Members List:

President:
Terri Rogers
Vice President:
Lill Lane
Treasurer:
Open Position
Secretary:
Laurie Malone
Christmas Toy Store Coordinator:
Davena Sartorius
Trustees:
Tony Hauser
Victoria Nesbitt
Lisa Mason
Paula Mitchell-Ogauh
Interim Treasurer:
Lori Newman-Glackling

in partnership with schools; local business; associations; and places of worship. The Initiative works toward systemic change by collaborating with community organizations; coordinating community resources and empowering residents to take charge of their lives. The Loveland Initiative (formerly known as the Loveland Shalom Initiative) is a 501C3 organization consisting of residents of local subsidized housing and members of the community. The Initiative was founded in 1996 by the residents in order to organize and achieve better lives for their children and themselves. It has been in existence 13 years. Our mission is to educate and assist low-income children and their families. We do this by joining with residents who dedicate their talents and assets in conjunction with the larger community to facilitate activities, programs and services for themselves. The way to break the cycle of poverty is through education. Our goals are to provide access to critical services that will improve their education, obtain better jobs, reduce poverty & hunger, and achieve a better quality of life for their families. The Loveland Center is located at 405 Loveland Madeira Road Loveland, Ohio 45140 (IN THE STRIP MALL ACROSS FROM GOODWILL) next to Hitch's Deli. The Initiative serves 200+ families living in low income housing and there is another 200+ surrounding families classify as the working poor in Loveland. These Families consist of men and women who are disable and the sole providers for their children, elderly citizens, but the majorities are single parent households. We rely on the Loveland community, local businesses; churches; organizations; stores; schools; and our local citizens; as well as our local Police & Fire departments. The Loveland community is a generous one, with all kinds of assistance and donations. Why You? You can be part of something really positive, really vital; something that really changes people's lives and our community in a major way.

Referrals to Social Services, Community Services Projects, Flower Planting in Community, Candy Sale Fundraiser, Computer Adult Classes, Cool School (after school tutoring program), Summer Career Camp, Back to School Backpack Drive, Neighbors helping Neighbors Resource Center, Lenscrafters Gift of Sight Program, Christmas Toy Store, Tracy Johnson Scholarship Fund, Milk Plus Program, Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEERING PROJECTS: Flower planting, Candy sale fundraiser, and Cool School afterschool tutoring.

BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS FOR ADULTS: Want to learn more about computers in a casual setting??? Taught by Loveland Initiative volunteers.

COOL SCHOOL (AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING): for low-income children. Tutors are recruited from Loveland High School, community participants and residents.

BACK TO SCHOOL BACKPACK DRIVE: The Back to School Backpack Program was created to help low-income families in Loveland who are struggling with their financial situation to make ends meet due to job layoffs and fewer benefits received in the home. We feel that children are more optimistic and encouraged to start the school year with fresh new backpacks and supplies The Initiative fills backpacks with school supplies based on a list distributed by school teachers. Low-income families in Loveland will pre-register their children to receive a backpack and supplies. Backpacks will be distributed in August.

Loveland Initiative received a generous donation of $4000.00 towards the backpack program from The Charles Dater Foundation.THANK YOU!!!

SUMMER CAREER CAMP: Begins the first week in July. It is a fun exposure to community careers such as Firefighters, City Workers, Cincinnati Zoo and the Arms Forces(Army). This program is funded by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation A.K.A.Summertime Kids Program.

LENSCRAFTERS ONE SIGHT PROGRAM: This program allows you to get your glasses repaired or replaced.

THE LOVELAND INITIATIVE DREAM-MAKERS: Starting a new group for pre-teens and teens. Activities include: field trips, fundraisers and community events.

CHRISTMAS TOY STORE: Begins the third week of December. At this event each family will sign up for a specific shopping slot. They will be able to purchase approximately 3-5 gifts per child depending upon the number of gifts donated. Gifts will be priced at $1, $3, and $5, as an example a $30 book would be put on the $3 table. New donated items from area churches; business; organizations and community members are sold to registered parents as holiday gifts. The money that is raised finances an annual college scholarship for a student who meets the Initiative criteria, judge by a scholarship committee.

TRACY JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP FUND: Tracy, a past resident of Westover Village, was a young woman who died from muscular dystrophy before realizing her dream to finish college. Residents have dedicated the proceeds from the Christmas Toy Store to go into a scholarship for higher education.

MILK PLUS PROGRAM: Within the city of Loveland there are 200 low income working poor families. Some of these families are eligible for government food programs, which are intended to supplement these families’ grocery budgets. While that is helpful, often it is not enough for those families. Through the use of the grant dollars, The Loveland Initiative will be able to purchase the basics a family needs, such as milk, eggs, butter, cooking oil, bread, cheese and cereal. These food items will be distributed to the working poor families of Loveland the end of the month when other resources are scarce. This is critical to reduce hunger, nutrition problems, and stress for families working hard to make ends meet. We depleted the initial funds set aside for this program. However it was a huge success and asset to our community.

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY IN LOVELAND:

This is the 11th anniversary of a celebration in Loveland to honor the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is organized by the Loveland Initiative.

The Loveland Initiative is implementing a new two day a week program called the Brown Bag Lunch program. Loveland Initiative services low-income children and their families with the aim of educating and assisting them. This program provides brown-bag lunches for qualifying children that do not have nutritious food (or any food) available to them during the summer or winter months when government food stamps are depleted. The Initiative will feed them and then offer some crafts/activities as well.

We would like for businesses; churches; organizations; and individuals to donate the food items listed below. The program relies on volunteers to prepare 25 brown-bag lunches and drop-off to the Loveland Initiative 405 Loveland Madeira Road Loveland, Ohio 45140 in the strip mall across from goodwill. The number of lunches required varies slightly according to the enrollment at the Center. Volunteers may group with others and share making the lunches on a rotational basis. The lunches may be dropped off on Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 noon-2:00pm.

Each Bag Lunch Can Contain A Combination Of Any Of The Following Items (No Peanut Butter Products Please) Sandwich Piece of fresh fruit Individual fruit cup or applesauce individually wrapped chips or crackers individually wrapped cookies Juice box or bottled water.

The Brown Bag Lunch program would be a great asset to our community. If this program is successful; we would like to implement the Brown Bag Lunch program into our after school tutoring program that we have every school year and is also run on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 3:00pm-5:00pm starting in September.

We are confident that our community will come together to help the children and families in Loveland. You can be part of "something very positive and vital". Please feel free to call or e-mail trogers7@fuse.net with any questions or concerns. Thank you in advance for your help!