Lower Price Hill Community School (LPHCS) has been making change in the Lower Price Hill (LPH) neighborhood of Cincinnati since 1971. This year, we are branching out in an effort to better serve the needs of our neighbors.
In the coming months, LPHCS will become two distinct nonprofit organizations - "Education Matters" and "Community Matters." Education Matters will continue to deliver our unique GED program, and house our Cincinnati State satellite campus (see video above for what has historically happened at LPHCS).
Community Matters will be focused on removing barriers to opportunity for not only community members in LPH, but all over the City. To accomplish this task, we have a number of exciting initiatives that we are launching this year.
Community Matters’ Mission is “to create
opportunities with our community that
promote a more thriving and just city.” Below
is a snapshot of a few of the projects on which we will be working this year:
Launching
a business incubator in conjunction with Xavier University. Participants can come from anywhere in the
City, but our goal is to have them open their businesses in Lower Price Hill,
thereby helping the area grow from the inside, out. This initiative takes a proactive approach in
a neighborhood that has a median yearly income of $9,000/family and an
unemployment rate of 64%.
Overseeing
the renovation of the Urban Appalachian Council’s old property on 8th
& State Street, and preserving the cultural work that this beautiful organization has done for so many years. This property will
be home to the only restaurant in Lower Price Hill (Jack’s Diner), and a service learning center for universities &
high schools. I am currently working
with Sustainergy and the Cincinnati Union Co-Op to help provide a
few jobs during the renovation, as well as providing volunteer opportunities
for area teens. Upon completion, we fully
expect Jack’s Diner to be a
money-maker and help Community Matters be
self-funding (to a point).
Working
collaboratively with the Lower Price Hill community to determine the best use
of The Sanctuary at St. Michael’s –
the second oldest church in Cincinnati that will once again be open and ready to
serve as a cornerstone of the community.
Renovation is currently underway and will be complete by Fall 2014. In addition to accommodating community needs,
The Sanctuary will also serve the
wider Cincinnati community as the
place to rent for receptions, events, and fundraisers. In addition to bringing our neighborhood
together, The Sanctuary will also
serve as a revenue stream for Community Matters.
Working
with Xavier University and the Lower Price Hill community to open a Laundromat
by late 2014/early 2015 (The “Washing Well” project). Currently, there is no Laundromat in Lower
Price Hill – furthermore, upon its competition the Laundromat will serve as an
earned-income venture for community Matters until we turn it over to the
neighborhood to operate it as a co-op.
Working
with my Americorps Vista staff to
re-open our thrift store and choice food pantry.
This is all
the very tip of the iceberg, and only an outline of our first year’s goals. As you can see, the value in each project is
three-fold: 1) Provide an asset to the
Lower Price Hill neighborhood that serves needs not currently served, and
empower our community members through job creation & self-sufficiency, 2)
Find a means to be self-sustaining as Community Matters, thereby not relying solely
on contributions, and 3) Create an environment where others with means can learn
and have their heart affected; thereby creating another generation engaging in ethical
business practices and decisions.
We need your help to build to capacity. Our oal is humble - $10,000 in 60 days. That is $100 from 100 people, or $10 from 1,000 people. Please consider donating and then passing this link along to others you know who are interested in moving Cincinnati forward with ALL 52 neighborhoods at the table.