Faces Without Places

A Day to Remember!

2011-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

By: Brittany L. Webb

Each year, Faces without Places and Project Connect hosts an eight week summer camp for children experiencing homelessness in the Greater Cincinnati area. Campers come five days a week for days filled with academics, in reading and math, and plenty of fun! At the conclusion of camp each year there is an entire day dedicated to showcasing what the campers have learned while attending the Project Connect summer camp. This year the theme of the camp was “Play Smart, Eat Smart, BE Smart,” and concluded with a health fair that took place on Wednesday, July 27^th, the day before camp ended for the summer. The camp was a huge success and was highly supported by families of the campers, volunteers, media coverage and plenty of dedicated workers.

Dancing to Beyonce's "Move your Body"

Matching food to their food groups

The health fair included many fun activities such as games, healthy food and drink, craft projects and even a fire safety simulation presented by the Cincinnati Fire Department through the use of a “smoke house” that guests were given the opportunity to visit right on site of the health fair.

Some of the Fire Prevention Team and campers

Another organization who partnered with Project Connect and participated in the health fair is the Children’s Hunger Alliance. Throughout the eight weeks of camp AmeriCorps members, Missy Miller, Summer Craig, and Karima Samadi, came to camp several times a week to educate children on what it means to live a healthy lifestyle.

AmeriCorps members from The Children’s Hunger Alliance, Miller, Craig, & Samadi, as well as OASHF AmeriCorps VISTA members from Faces without Places, Beth Griffith-Niemann, Jen Difilippo, and Brittany Webb played a large role in the health fair by setting up several booths of fun, hands-on, engaging activities to teach children about healthy food options, as well as providing all of the healthy food and drinks for the day. Other organizations who were involved in the health fair include, the YMCA, Happen Inc., and the Cincinnati Circus, who also set up booths that included engaging activities for health fair guests.

The Bouncy House from Cincinnati Circus

At the conclusion of the health fair this year, and after a busy day of great food and activities, the campers were given a huge surprise! Thanks to partnerships between the Children’s Hunger Alliance, Panera Bread and Wishes for Wheels, each individual camper was awarded with a brand new bike and helmet. For several of the children at camp this year this was their very first bike, and by the looks of joy on their faces this reality was very obvious. The bikes were delivered to the children and their families that evening and the next evening after camp had concluded for the day. The bikes were truly the icing on the cake for a great health fair and an even greater eight weeks of camp!

The Bike Reveal!

Helping others while helping yourself (to a good deal, that is)

2011-04-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Beth and for those of you who don't personally know me, I love shopping just as much as I love helping kids experiencing homelessness (and other disadvantaged individuals). It seems that nearly every colloquial conversation I have, the topic always finds its way back to the latest great deal I found. And I love helping others find good deals just as much as I love bragging about them.

As the self proclaimed Queen of Bargain shopping I feel that its my duty to share steals and deals with others. Which of course leads me back to why I'm blogging.

GoodSearch is a site that allows you to run search engine searches and raise money for your cause at the same time. Well GoodSearch's BFF is GoodShop. GoodShop is a way for you to donate to Faces without Places, shop, and get the best deals at your favorite (participating) online stores!

I know what you're thinking, "I hate having all those dumb toolbars suggested to me from different sites." I know, I understand, and I feel the same way! But let me tell you why you NEED this toolbar! This toolbar not only lets you make a donation to Faces without Places (at no cost to you) when you make a purchase but also tells you what all the deals are at that particular website, which can then in turn allow you to clean out your inbox as well.

If you're like me, a girl on a budget, and you like a store that you may visit their site often to check out what specials they're running, or you're on their email list because you cash in on every tenth deal they offer. But for every deal you do use, you have 5,000 emails of other deals that didn't interest you, you didn't have money to spend, or nothing you liked was on sale.

Well if you needed another reason to love GoodShop, this would be it. Not only does the tool bar alert you that a donation will be made when you purchase something, but it will also tell you what all the deals, or 'coupons' that the site is currently running.

Okay, so this sounds sort of appealing but you still don't want to see the toolbar? I've got you covered too! If you download the toolbar, then customize your toolbar and make the GoodShop toolbar invisible, it will still notify you when your shopping could equal a donation for Faces without Places.

Need I say more? Now get to shopping and donating! Oh and tell a friend, because this application is too good just to keep to yourself!

Downloading your toolbar:

1. Go to www.GoodShop.com and type in "Faces without Places" in the box where it says, "Who do you GoodShop for?" And verify your selection.

2. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on the "download toolbar" button, follow the instructions, and voila!

3. Start shopping! and don't forget you brag about your deals and good deeds!

Unexpected Impacts

2011-03-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

Part of my role at Faces without Places is to raise awareness and educate the public about issues of homelessness. For many people who live in suburban areas, homelessness may seem far removed from their neighborhood and seem more like an urban issue; however, more and more families are falling out of the middle class and into homelessness all over the city.

Family homelessness is often invisible, meaning, families may not stay in shelter, rather they may "double up" with friends or family or stay in a motel.

I tailor my presentations to the age and dynamics of a class or group; some groups get really involved with the topic and the discussion takes on a life of its own, other groups are less interactive and the presentation turns more into a lecture.

During this particular presentation, the students were very engaged and were working hard to really understand the difficulties a child experiencing homelessness may face.

Some individuals may never have contemplated the issues and causes of homelessness until they heard my presentation. Others know it all too well, as I recently found out.

Nearing the end of one of my presentations, a boy called out to me, thanking me and our organization for helping kids who are homeless. I didn’t really think much of the comment but I did appreciate it.

After the class left, the principal explained to me that the student who thanked me had in fact experienced homelessness the previous school year. Due to reasons I cannot recall, he and his siblings actually lived in a park for several days before receiving help.

The principal went on to explain that their school, on average, has three or four homeless students a year.

Some time had passed before I spoke with the principal again but when I did, he explained to me that the student who had thanked me had been difficult for teachers to work with; however, after my visit it was almost as if a wall had crumbled—the student’s demeanor had drastically changed.

I had always assumed that students would be impacted by what I shared with them—maybe paying more attention to persons experiencing homelessness, or thinking about ways they could help, or sharing information with their family and friends—but I never imagined an impact of this magnitude and am truly humbled by it.

Visit with Leslie

2011-02-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hello all, on Thursday the 17th of Feb. I had an opportunity to visit our Project Connect staff

person, Leslie Hattemer at Woodward High School. Leslie works with young kids at Woodward

that are experiencing homelessness.

I arrived in the middle of a counseling session, Leslie was talking to a student who had just become homeless and was going to be 18 about the second week in March.

It was a very emotional and sorrowful experience for the student. I kept wondering how this kid was going to get through the next several weeks and months with all the life changing decisions he would dealing with, i.e. now homeless with no parent nearby, living in a shelter with no friends, a whole different life.

The kid kept his composure and seemed really tuned into what Leslie was saying about the Lighthouse Shelter which would soon become his new home. I couldn't see any easy, kick back times for this young man but he impressed me as a survivor.

I got choked up with the experience. I'm sure it was difficult time for this kid, but without Leslie, it could have been much, much worse.

When the session ended, I felt so proud of being connected to a project called "Project Connect". All the P C staff are the most caring group of people, they literally change the world for the better every day. I feel blessed to pay a small role in their success, thanks for listening.

Bill Hutchinson

So Many Fundraisers, So Little Time

2011-02-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

Dancing the Night Away!

On January 22nd Salsaires Latin Dance Group held the First Annual SalsaThon for a Cause to Benefit Faces without Places. The event was held at the Cincinnati Ballet. The dance floor was packed and even as the judges were totaling the scores and choosing the winners, couples continued to dance the night away!

SalsaThon Winners:

From left: Aaron Ehrle, Jane Nemik: (Most enthusiastic couple) Leila Beatriz Loezer, Glen-Erik Lonergan Cortés: 3rd Place Dawn Woods, Antonio Lemus: 1st Place Gina Mccormick, Amos Brown: 2nd Place

Pampered for a Cause!
As Valentine's Day approaches, what better way is there to help others and help yourself at the same time. Board member Tamara Johnson-Vest held the pampering event in Mason this past weekend--and it was a great time! Check out the photos below!

In The News: Families and Children Experiencing Homelessness

2011-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and the Nation are reporting increased numbers of families experiencing homelessness. On December 22, 2010 the Huffington Post reported that the number of homeless families has increased by 9 percent, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Survey. Unfortunately, Cincinnati was not a part of this survey and the Coalition for the Homeless is working diligently to come up with data which will provide greater insight into the severity of the problem and ways to address is.

On December 21, 2010, Josh Spring, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless held a press conference to enlighten the public on the issues families experiencing homelessness are facing (See Media Coverage Links, below).

High School and College Students Experiencing Homelessness
Additionally, the Washington Post has published an article on 12-27-10 about high schoolers experiencing homelessness and the Huffington Post published an article on college students experiencing homelessness, which mirror many of the issues that students served by PC/FwP face.

Media Coverage Links
Taking Action to Prevent Family Homelessness: The Coalition for the Homeless Addresses the Changing Face of Homelessness, Streetvibes, Issue 190, Jan 1-14
More homeless families seek help, Enquirer, 12-21-10
Local Shelters Forced to Turn Away Homeless, WLWT, 12-21-10
Homeless shelters forced to turn away homeless, Fox 19, 12-21-10

Check back often on our blog, facebook page, and website for more updates.

2010 Chili Taste-Off Results

2010-12-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

Bill Hutchinson a long-time supporter of Faces without Places and current Treasurer of the Board of Trustees lost his winning title of "Chili Champ" this past Sunday at the 3rd Annual Chili Taste-Off. Last year, Bill's Spicy Beef Chili won Spice of Life and this year David Lynch claimed the title with his chili, Fire Walk with Me. David also took the title of Most Votes. Other winners include, Jeni Jenkins' JJ's 3 Pepper Veg Head, winning Outside the Box, and Elissa Sonnenberg winning Best of the Best with Use Your Noodle.

Since Bill's chili did not win this year, and will not be competing in next year's Taste-Off, he decided to share his secret recipe with us.

Bill’s Spicy Beef Chili (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2lbs. chuck steak chopped into small pieces

Kosher salt (to taste)

Fresh pepper (to taste)

1 lbs. hot Italian sausage casing removed casing, break into one inch pieces

1 large white onion chopped

6 garlic cloves minced

1 tbsp. chili power

1tbsp. sweet paprika

2 tbsp. ground cumin

28oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup water

15oz can pinto beans (drained, not rinsed)

15oz. can cannellini beans (drained, not rinsed)

15oz. can kidney beans (drained, not rinsed)

Directions:

Brown chuck steak and hot Italian sausage (separately)

Drain fat from meat

In a large pot heat vegetable oil, cook onion until translucent (approximately 5 minutes)

Add garlic and cook for approximately 2 minutes

Add spices

Add chuck and sausage

Add tomateoes (undrained) and water

Simmer for 1 hour

Stir in beans stir in beans & simmer uncovered until thickened (15 minutes)

Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, & cilantro

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David also shared his winning recipe with us, explaining that his chili-making process is more of an art than a science!

David's Fire Walk With Me (will make approximately 8 quarts)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2lbs ground beef

1 1/2ilbs ground pork

8-10 cans of beans of your choice (David likes to use Kroger brand chili hot beans, great northern beans, and a three-bean blend.)

8 oz tomato paste

2-3 12oz cans crushed or diced tomatoes

2-3 large shallots, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, diced

1 bulb garlic, roasted

1 each of anaheim, poblano, and serrano peppers, roasted, skin removed, de-veined & de-seeded, diced

1 12oz beer

The Spice Mix: this is highly variable and these are estimates. David usually uses at least a cup of spices total for this size batch, and it always seems like too much—but never is.

The mix is probably 4 parts chili powder, 2 parts sea or kosher salt, and 1 part each of the following: granulated garlic, cumin, cinnamon, onion powder, sugar, hot Hungarian paprika, dried basil, white pepper, and black pepper. (David usually toasts the cumin in a hot pan beforehand).

PREPARATION

Put a large pot on stove and bring it to medium heat. (David uses a circulon pot and it keeps the chili from burning to the bottom).

Add the meat and brown (David alternates adding pork and beef, and forms it into little lumps 3/4" around because he likes bigger chunks of meat in the final product).

Once all the meat is browned in the pot, add a little fennel seed, salt, sugar, and crushed red pepper as it browns.

When it's approximately 90% done browning, drain off the excess fat, add the vegetables, and cook until the onion is translucent.

Then, add the spice mix and a beer, and allow it to cook for approximately 20 minutes.

Next, add the crushed or diced tomatoes. Let that cook for a while, then add the tomato paste.

After that, add all the beans pretty quickly after the tomato paste.

At this point, taste chili to see if more spices are needed, David usually decides it needs more chili powder and adds more.

Cook for an additional two hours.

Be sure to look for updates for the 4th Annual Chili Taste-Off next December!

Gleeked Out for McKinney Vento

2010-12-08T05:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a GLEEK! Imagine my joy when, on last night's episode of glee (A Very Glee Christmas), Mr. Shue announced they were going to raise funds to support McKinney Vento's local homeless education program. My jaw dropped; and then a big smile came across my face.

McKinney Vento is the homeless assistance act that provides protection for children experiencing homelessness. It guarantees children in this situation the right to a free and appropriate education and it advocates for school stability for children.

McKinley High in Lima is a fictional school on glee; but Lima, Ohio is a very real place. The homeless liaison in Lima expects to serve 167 homeless students this school year. In Cincinnati we expect to serve over 3,000.

Family homelessness is a growing problem in today's economy and the awareness provided by a top-rated show on television is amazing. And of course, the example provided by the glee kids, trying to provide some holiday cheer to those less fortunate, is just what's needed. We cannot help these children without the support of our community.

This year we have holiday sponsorship for 168 children experiencing homelessness. . .168 faces filled with glee!

'Tis the Season

2010-12-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

This Holiday season we have two very special organizations who are putting together Christmas parties for children experiencing homelessness. FwP is working with the District 4 Police as well as University of Dayton Alumni who will put together two very special parties.

Also this Holiday season, FwP will be holding our 3rd Annual Chili Taste-Off on Sunday, December 12th from 12-4pm at Northside Tavern. Join us for fun, food, music, and football (Bengals @ Steelers)! Fun for all ages!
http://ow.ly/3inGT

Almost As Important As A Home: School

2010-10-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Every child is different and has entirely different childhoods. Experiences, interests, abilities, and family always shape what type of childhood a child has. But that being said, there is always one thing the millions of children within the United States have in common, school. Every child, by law, is required to attend school. With school children are provided a place to learn, make friends, and lay the building blocks for life. But this opportunity is not afforded to approximately one million children across the country.¹ These children miss out in this life-shaping event because they are not blessed with the same fortune as the vast majority of this nation. They are homeless and are forced into a highly mobile lifestyle.

But the one million children estimate only includes children of school age, are identified as homeless and enrolled in school. This leaves out all the toddlers, children without proper identification and those not able to attend school.¹ It can be argued that the root of the problem is getting these children enrolled, but that is not normally the struggle.

The struggle is for these students experiencing homelessness to maintain enrollment at one school for the entire duration of the year. The majority of the homeless students find a way into a classroom but not always the same classroom for the entire school year. They often change schools multiple times a year. But leading this nomadic style of education is not productive to their learning or their development as a person. A study of 9,915, six to seventeen year olds in 1993, showed that children with a high amount of lifetime moves were 35% more likely to repeat a grade and 77% more likely to have four or more behavioral problems. ² Another study in 1994 of 169 children living in emergency living facilities showed that 47% of the sample scored in the 10^th percentile in the Peabody Picture Test.^2,4 a similar study in 1989 showed that on standardized tests only 47%, in mathematics, and 28%, in reading, scored at or above their grade level.²All these studies showed the adverse effects of a highly mobile lifestyle has on child.

Without stable schooling it is difficult for any person to be successful in this country, because a high school diploma is necessary for most minimum wage professions. It is vital for children experiencing homelessness, at the rock bottom of poverty, to receive the schooling necessary to begin to break the cycle of poverty. Researchers have reported that multiple moves are as stressful on a child as the hospitalization or incarceration of a parent.³ Federal legislation to grant students experiencing homelessness the right to remain at their school of origin despite their current living situation through the McKinney-Vento Act. This affords homeless students an opportunity to stay at their school to receive a concurrent education but more needs to be done. To ease this stress and allow a child to be as successful as they can be, it is our responsibility to afford them this opportunity. Through organizations such as Project Connect, this can be made possible. Project Connect and Faces without Places work to keep children experiencing homelessness connected to their education by providing supplies, transportation, uniforms, and enrichment opportunities. It is not the child’s fault that they are in this position but aiding the blockage of their slippery slope not only betters their lives, but society as a whole.

¹ “Facts About Homeless Education.” National Association for the Education of the Homeless Children and Youth. NAECHY. 2009. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

²Obradovic, Jelena, et. al. “Academic achievement of homeless and highly mobile children in an urban school district: Longitudinal evidence on risk, growth, and resilience.” Development and Psychopathology 21 (2009): 493-518. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

³Garriss-Hardy, Beth and Cheryl Vrooman. “School Stability and School Performance: A Review of the Literature.” National Center for Homeless Education at the Serve Center. National Center for Homeless Education, 2004. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.

⁴The Peabody Picture Test is an IQ test determined by a series of questions prompted by an administrator to which the participant answers by selected one of four pictures on a given sheet.

By Jimmy Lucas

My name is Jimmy Lucas and I am a first year at the University of Cincinnati in the Chemical Engineering ACCEND program. I plan on completing school in five years with my Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. I am involved in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Relay for Life, Bearcat Buddies, and Engineering Tribunal on campus. I am interested in most sports and any type of academic research.

Homeless Awareness Week

2010-09-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

October 15 - 24th is Greater Cincinnati's Homeless Awareness Week, which will consist of fund-raising events, awareness events, and volunteering events. Faces without Places is working in conjunction with The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), and the Mayerson Foundation.

The week starts off on 10/16 with Homeless Awareness Week Kick-Off at Refuge Coffee Bar with live music, poetry, artwork, first hand accounts of experiencing homelessness, and much more!

Throughout the week, we are asking schools, organizations, and places of worship to participate in a Shantytown, where individuals stay outside for a night to get a better understanding of homelessness. We are also encouraging organizations to fund-raise or host a donation drive for an agency of their choice in our adopt-an-agency drive. In addition, we are asking organizations to organize their own cardboard brigade to raise awareness about issues of homelessness. Lastly, FWP is inviting organizations to sell our Break the Cycle (of Homelessness ) bracelets as a fundraiser to benefit children experiencing homelessness. (Below is a mock up of the bracelet)

On 10/18 in Northern Kentucky will be The Faces of Hunger and Homelessness A Community Event for the Hungry and Homeless

On 10/19 An event will be held to Celebrate Pat Clifford and later that evening HamBINGO! at Hamburger Mary's will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the GCCH (more details to come)

The week commences with The 13th Annual Benefit for Homeless Children "Yellow Bus Ball"
from 6 - 11:30 pm at The Cincinnati Museum Center At Union Terminal.

Trish and I have been working hard to reach out to area schools, requesting their participation in the week. Last week, Trish, Bill, and I went to the Mayerson High School Service Leadership Conference, in which over 500 high school students were in attendance.

If you are interested or know of a teacher or student that would be interested in organizing an event at their school, have them contact Beth beth@faceswithoutplaces.org or call 513.549.3155 for more information. Or direct them to www.citywideshantytown.com

New Team Member!

2010-09-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since we've had an AmeriCorps VISTA working with us and we are so happy to have this partnership again! Beth Griffith-Niemann is the newest member of the Faces Without Places team and she comes to us filled with passion and a determination to build capacity for FWP.

Beth's service started in August and will end in July, 2011. During that time she will be promoting awareness and fundraising efforts for FWP. She's already working hard on Homeless Awareness Week (in conjunction with our annual benefit on October 23) and the Change 4 Change Program, among other things.

As part of her recently awarded Master of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Louisville, Beth completed a thesis on the criminalization and victimization of the homeless. She has great sensitivity for the population we care about most, children experiencing homelessness.

Look for communications from Beth in the future!

Newest Board Members

2010-08-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

Faces Without Places welcomed Patrick Frambes and Tamara Vest to the Board on August 4th!

Patrick is a CPA and Senior Accountant with Barnes Dennig. He was recommended by recently resigned FWP board member and colleague Rob Ford. He's been very involved in his community and has a passion for education. He joined the children this summer at their movie premiere and plans to be very involved with FWP/PC.

Tamara is a Business Systems Analyst with Express Scripts. She has been raising funds and awareness for our children since 2005. She is extremely passionate about youth and their futures. The day after she was added to the board, she hosted an event at the Polo Grille, raising nearly $600 and boxes and boxes of school supplies!

We are extremely happy to have both join us in our mission to keep homeless children stable in school. We were sad, but celebratory to recognize Sandy Downing who retired from the Board after her term limits were reached at 8 years of service! Sandy is a board member who made a point of spending time with the kids as well, supporting children in after school and summer programs for the last 8+ years. She always went above and beyond to create opportunities for children. She will be missed.

School Supplies Just in Time

2010-08-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last year FWP/PC gave out 1,064 backpacks with school supplies. Feed the Children donated the bulk of the backpacks, and our community gave us the extra supplies to enhance them. This year the supplies have already begun rolling in.

Girl Scout Troop 48764/Marian Medal collected swim suits and also school supplies. The girls were interested to learn about our summer program, and so happy to help homeless students get prepared for school.

On Wednesday, Michele Cowans and Emily Cantley from real estate company CB Richard Ellis, dropped off supplies for the fourth year in a row. They brought in 3 cart loads (2,200 pieces!) of notebook paper, spirals, 2-pocket folders, shoe cards, and more.

Many others are doing drives for us, but we know the amount of backpacks we're giving out demands a great deal of donations. Items most needed are: notebook paper (both wide and college ruled), spirals (both wide and college ruled), 2-pocket folders, and 1" binders. In addition we try to provide supplies to preschoolers and can use the following for preschool backpacks: crayons, water color markers, scissors for preschoolers, children's toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Movin It!

2010-07-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

This year's summer theme is Building a Healthy Community: Starting With Me, My Neighborhood, My Nation. Each morning the children arrive at camp ready to "Move It Cincinnati Style!"

Marthe leads them in exercise--a new song and routine each week.

Also on Fridays we've begun inviting special guests. Last Friday (7/2/10), CPS Superintendent Mary Ronan, principals, central office staff, and our local fire department joined us for a great work out to the Jackson 5. Afterwards they joined the kids for breakfast and Ms. Ronan spoke to them about the importance of summer camp, healthy bodies and minds.

Astronaut Mike Foreman visited on Friday, June 25th and the children were really interested in his training and experiences in space. His message was never give up on your dreams.

These guests have provided wonderful support to the healthy messages we've been providing all summer, including Movin It, recording our minutes for a service project, nutrition enrichment, personal development, and healthy snacks.

Keep your eye out for our last, and very public, Movin It in the Mornin on Thursday, July 22, 9am. We'll be on Fountain Square and everyone will be at our mercy. You should come!

Important Life Lessons at Summer Camp

2010-06-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today I sat in on some of the enrichment classes for the 8-9 and 10-12 year olds in camp. Each Monday afternoon the boys and girls are split up and each of the four groups gets a lesson tailored just for them. The 8-9 year old boys were talking about TRUST with the Amend Program. When I stopped in to the Amend 10-12 year old boys' room they were telling stories of revenge. One young man talked about soaking his sister in the shower with a milk, chocolate syrup, hot sauce combo. It was agreed that it was a serious waste of food. Aside from this laugh, the boys talked about ways to react in difficult situations.

The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is all about promoting girl power and raising self esteem. The 8-9 year old girls were talking about leadership and discovery, playing a follow the leader game with chiefs and detectives. The 10-12 year olds were building a 'compliment pyramid,' focusing on the qualities that make them good from the inside, rather than the outside. They focused on being a good friend, rather than the nice shoes one girl was wearing.

All were important lessons for children who are extremely impressionable, and sometimes lacking good role models in their everyday life. Good reminders for me too ;)

Community Lunch

2010-06-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

Summer Program started this week and today was the first Community Lunch for the kids. They loved it! Each Wednesday a group comes to camp with a delicious lunch they've prepared, they serve it and then enjoy the meal with the children. Today, The Gathering, a church in Over The Rhine provided a delicious taco lunch for the kids. We were so happy, because just two weeks ago we were still looking for someone to take on this lunch. Our friend Ed Green organized his church and they came in today and took charge!

Tacos, rice, bean and corn salsa, apple slices and a cookie--the kids loved it and it fits right in with our theme of healthy choices this summer. The kids are Movin It Cincinnati Style with exercises to music upon arrival and they're recording every minute moved during the camp.

This is the 13th year for our summer camp. Two buses pick up children from 12 bus stops at homeless shelters and motels in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. After 'Movin It', they get breakfast, cycle through reading, math and cultural studies sessions, get lunch and an afternoon filled with trips to the pool, enrichment, and mini field trips. Once a week they go on a major field trip. Yesterday they Rode the Ducks, were treated to Burger King and the Shrek 4 movie. Talk about 'happy campers!'

We look forward to more visits from our community, along with many new experiences for our campers!

Thanks to the wonderful volunteers from The Gathering!

Kids Connection at Krohn Conservatory

2010-05-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

The thank you notes from children participating in this year's Kid Connection were creative, thoughtful and sometimes pretty funny. This is the third year for Kids Connection, a program that Krohn Conservatory and PC/FWP created to bring opportunities to learn about butterflies and other cultures to children at disadvantaged schools.

I was able to attend two of the sessions this year and they were pretty amazing. Butterflies this year are from Japan, so crafts, lessons and stories are wrapped around Japanese culture. This year volunteers Patti Minbiole and Zell Schulman read the story of Inchkin (a Japanese version of Tom Thumb), and taught the kids that they are as tall as they feel.

Krohn treated the children to pizza and fruit cups, while our friends at Costco provided drinks and dessert. After lunch, the children were able to color and create a fan, and go through the butterfly show. Krohn sent each child home with their own Butterfly Show bag including a book about cherry blossoms and for those visiting before Mother's Day, free passes to treat mom.

A second grader from Westwood Elementary said it was the best day of his life! That made me pretty happy and a little sad at the same time; but it reinforced the fact that these kinds of opportunities are very important to children who don't usually get out of their own neighborhood.

Our thanks to Bill Hutchinson for chairing this committee and to all of the volunteers and supporters who help us pull it off. The Butterfly Show is open through June 20th - check it out!

Zoomates Finale Includes Chipotle and Climbing Wall

2010-05-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Our last Zoomates activity of the school year was yesterday and it was a great way to end the year. Zoomates pairs 30 students who have experienced homelessness this year with a college student from UC. Check out the Zoomates Blog for a great narrative of the year in pictures.

Chipotle hosted the children for an early dinner. It was organized chaos as sixty plus kids and young adults descended on the restaurant. Most of the children had never been to Chipotle before, so it was very exciting!

The excitement didn't end there as they tried another new experience--the climbing wall at the UC rec center. Add in some open gym time, games, and face painting and you've got a crowd of very happy children.

I had the privilege of conducting a few informal interviews with mentors and mentees. Several UC students have had life changing experiences as a result of this program. One young man told me 'this is my life now,' indicating that the experience has reframed his daily life. This is the second year in a row that students have changed their majors to early childhood, or education. It brings out a passion that is great to observe in young adults.

It was great to learn, because we already knew how important the program is to school stability for the homeless students involved. This year was our most successful with a really good retention rate: 39 children total enrolled in the program and 31 completed the program. The emotional goodbyes yesterday showed the impact and the connection these children have felt over the year.

One last victory for this year--approximately five Zoomate mentors have signed on to be official mentors for their mentees beyond the program through the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative. So at least a few of those goodbyes were just a 'see you soon.'

Flying Pig Races = $1,185 for Homeless Students

2010-05-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

For the first time, Faces Without Places used the Flying Pig as a way to raise funds for children experiencing homelessness. Runners/walkers raised $1,185 thanks to friends and family who sponsored the walk!

Julia Wallner raised the most ($450!) and completed the relay race. Above is Steve Hoffman, Deb Barrett and Julia (not pictured: 4th relay member Amy DeMarzo).

Super Suds Day Gives Avondale Residents Some Relief

2010-04-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

If you watch the news in Cincinnati, you've probably seen the story about the Avondale residents living for a week without electricity or water because of their landlord's negligence. What you may not know is that these families are eligible for services under McKinney Vento Legislation because they are living in inadequate housing.

PC's Director, Karen Fessler, jumped into motion on Wednesday taking two staff members to the scene to see how we could help. She discovered many families missing school because they were unable to clean their clothes. She organized a laundry day for those residents and today our staff and volunteers have been at the Super Suds Laundromat helping families (pictured at left: Karen Fessler, Rebeka Beach, Audrey Coaston-Shelton, Sandy Downing, and Rhonda Lewis).

At 2pm residents had done 93 loads of laundry so far! An anonymous donor provided $200 in quarters and FWP provided an additional $200. Many Cincinnati Public School employees from the central office donated detergent, fabric softener, and bleach. This truly has been a team effort!

In addition to helping with laundry, PC staff members are helping students enroll in school and supplying them with other services. Ryan (pictured above) was able to clean his clothes and is receiving enrollment assistance from Rebeka, PC Adolescent Manager. Amy (pictured below) was able to begin the preschool enrollment process for her daughter with Rhonda's help.

We don't know what the future holds for these residents. It may result in them losing their homes permanently. We are thankful for the opportunity to connect with them and help them, and so grateful for the support of our donors and volunteers.

UC Students Raising Funds and Spreading Awareness

2010-03-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

As UC students wrap up their winter quarter, FWP, PC and children experiencing homelessness are reaping the benefit of their service learning.

Represent the "C" students from Molly Mayer's Business Communication class are pictured here. Their goldfish race fundraiser at Uncle Woody's raised over $255 for homeless students and they came with inkind donations for the kids backpacks and great UC apparel donated by UC's Athletic Department.

Michael Sharp's Persuasive Speaking students have also made an impact this quarter raising both funds and awareness. Quarters for Kids was a reverse happy hour fundraiser held at Red on March 4 - it raised over $700 for children experiencing homelessness - with the goal of providing quarters for bus transfers.

Another group of students from Sharp's class focused on the awareness aspect canvassing campus to quiz and educate others about family homelessness - see the YouTube video here. They have also set up a blog to get the word out: http://placesforfaces.blogspot.com/ and created their own Facebook group.

We cannot thank these students enough for their hands-on efforts and the wonderful results that have come about!

Homeless Teens

2010-03-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

Reporter Mark Curnutte spent weeks researching his in-depth article on homeless teens that was featured in the Sunday Forum Enquirer on Sunday, February 21st.
Homeless Teens is a great piece about the increase in teens experiencing homelessness, and we've received calls from many caring citizens wanting to help. Curnutte offers snapshots of three teens who are on their own and some cases, on the street. It's eye opening and heart-breaking.

Last year, PC served 381 unaccompanied youth and we expect that number to be even higher this year. Check out the blog post on Thursday, October 29th for more information about unaccompanied youth (teens experiencing homelessness).

One important correction to the article is Curnutte's statement about Faces Without Places. He says in 2009 FWP provided $5,000 for a summer bus. In fact, that was the first fundraiser FWP undertook in 1998. In 2009 FWP provided over $141,000 to assist children experiencing homelessness in greater Cincinnati!

Hutch Wins Award!

2010-02-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

We were so pleased to learn yesterday that Bill Hutchinson, our favorite volunteer, will be awarded the John E. Pepper Award for Outstanding Volunteer in Public Education from the Cincinnatus Association!

Bill will be receiving this award at a celebration on Monday, March 8th at the Mayerson Center. We couldn't be prouder of him!

What's Your New Year's Resolution?

2010-01-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Who can believe it's 2010?

I cannot believe that half the school year is gone and now I know the reason why it's gone so quickly--a 32% increase in the number of identified homeless children.

As of yesterday, Project Connect had identified 2,019 students experiencing homelessness. The same time last year, we had identified 1,534. Quite a difference. And we're feeling it.

Today our staff had a planning meeting. Our 'resolution': Serve more children, while increasing or maintaining our high level of quality. This definitely requires a strategy. With more calls and more services than ever, we are wondering how we're doing it, but we are committed both individually and as a team to make it happen.

I heard similar commitment at the Faces Without Places board meeting last week. What a great group of dedicated volunteers. They have a strategic plan that has some really aggressive fund raising and awareness goals and they are energized to take the steps to get there.

Please take one minute to think about how you can support the extra 32% of children out there who are struggling to stay stable in school while homeless. We can use your help. This is your resolution: Tell at least one friend about these children, this blog, the FWP website, and the Friends of FWP/PC email list.

Giving His Time & His Heart - Bill Hutchinson

2009-12-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

As one staff member put it, "Bill seems to set the standard for Volunteering. He's compassionate about the cause and he never stops short of thinking of ways to help. He goes beyond the act of volunteering and he does it because he cares about the welfare and lives of children. Bill is just a Great Person with a BIG Heart!!!"

Yes, this is a picture of our own Bill Hutchinson, volunteer extraordinaire. Bill is the best ambassador for FWP, PC, and children experiencing homelessness that you will ever meet.

It seems that the class of K-2 students at Northern Hills Synagogue in Deerfield Township agreed. They sent the nicest thank you note after Bill visited them to discuss issues facing homeless children.

Bill's made this his passion for over a decade now and he's done it all--FWP board member and/or officer, Vista Volunteer position with PC, Community Shares Liaison, Change 4 Change presenter, recruiting new supporters, and all the nitty-gritty stuff we have around the office (painting, packing back packs, putting together new tables, you name it). His strength as a volunteer comes from his heart. He takes this stuff seriously and personally, and it shows every time he talks with someone.

Non-traditional Holidays for Homeless Families

2009-11-25T03:33:00.001-08:00

It's Wednesday morning and soon I'll be on the road to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I woke up thinking about two 'families' that were in our office yesterday.

One young lady came in with a staff member. She had been treated to take-out before she went to stay at the Lighthouse Youth Crisis Shelter. Mom was struggling, decided to leave town to stay with someone else, but her daughter values her education and knows if she leaves now, she may never finish high school. She has made a hard choice to go to a shelter, rather than go the difficult to navigate route of changing schools in your final year or the 'easy' option of dropping out.

Another family came in after they lost everything they own to a fire earlier this week. You've never seen more humble people than those with absolutely nothing. It's a shock to the system to lose everything in a moment--all your possessions, your home, and what feels like your dignity. Unfortunately Red Cross can only provide a few days of assistance and then these families are on their own. The family yesterday could not afford home-owners insurance and are not sure where to go next.

These families will have a non-traditional Thanksgiving to say the least. As tragic as this is, there are many heartwarming stories in our office too. A steel company, a church and a Bengal player sponsored a combined 16 families so that they could have a feast in their new homes or the homes of the people they are staying with. And as always, we'll be picking up families at the shelters to treat them to a special lunch at Rockbottom Brewery. More than 100 will be in attendance, and Project Linus is providing blankets for all of the children. Another bright spot!

Please keep our families in your thoughts and prayers during the holiday season. You know how trying it can be, imagine not being able to give your kids the holiday they want or deserve.

Grant Warms Children

2009-11-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

What takes 4 vehicles to transport; 3 hours to purchase; and 2 months to distribute? 1 very timely grant!

Last week Faces Without Places received a grant from the Weathering the Economic Storm Fund, a partnership of 19 funders, managed by The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. This grant will help FWP outfit over 150 homeless children with warm coats this season and help identify delays or disabilities in children 0-5 who are experiencing homelessness.

We've gotten a start on each of these projects! Our Preschool Screening Program has been implemented at Bethany House already and yesterday we brought over 150 coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and thermals back to the office. We've had families calling for a month looking for a coat-it is so great to be able to deliver one right into their hands instead of making a referral that should (but may not) work out.

We're so grateful for this support from the funders at GCF. Check back to see the impact these dollars have made on the lives of young children experiencing homelessness.

Kids On Their Own

2009-10-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

There was a good article published in the New York Times this week, Running in the Shadows: Recession Drives Surge in Youth Runaways. With stories from all over the U.S., but especially focused on a group of runaways in Oregon, the article introduces us to children who are living on the streets, in abandoned homes, libraries, or stores to avoid returning home to abuse or neglect.

We have these kids in Cincinnati too. Last year Project Connect identified 381 unaccompanied youth, or 16% of all of the children identified as experiencing homelessness during the 08-09 academic year. An unaccompanied youth is defined as children who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. Some of these children are smaller and in the care of a relative or family friend (without guardianship), but most are what we call throw-away or runaways, children who are very similar to the teens in the Times article. Project Connect works closely with several local agencies serving this population including Lighthouse Youth Services and StandUp for Kids, an all volunteer street outreach program. PC adresses the specific needs of these youth through an adolescent manager.

If you click on the article link, there is a side video, When No One's Looking, that you can view. I found it sad and inspirational at the same time. It includes the story of a family who lost their house to foreclosure, but the high school student in the family wanted to stay so that she could finish her degree. She values her education so much that she is willing to live without electricity or water.

PC Director Karen Fessler's biggest concern is that unaccompanied youth receive little support and do not qualify for many resources to help them complete their high school degrees or access higher education. Unlike children in foster care, these students do not have anyone (beyond Project Connect) to represent or help them.

Honor Roll

2009-10-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

We're so excited! The benefit is this week and artist Michelle Stock came in today to create our Honor Roll. . .this is the new and improved version of 'The Wall of Fame.' Shelley was the mastermind behind this idea: recognizing people in the community who creatively raise funds or resources to benefit children experiencing homelessness.

Once Shelley and our staff saw this beautiful old chalkboard though, we fell in love with the idea of the Honor Roll, it fits so perfectly with our mission surrounding education for homeless children.

Michelle came today to chalk it up and she did a fabulous job! The front features 15 stories of people who have helped FWP over the last year; the back is a beautiful rendition of Emily, a child from our summer camp a few years ago. The picture Michelle captured really conveys the joy and the innocence of the youngster we remember.

The board will be displayed for the first time at our benefit, this Friday (October 9th). Join us for a Cajun Chomp & Stomp and check out Michelle's work and the creative people who support us!

Summer is Over and the Holidays are Looming

2009-09-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

Well, this week I finally had to accept the fact that summer's over. Everyone's back to school. And (believe it or not) the Holidays are right around the corner. I can't believe how fast time and my life are speeding by. Makes me wonder if homeless families are experiencing a slow down, wishing time would speed up, or a whirlwind like the rest of us.

One homeless mom is already thinking ahead. Earlier this week, she asked us to sponsor her and her teenage daughter for the holidays. Actually, it's not bad timing as we began working with holiday donors this week too.

The Cincinnati Chapter of UD Alumni had their first Christmas Off Campus planning meeting of the year. This is the ninth year of collaboration with this group of dedicated young professionals. On December 10th they will bring together 10-12 homeless families for an evening of food and festivities complete with a visit from Santa, and gifts purchased for each child from their own wish lists collected weeks in advance. It's truly a special moment for families that don't have the means to celebrate any other way.

We also submitted our projects to the Fidelity Investments Holiday Heroes program this week. These groups of employees threw parties (pic above), collected items, and provided gifts off the wish list for 42 children and several parents last year.

In total PC/FWP was able to find sponsors for 29 parents and 133 children last year. It's pretty amazing when you think about it. The wish lists are telling of the times the families are in. Of course some children ask for Wii systems (and don't get them), but most often it's the basics that are needed: sheets, kitchen items, clothing. And families are often moved to tears when they receive these gifts. So, although the joys of summer are past. . .there is more joy to come!

Children Take Action

2009-09-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

I've been struck lately by the amount of children who take it upon themselves to help out. They are some of the most caring citizens in our community!

When Jonah overheard his mother (PC staffer Rebeka Beach) talk about the difficulties homeless children face with transportation to and from school, the 8 year old decided that he wanted to help. Soliciting the help of his 2 best friends, he spent last Friday evening baking cookies and making lemonade for a fund raiser for bus transfer quarters. They made several pitchers of lemonade along with jello and 3 dozen cookies. Next they worked together to advertise, developing a poster titled, "Helping Hands for the Homeless". Early Saturday morning the fund raiser was under full swing, earning $40.00 for a total of 160 transfers! Quarters only please !!

A few weeks ago I also received a call about two girls who did a fundraiser to help several homeless charities. Bridget (2nd grade student at North Avondale Montessori) & Cloey (Kindergartner at Pleasant Ridge Montessori) wanted to help the homeless, so they made up some signs and stood on their Pleasant Ridge corner asking for donations. Their neighbors contributed nearly $40 to their cause! Bridget used some of that money to purchase spirals, folders and notebook paper for PC students.

We can all learn from these children. They are compassionate, caring, innovative, and most importantly, they take action!

These entrepreneurs will be featured as part of our Wall of Fame to be introduced at the Annual Benefit, October 9th. You can see other creative community fundraisers on the Wall of Fame page of FWP.

Zoomates Program Wins True Hero Award

2009-08-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Great news - Zoomates has been recognized as an outstanding community service project by the True Hero website! For those that may not know, Zoomates is a collaboration of the Cincinnati Zoo and the University of Cincinnati with Project Connect. We pair a homeless student (grades K-8) with a college student as a mentor and have organized activities together at the school and the zoo. (one of our 08-09 South Avondale Zoomates pictured right)

Rachel Ernst, the UC coordinator for the 08-09 Zoomates, submitted the project to True Hero and it came in 7th, winning a $1,000 grant! Rachel is really my inspiration for starting this blog because she created such a fabulous one for Zoomates (you should take a minute and check it out!).

We are really excited about this year coming up. We are going to be working with students at Hays-Porter in the West End, and we are expanding the program to a weekly schedule. Our hope is that the kids will form even more connection to their mentors and to school -- promoting our number one goal for homeless students: school stability.

We're so proud of this program, the True Hero Award, and of our many other collaborations with the University of Cincinnati. Congratulations to Rachel, Kathy, Elizabeth, Mike, and everyone else in UC's Center for Community Engagement.

New FWP Board Members and Officers Inducted Last Night

2009-08-20T05:51:00.001-07:00

The FWP Trustees are now 18 strong! Three new members, Paris Cox, Cedric Lampkin, and Mike Tolle were added to the FWP board yesterday at the Annual Meeting. All three bring unique experience and a passion to help underprivileged children.

Outgoing President Kim Blank has been a great leader for FWP for the last few years, stepping in when the former President moved out of town suddenly. She led with enthusiasm, compassion and diplomacy that helped FWP advance past the $1 million mark in 2007.

I could feel an excitement and eagerness last night as members begin their new terms. Four new officers will be leading the 09-10 year: Tracy Power has moved from the VP position to become the new President - she brings 3 years of service and a love of nonprofit management to the position. Aaron Seyfried (Vice President) and Theresa Lynch (Secretary) each step into leadership roles after a very involved and supportive first year on the FWP board. Finally, Bill Hutchinson (Treasurer) will be a great asset to the Executive Committee as the board member with the longest history of service.

For a complete list of trustees - click here: faceswithoutplaces.org

PC Staff for the New School Year

2009-08-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! We are swamped.

Most CPS schools started today and the phones never stopped ringing. Then there were the 30 calls that slipped through to voicemail. For the most part parents are being patient and we are giving out tons of information along with services for those that qualify.

The biggest bummer is the lack of resources out there for non-homeless families. It stinks to have to tell someone you can't help them. Most requests are for uniform vouchers or transportation. These are still the biggest education challenges faced by poverty-stricken Cincy citizens (including our homeless families).

If you know of families in need of uniforms, please inform them that schools cannot punish or refuse services to children out of uniform (unless they provide one to the student) - it's against the law.

The best part of this school year so far is our staff! We are still unable to hire permanent employees, but have been allowed to hire three consultants: Marthe Church, serving K-8 schools; Leslie Hattemer, serving students at Woodward (our high school with the highest population of homeless students); and Rachel Champlin, serving high school students. Our team has been tremendous so far--we a positive outlook and expect great things this school year.