Even with the pandemic, good things are happening in WeTHRIVE!℠ communities and school districts. Below are some positive stories we’ve heard about.
Although these efforts are not necessarily led by WeTHRIVE! teams, they are all related to the WeTHRIVE! mission of creating a culture of health, safety, and vitality throughout Hamilton County.
Green Township is currently upgrading Kuliga Park with new pickleball courts, tennis court resurfacing, and completion of the loop trail. The Township will also be expanding its walking trails. Find the whole story here.
In January, North College Hill (NCH) celebrated the opening of new electric vehicle charging stations at 1500 W. Galbraith. These are the only charging stations within a 5-mile radius of NCH and they are open to the public. Funding for this project came from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. Click here to learn more.
North College Hill City Schools’ Trojan Market (a project with the Freestore Foodbank) opened in September and has been providing meals, food, and supplies to families in need. Learn more on the market’s Facebook page.
Also in North College Hill, St. Paul United Church of Christ now has a Little Free Library. Residents are sharing and taking books for all ages.
Colerain Township teamed up with Catholic Charities to distribute 1,152 boxes of food to residents through the USDA Farmers to Families program in November 2020. More boxes were distributed in February and future dates are March 8 and April 12, 2021. Learn more here.
Also in Colerain, volunteers constructed nine Little Free Libraries in October (including three built by WeTHRIVE! partner People Working Cooperatively). The libraries are being supported by Side by Side Ministries. Learn more and see pictures here.
In Reading, Mt. Notre Dame High School sophomores completed a service project for WeTHRIVE! partner Habitat for Humanity. They painted positive messages on stones that will be given to Habitat’s homebuyers.
The Reading Farmer’s Market had a successful year despite the pandemic. In 2020, the market improved fresh food access for residents through USDA’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and SNAP with Produce Perks. Qualifying senior shoppers spent $2,490 in vouchers at the market from July through October. SNAP/Produce Perks users purchased nearly $750 worth of fresh produce from August through October.
In Mt. Healthy, Tikkun Farm has been hosting free food/produce distributions on Fridays and Saturdays. Tikkun was also awarded the Save the Food Award by Hamilton County Recycling (a WeTHRIVE! partner). The farm also has volunteers who assemble crockpot-ready meals weekly for free distribution. Learn more and see photos here.
Also in Mt. Healthy, Fibonacci Brewery and Farm launched a Little Free Library on February 1. They are also participating in the Little Free Library Read in Color program – a new initiative bringing diverse books to Little Free Library book-sharing boxes around the world.
Winton Woods High School Key Club in November provided goody bags to the Forest Park Fire Department to thank them for their support and service to our community. See more here.
Amberley Village was honored by Hamilton County Recycling for having the Best Village Waste Diversion Rate in 2020. Diversion rate reflects the portion of waste that was not sent to the landfill. Their rate was 61 percent (the second highest in Hamilton County). Yard trimmings and leaf collection diverted 825 tons alone!
WeTHRIVE! partner Habitat for Humanity coordinated Rock the Block projects in WeTHRIVE! communities in the fall of 2020. In Lockland, volunteers worked at Richardson Park, removing trash and brush, repainting the walls of a basketball court, and cleaning up fences that show a clear view from the playground area to the basketball court. See pictures here.
In Lincoln Heights, volunteers removed overgrown trees and brush from the walkway leading up to Lincoln Heights Elementary School. (See pictures here.) Also in 2020, Habitat completed their 26th house in the Village!
This is just a sampling of the positive things happening in Hamilton County. Send good news from your WeTHRIVE! community or school to hollis.WeTHRIVE@gmail.com.