO's first high school graduate in 2000, an honors student and National Honors Society member, and then a 2005 graduate of Kent State University where he was on scholarship for football. Without the ICYO program, it's not likely he would have been able to achieve what he did, and he recognized that, which is why he gave back to the program in which he grew up. Inner City Youth Opportunities is an excellent program and the number of nationally and community-based partnerships they are involved in shows that too. Whether it's from tutoring, tennis, or a trip to a Xavier basketball game or Camp Ernst, for example, ICYO provides great opportunities for inner city children of Cincinnati to have fun, while also growing as both persons and students. It's truly outstanding and touching what the Bells have been doing these last 15 years with the ICYO program, and I'm glad to have been a part of it.

As someone who was literally raised in the arts community in Cincinnati and is now currently a…read moreworking member of it, I had not heard of this organization until recently. I decided to become a member as a recent college grad who still can't afford to attend the arts at full price. This organization is doing a great job at getting the youth in Cincinnati interested in the arts. They have a student membership, and under 30 membership, and an above 30 membership. I fall into the second category and paid about $40 for my membership. The organization is a basically a local non-profit marketing agency for local arts organizations. The organizations sign up with Enjoy the Arts and offer free tickets to their members. Marketing departments use this as a way to get the younger crowd in, or people who wouldn't normally come to the arts in hopes of impressing them enough to get them to come back. Let's hope it works! I'll always go to the arts, just can't afford to! I can't wait to get my packet!

I have been a member since May 2013. I love ETA! It sounds too good to be true, it is it true!…read more The only negative is that free tickets are limited per show so you need to claim fast and ETA does not offer free tickets to all shows (only selected ones). So far, we have been to these theaters through ETA: Music Hall, The Carnegie, The Shakespeare Company, and Know Theather. We did go back to these theaters the second time and definitely more in the future. Prior to joining ETA, we were not exposed to many theaters in Cincy so this is definitely a good program to explore. Highly recommended. You will save a lot of money. Once we got orchestra tickets at Music Hall which would have costed $125 per tickets.

Hockey Players 4 Kids is a non-profit group that encourages professional hockey players to give…read moreback to their communities by volunteering. Founded in 2009 by Cincinnati Cyclones forward, Dustin Sproat, HP4K has grown to encompass over 50 players from dozens of international locations HP4K members volunteer with the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club after school programs, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House. They present lessons on sportsmanship, positive thinking, leadership and fitness, followed by some serious floor hockey action. In addition, HP4K developed the "Stick To Reading" program, which encourages young children to read with an incentive: whoever reaches their goal gets to partake in a floor hockey game with the players. Hockey Players 4 Kids is a unique outlet that allows professional athletes to connect one-on-one with the community, all while bettering the lives of local youth. And it all started right here in Cincinnati.

I am totally a fan of the Spanish community, so if you are looking for a place to practice your…read moreSpanish, volunteer with the people, or learn about their culture, as far as I know, this is the place to do it in Cincinnati. I volunteered here for a few months, teaching math to Spanish people trying to earn their GED, and it was awesome. I got to practice my Spanish and meet some very cool people. The folks that run the volunteer program are awesome and very helpful, very flexible, and very understanding. I have also volunteered for a College Goal Sunday event here(where students fill out the FAFSA) and people came in droves to volunteer. It reminded me how rich of a support system it has and how happy people are to be involved with this joint. Even though it has a religious background and I absolutely do not, they accept anyone who is of good nature and you will guaranteed get along with them. If you're looking for a more casual, less official way to meet/converse with Spanish people, they have Sunday brunches in the basement after Sunday mass(from about noon-2). I went here once, because I typically work Sunday from 8-4, but I had a blast. I was hesitant when going, because I knew nobody. When I got downstairs and made it glaringly obvious that I knew nobody, a man motioned for me to sit down(his name was Wenceslao, so cool) and began a conversation. I chatted with him and a few others for about an hour, just getting to know them and practice my Spanish. Although I knew I was rusty, they assured me that I was very good and it built up my confidence. That experience is what Su Casa is all about. It's catered to the Spanish community, but accepts everyone with wide-open arms. I HIGHLY recommend this place as a way to feel like you're part of something.

Wonderful organization to volunteer with and serve in your community. They have a volunteer portal…read morethat shows you all available opportunities by month across these main five segments of CCOSW: Food For All, Mental Health Services, Su Casa, Refugee Resettlement & Immigration Services, and Caregiver Assistance Network / Family Development Services. If you are interested in helping out, you will need to fill out an online volunteer application. I have found the Program Heads to be warm and inviting. I volunteer with Food For All, which consists of pop-up food pantries across Southwestern Ohio. April Hoak heads up this program, and she fosters an amazing spirit of community among the volunteers. CCOSW celebrates its volunteers each year with a special appreciation dinner. Do check them out if you have time to give! Your efforts will make an immense difference in the lives of others.

It was August and school was about to start up again in whatever form that it is going to be in…read morethis #covid19 year of 2020. My soon to be four year old grandson was with me this weekend. Happen, Inc was sponsoring the #backtoschool #northsideschoolbackpackgiveaway just a few blocks away from my house on #hoffnerstreet. We arrived just after 10:00 am for the 10 am to 2 pm event. It wasn't busy at all. The main gate entrance to this enclosed garden that I didn't even know existed was the required flow for the parents & children coming here. #Covid19 precautions were being taken. Facemasks and social distancing was promoted. We checked in at the registration table. Emails were asked for so they could keep people informed of future events. Most of their events used to be held at their storefront on #hamiltonavenue until the #covid19 pandemic. The friendly staff directed us to walk through the garden to the next table at the back entrance. My grandson and I got a little bit off of the main path but we made it to the next table. Here my grandson was able to pick out what color backpack he wanted! Green was his choice. He was excited to look inside it and we stopped on the sidewalk just down the street. He sat down and opened it up. To my surprise it was loaded with writing pads, paper, folders, crayons, a ruler and a zippered pouch with a lot of erasers and pencils and a pencil/crayon sharpener. My grandson was so happy! He sat there on the sidewalk sharpening the pencils. I was glad to see that the backpack was made from high quality materials. After this we headed to #jacobhoffnerpark for more fun. It was a great day! Until next time stay healthy & be kind to each other. #happeninc #northside #familytime #weekendfun #grandchildren

This place hosts free crafting events for kids about once every other month, usually around a…read moreholiday. I love taking my kids! Even though my oldest is only three, the atmosphere is perfect for him. It's laid back. You come and go at your convenience - it's nice that he can participate, but doesn't have to stay in a seat longer than he can handle. They provide all the tools and supplies for free!On our most recent visit this past October, they had pumpkin decorating. The pumpkin had already been emptied of it's guts, so all you had to do was draw and then carve your design!

In my experience as staff here at the Hope House Mission. Working with all walks of life, I'm honor…read moreand grateful I can work with GOD. Helping many feel appreciated, and loved genuinely! I've witnessed, many Lives changed!! Many who have come through those doors, and have taken hold of GOD purpose and plan. A true difference has been made in their life!

Donors Beware!!!! I was court ordered by Warren County to…read morestay at the Hope House for over a month. I witnessed the corruption of this establishment first hand. The staff regularly takes the food donations for themselves. They also go through the clothing donations and keep the best items for themselves. This was witnessed by several of the residents, on more than one occasion. Residents Beware!!! The staff treats residents very disrespectfully. This is a locked down facility which does not allow residents to leave unless two staff members sign off on the request. People were denied doctor's appointments and church outings, while I was there. It is nigh impossible to search for gainful employment while staying here. Hope House staff regularly threatens to kick people out, no matter what the weather may be or if they have another place to go. Their justification is often petty. A place that claims to show the love of Christ, fall woefully short of that aspiration.