I stumbled upon Granny's Garden school through a Yelp service event we were doing and instantly…read morefell in love. Now Granny's Garden school is actually part of Loveland Elementary school. We looked and looked and could not find it because the place itself does not exist. Granny herself runs this nonprofit as more of an educational giving back kind of initiative. As we were moving piles of mulch to the garden beds we met her in person and wow what a special person! She explained to all of us the history of how she got started and it was basically to teach children early about how to eat healthy and that healthy eating can be fun, and delicious! She also said that each classroom of the school has a plot that they are responsible for growing during the season. The class then harvests the plants and they are used for the school's lunches!!! How cool is that? We had processed patties of who knows what slopped on our trays. She even said that kids will eat raw veggies right out of the garden. And when I say raw, some of the kids just take bites out of tomatoes and eat them whole! What a great cause. I would have never even known about this place, but if you are looking to volunteer or just have fun giving back this is a great great place. There were even some high school kids earning class credit on the day we went.

Amazing amazing amazing. We like to buy the family garden kit in Spring sponsored by local…read morebusinesses. We get free soil, free plants, and free seeds. Great educational program ad their plant sale in the Spring is the best gardening deal in town. Great plants from their own school gardens at the best prices and your money goes to fund the school garden program. Be sure to check out their garden subscriptions for fresh flowers!

Media Bridges is a local non-profit that provides access and education to the community on…read moretechnology and technology resources. They just recently moved downtown on Race and Central Parkway. The center offers free classes to the community on things such as video production, graphic design, web design, Once someone has taken classes there, they can have access to use the electronics and equipment that Media Bridges owns. They also produce programming on their four local access channels for many local organizations. They pride themselves on being one of the many organizations that have moved into Over the Rhine to help it's revitalization and growth as a booming cultural and arts neighborhood. I am actually looking into taking some classes there soon. I hear that they are somewhat hard to get into as they are free!

Ever wanted to make your own TV show... for FREE?! You can do it here…read more Media Bridges is a non-profit cable station located at Race and Central Parkway. If you are a Cincinnati resident, you can come here to learn how to create your own television show and have it broadcast. How so? 1.) Call up Media Bridges. Ask to signup for their television classes. They also have radio classes if music is more your thing. 2.) Attend the required classes and learn how to use the equipment. Ask questions! 3.) Once you are proficient, you can borrow video cameras, use the station's television studio or radio pod to create your own show. Media Bridges also has several editing suites so that you can put together your show and add graphics and effects. 4.) When you have a completed show, you can burn it to DVD and schedule it for broadcast. Pretty cool, eh? Media Bridges is community centric and promotes freedom of speech. As long as your message is tastefully produced, you can make a show about anything: hobbies, cartoons, talk show, politics, music, religion... your imagination is the limit.

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!

This VFW hall is open to the Public and has to be one of my favorite bars in NKY! The bartenders…read morehere are extremely friendly and the place is quite large. If you are looking for a spot to drink with friends, play some Keno or Pull Tabs, and drink extremely cheap, this is the place for you! We had a group of about 10 of us and we stayed here for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. Full bar to order from. Seltzers, wine, liquor, and plenty of beer. A bucket of Mich Ultra is only $13. Most other bars in the area charge $20 +. Highly recommend checking out this place and supporting local business.

Over the Rhine Foundation is a great organization that is working to revitalize the most beautiful…read moreneighborhood in Cincinnati. They have money and they are using it to keep it beautiful and keep it growing. Sometimes they will have fundraisers and auctions to keep their funds going, but they seem to be doing okay. They are working on a market for antiques and crafts that might happen every weekend on Main Street, recruiting new businesses in the area, support for current businesses, a marketing campaign for promoting coming to Over the Rhine on weekends, working towards preserving current buildings, and working on renovations. They also do a lot of work with youth growing up in Over the Rhine and the quality of their organization. They do a lot of good things and are really succeeding in what they've started out to do. Cheers!

I've been a Whiz Kids tutor since the beginning of the school year and decided to take the leap to…read morebecome my student's mentor. City Gospel Mission oversees the Whiz Kids program so I headed to their headquarters for mentor training. Everyone is so thorough with their instructions regarding the process. The small group of us were greeted at the door and taken to the meeting room where coffee was prepared and served for us. CGM mission statement says it all. This is a faith based organization that is dedicated to showing Jesus's love to all Cincinnatians. Overall, wonderful training and insight. If you're looking for a place to volunteer or if you need resources yourself, check out City Gospel Mission.

City Gospel Mission is such an inspirational organization. Not just to people who need their help,…read morebut for those of us who want to help people in need. This non-profit organization is WELL WELL done. If I could do more or give more and more often, I certainly would. Check them out at www.citygospelmission.com to found out how to help! You can volunteer, donate, be a mentor or help with programs and events! Thank you for all you do!

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.

After a semi took out our fence on the corner we needed a new fence so the dogs didn't escape!…read moreThese guys came out really quickly, gave us a price quote that was extremely competitive to Stewart's ironworks and other wrought iron fencing companies. They were cheaper and more professional than the others. They had the old fence out and the new fence installed in no time. They even changed the fence a little to hopefully avoid trucks hitting the fence in the future! I highly recommend using these guys if you ever have any metal fabricating needs!!

I took an old gate to these guys to have it modified so I could add a new lock. I was extremely…read moresatisfied through the entire process. Everything was in time, well communicated, and affordable. The owner was great to work with.