Out-of-School Time Programs Provide Opportunities and Resources
September 21st, 2022According to 9-year-old Cesar, his favorite thing about the Boys & Girls Club is playing sharks and minnows with his friends. His dad, on the other hand, appreciates the Club because it has opened up a new world of friends and opportunities for Cesar. Like many children in families where English is not widely spoken…
Lakeea’s Story
September 21st, 2022When Lakeea talks about her daughters, Zoe and Calliah, her face lights up. “We’re like the three amigos,” she says. “They are my world.” After a sudden eviction notice turned Lakeea’s world upside down, she was referred to United Way’s Stable Families program. Her Stable Families coordinator, Nate, shared Lakeea’s desire to keep life as…
Daylon and Rob’s Story
September 21st, 2022Rob was matched with his Little Brother, Daylon, more than ten years ago. Back then, Daylon says with a smile, Rob could easily beat him in basketball, their favorite pastime. That, and many other things, have changed now that Daylon is age 19 and getting ready to start college. With encouragement and guidance from Rob,…
Creating Brighter Futures for Urban Students
March 16th, 2022For Chris Martinez and Joy Carson, Community for New Direction’s (CND) FOCUS program provided them with exactly what the name says – focus. Through CND’s Future Opportunities Created for Urban Students (FOCUS) program, central Ohio students like Chris and Joy tour local colleges, participate in monthly student-led service projects, and learn about viable career options…
Tanya Rose: Helping Kids and Families Thrive in Franklinton
January 4th, 2022You likely won’t find a stronger, more passionate advocate for Gladden Community House or its preschool program then Tanya Rose. And for good reason. Tanya grew up in the Franklinton neighborhood near the settlement house and remembers her parents using the food pantry and other services in hard times. Then she placed her son in…
Joy Carson: Heading into a Bright Future
December 2nd, 2021Joy Carson was a good student at a Columbus City Schools high school, but she admits she lacked motivation and direction at times. That all changed when she joined FOCUS during her freshman year. After seeing the friends and opportunities her older brother gained through FOCUS, which stands for Future Opportunities Created for Urban Students,…
Student Success Stores: Meeting the Basic Needs of Central Ohio’s Students
October 22nd, 2021Meet an inspiring local hero. As a leader behind Student Success Stores, Sarai Exil is helping students throughout central Ohio get access to basic needs. While serving in schools through AmeriCorp, Sarai noticed many students were unable to meet their basic needs. Knowing how this lack of resources impacts learning, she helped launch Student Success…
Furniture Bank: Partnering to Turn Houses into Homes
October 22nd, 2021According to former Furniture Bank of Central Ohio CEO Steve Votaw, our community has several thousand kids who sleep on the floor every night because they don’t have a bed to call their own. At the same time, central Ohioans are throwing tons of good furniture into the landfill every year. Votaw was the nonprofit’s…
Nate Rogers: Local Change-Maker
October 22nd, 2021Nate Rogers is all about connections and transformation. So you would imagine he has had an especially difficult time navigating the isolation created by the pandemic. But Nate, who serves as OhioHealth’s Vice President of Transformation Acceleration, is also an innovative problem solver who is passionate about the community he grew up in and calls…
