If you’re planning on hitting Happy Hour on Wednesday, why not consider one that is raising money for Earthquake victims in Haiti.

On January 20, attend the Happy Hour at BlackFinn — your five dollar donation at the door will get you half price drinks and free appetizers. All donations go to the Red Cross and its efforts for the earthquake victims.

Happy Hour is from 5:30 to 9:00, and BlackFinn is located at 19 E 7th St, downtown.

For more information about the Red Cross relief effort, visit Redcross.org.

For more information about local and national efforts, read more at Cincinnati.com.

Related...

• June 24, 2009 -- Hotdogs give a Helping Hand
• May 26, 2009 -- Hotdogs for Pencils – Oakley Afterhours Charity
• November 18, 2008 -- What YOU can do for Cincinnati
• June 2, 2008 -- AmyBSells Giving Back – St. Cecilia School Drive (Oakley)

Looking for an opportunity to volunteer? I’m going to be working with a friend’s volunteer group at the Freestore Foodbank on Saturday, October 17. Join me and a couple of my team members!

This project is a food-sorting day, and this is how it works: You and fellow volunteers stand along a conveyor belt. Your job will be to pull a certain type of food and pack it in to boxes. You’ll also have to quality check the package and look for expiration dates. More energetic volunteers can help move full boxes or empty the large collection bins of food onto the beginning of the belt.

The event starts at 9:00 a.m. and lasts three hours. The time goes fast because you’re so busy! It’s a fun, simple and very rewarding experience.

Contact me if you would like to join us! If you can’t join us on October 17, but would like to join the group for another event, please contact my transaction coordinator, cortny@amybsells.com. She’ll send you an electronic invite to join the mailing list. Then you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for other events in the future.

Please note: This is a private group who is pre-scheduled with the Freestore for this day and time. The group is not directly affiliated with any organization or company. Mandatory RSVP is required. The Freestore Foodbank does not take unscheduled volunteers, and this volunteer request is not solicited by the Freestore. This particular volunteer list is by invitation only, and only involves volunteer events scheduled specifically for this private group. Please contact us if you have questions.

Related...

• July 28, 2010 -- Celebrity Duck Sightings Mean it’s Duck Season

While you’re thinking about finding a buyer for your local home, or looking for what a particular Cincinnati neighborhood can do for you as a buyer, take a moment to think of what you may have the opportunity to do for others in the city this time of year.

Looking for ways to reduce holiday and/or realty stresses? Think about helping out those in need this holiday season, or simply take the time to find out what local organizations are doing for Tri-state residents.

The Freestore/Foodbank is very busy this time of year. They will provide food boxes for approximately 16,000 families in need this holiday season. With current economic difficulties, the Freestore is expecting record need this year. Their “Hunger is Unacceptable” Campaign kicked off on November 13.

The Freestore/Foodbank will be distributing holiday boxes from November 24-26 and December 22-24. They will have dozens of volunteers working over this time. If you have interest in volunteering for the Freestore, you can always contact them.  However, keep in mind that everyone wants to volunteer around the holidays. The best thing you can do this time of year is donate and encourage others to do so, and the best time to volunteer is during the colder months after the holidays have passed. They use volunteers in many capacities all year long.

Look for Freestore bins at local stores like Meijer, or look for other organizations” bins. St. Vincent DePaul collects all over the city as well.

The Freestore also has a virtual food drive on their website!  You can pick specific items and pay for them with a credit card.

If you visit the Cambell’s website, you can participate in the Click for Cans food drive. Voting for the Bengals once a day can help the city toward winning 5,000 cans of Campbells products. (Every participating city receives 1,000 cans from Campbells.) Thanks, Campbells!

It’s important to remember others during this and all times of the year. Cincinnati has a charitable spirit, and if you are thinking of moving into the city or a new neighborhood, think about how you can become involved in its positive future. We hope to feature more info from time to time on how to give back. In fact, a favorite cause of mine is “AmyBSells Giving Back,” with which I help local school kids! It’s such a rewarding feeling to help others in your neighborhood.

View a video about holiday operations at the Freestore.

Related...

• January 17, 2010 -- Local Event Raises Money for Haiti
• November 16, 2009 -- Giving Thanks by Helping Local Families
• June 24, 2009 -- Hotdogs give a Helping Hand
• May 26, 2009 -- Hotdogs for Pencils – Oakley Afterhours Charity

• Q: Is this a religious charity?
• Q: Don’t they charge tuition? Why does a private school need help?
• Q: Why is this school important? Why should I care?
• Q: How will my money be used?
• Q: Where and how so I donate?

A: No. Only 60 percent of St. Cecilia’s student body is Catholic, and the school serves a diverse population – 28 percent African Americans, 62 percent Caucasian and 10 percent other ethnicities – that would otherwise be bereft of quality education. The school also offers programs for students with disabilities, something for which many Catholic schools are not equipped. No money raised goes to or through the Catholic Church, but goes directly to buying school supplies for students.

A: The tuition to attend St. Cecilia is $4,375 for non-parishioners and $2,280 for parishioners, but this generates less than one-fourth of the school’s income. The majority of St. Cecilia’s funding comes from parishioners’ Sunday contributions, with some federal grants to ease the burden. As well, St. Cecilia is not classified as an inner-city school, so it doesn’t receive funding from the Catholic-Inner-City Schools Education Fund or from other sources that help troubled school districts. Because the majority of St. Cecilia students are from low-income families, community fundraisers that would normally help to cushion the school’s fiscal crunch are out of the question. So the school doesn’t receive vital support from the community upon which many private schools depend. Unfortunately, St. Cecilia falls in a funding gap between inner-city relief funds and affluent neighborhood support. St. Cecilia needs your support to continue providing students with personal, compassionate education.

A: Investing in education pays off for the local economy and the community, and local property values are directly tied to the health of the community. While housing woes and economic fears dominate the financial landscape, the outlook of St. Cecilia’s surrounding communities is hardly bleak. In Hyde Park, the five-year return on a home is 42 percent, and in Oakley and Mt. Lookout the return is 38 percent and 34 percent, respectively. With that kind of return on investment, there’s no reason we can’t give back to ensure the future of our neighborhoods and our children. Failing schools weaken a community. AmyBSells Giving Back let’s you participate directly in keeping your community flourishing.

A: Every cent that is donated to AmyBSells Giving Back goes directly to buying supplies for students. Founder Amy Broghamer will take the money directly to buy supplies and distribute them by the first day of classes for the 2008-2009 school year. No money goes to the Catholic Church, third parties or middlemen. You donation is as direct as giving gets.

A: Anyone interested in donating to AmyBSells Giving Back’s St. Cecilia Supply Drive can contact Amy Broghamer directly at (513)377-3637 or amy@amybsells.com. Visit http://www.amybsells.com/GivingBack for more information. Donations will be accepted through August 18, 2008 for the St. Cecilia Supply Drive.

Related...

• May 29, 2008 -- Oakley St. Cecilia School Donor Appeal 2008
• May 28, 2008 -- Press Release
• October 28, 2009 -- Small Homes: Economical and Eco-Friendly!
• October 27, 2009 -- Cincinnati Market Overview – Oakley – 10/27/2009

As a real estate agent and a resident in your community, I am always looking for ways to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood. Recently, the dire need of a local school came to my attention, and I have directed my efforts to raise funds to buy school supplies for students at St. Cecilia School in Oakley. By creating AmyBSells Giving Back charity fund, my goal is to raise $10,000 to outfit approximately 200 students with pencils, pens, folders, notebooks and other supplies on the first day of the 2008-2009 school year.

Surprisingly, not all private schools have it easy. St. Cecilia has survived the wave of Catholic school closings that have plagued the East Coast and Midwest, despite funding shortages and overtaxed families, but our community can do more to keep this valuable community resource alive.

At St. Cecilia, more than 56 percent of the students’ families are classified as low income, a phenomenon that has resulted from the mass exodus of families out of the inner-city. Many students are unable to come to school with the proper supplies – notebooks, folders, and even pens and pencils. Recently, St. Cecilia instituted a breakfast program, after it was discovered that many students were arriving to class without having eaten anything beforehand.

It’s hard to learn when you are ill-prepared and hungry.

Often, teachers shoulder the burden by paying for school supplies out of their own pocket. With the assistance from AmyBSells Giving Back, St. Cecilia teachers will be able to use their personal funds for extracurricular materials such as art materials or games. The financial boost will also free up funds in the school budget to provide other supplies such as sports equipment.

As a community member, a neighbor and a citizen, I hope that you can find it within your heart and resources to donate to AmyBSells Giving Back School Supply Drive. You can support a single student for $35 or a classroom for $100, or commit to paying for all of the pencils or notebooks they need, but any amount is appreciated and will be put directly into purchasing school supplies for students. It’s as good as handing the money over personally, and 100 percent of the funds are spent directly on the kids.

This is your home. This is your future. Please, give back.

See our attached FAQ for more information about the charity, the school and making donations. Thank you for your generosity and spirit.

Press Release

Sincerely,

Amy Broghamer, Founder
AmyBSells Giving Back
2008 St. Cecilia School Supply Drive

Related...

• May 29, 2008 -- 2008 Oakley St. Cecilia School Giving Back FAQ
• May 28, 2008 -- Press Release
• October 28, 2009 -- Small Homes: Economical and Eco-Friendly!
• October 27, 2009 -- Cincinnati Market Overview – Oakley – 10/27/2009

Supplying 200 Student With Supplies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Amy Broghamer, Founder
AmyBSells Giving Back
office: (513) 377-3637
fax: (513) 332-9033
e-mail: amy@amybsells.com
Web site: http://www.amybsells.com/

Charity to provide school supplies to 200 students

Local Realtor bridges the gap between education, community and the economy

Cincinnati, Ohio, May 28, 2008 – Not all private schools have it easy. Though St. Cecilia School in Oakley is located between the affluent neighborhoods of Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout, its students are primarily from low-income families. St. Cecilia has thus far survived the wave of Catholic school closings, despite funding shortages and overtaxed families, but real estate agent Amy Broghamer thinks her community can do more – about $10,000 more.

“I wanted to find a school that wasn’t getting help from anywhere else, a school that really needed us,” Broghamer said. She created the AmyBSells Giving Back charity to provide students at St. Cecilia with school supplies at the start of the school year. The ballpark price tag to outfit approximately 200 students with pencils, pens, folders, notebooks and other supplies will be around $10,000. “The cost is definitely more than I bargained for, but I’m committed to this project,” Broghamer said. “If I have to pay for the whole thing myself, I will.”

Frustrated with endless meetings and red tape at other charitable organizations, Broghamer wanted to get more hands on with her volunteer work. While looking for an inner-city where she could volunteer her time and resources, she instead found something closer to home. “I had this common misconception that private schools don’t need help, but St. Cecilia needs help and it’s in my community,” she said. “It’s the perfect place for my team of clients and generous donors to make a real difference.”

Only 60 percent of St. Cecilia’s student body is Catholic, and the school serves a diverse population – 28 percent African Americans, 62 percent Caucasian and 10 percent other ethnicities – that would otherwise be bereft of quality education. More than 56 percent of the school’s families are classified as low income, a phenomenon that has resulted from the mass exodus of families out of the inner-city, according to St. Cecilia’s Principal Lori Heffner.

“Because a large portion of our families are low-income, many students are unable to come to school with the proper supplies – markers, folders, and even pens and pencils,” Heffner said. “Our teachers shoulder the burden by paying for school supplies out of their own pocket.”

St. Cecilia recently instituted a breakfast program after it was discovered that many students were arriving to class without having eaten anything beforehand. “It’s hard to learn when you don’t have the proper supplies and you’re hungry,” Heffner asserted.

With the assistance from AmyBSells Giving Back, St. Cecilia teachers will be able to use their personal funds for extracurricular materials such as art materials or games. The financial boost will also free up funds in the school budget to provide other supplies such as sports equipment, according to Heffner.

The majority of St. Cecilia’s funding comes from parishioners’ Sunday contributions, with some federal grants to ease the burden. St. Cecilia is not classified as an inner-city school, so it doesn’t receive funding from the Catholic-Inner-City Schools Education Fund or from other sources that help troubled school districts. Because the majority of St. Cecilia students are from low-income families, community fundraisers that would normally help to cushion the school’s fiscal crunch are out of the question. So the school doesn’t receive vital support from the community upon which many private schools depend.

“We’re stuck in a gap of funding,” Heffner said. “We’re in a second tier of schools that puts us at disadvantage for receiving state or federal funding, and our low-income families can’t bear the cost alone.”

Despite these challenges, St. Cecilia has managed to maintain a strong commitment to equal opportunity education. The school also offers programs for students with disabilities, something for which many Catholic schools are not equipped.

Investing in education is bound to pay off for the local economy and the community, according to Mark Neikirk, director of the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at Northern Kentucky University. “From my observation, improving an economy isn’t about quick fixes but about long-term commitments to proven strategies, and the single most proven strategy is improving education,” he said. “If you want poverty, let your schools fail. If you want a healthier economy, see to it that your schools – and their students – succeed.”

At St. Cecilia, there is no separation between the community and the classroom. “We serve the needs of the less fortunate in our community,” Heffner said. “Our students do a great deal of community service.” St. Cecilia students participate at Tender Mercies for the homeless, and they send donations to the Oakley Pantry and to Project Hope in Adams County. Every year at Christmas time, each classroom hosts a disadvantage child or family through The Family Giving Tree program. Additionally, the school supports a mission school in Nairobi, Kenya.

“As a realtor, I know that investing in the community is important,” she said. While most realtors buy presents for their clients after a sale, Broghamer makes a donation to a local Cincinnati charity on their behalf. “Giving back is a win-win situation,” she said. “Supporting the community is supporting the value of your home. A community is only as strong as the people make it.”

While housing woes and economic fears dominate the financial landscape, the outlook of St. Cecilia’s surrounding communities is hardly bleak. In Hyde Park, the five-year return on a home is 42 percent, and in Oakley and Mt. Lookout the return is 38 percent and 34 percent, respectively. “The local property value is directly tied to the health of the community and the schools,” she said. “With that kind of return on investment, there’s no reason that people can’t give back to ensure the future of our neighborhoods and our children.”

Once AmyBSells Giving Back has collected donations, Broghamer will personally buy and deliver the supplies to St. Cecilia so that every student has a fresh start for the first day of school. “There is no filter between the money I receive and the money that is spent,” she said. “Every cent will be spent on the students.”

Anyone interested in donating to AmyBSells Giving Back’s St. Cecilia Supply Drive can contact Amy Broghamer directly at (513)377-3637 or Amy@AmyBSells.com. Visit http://www.amybsells.com/GivingBack for more information. Donations will be accepted through August 18, 2008 for the St. Cecilia Supply Drive.

Related...

• May 29, 2008 -- 2008 Oakley St. Cecilia School Giving Back FAQ
• May 29, 2008 -- Oakley St. Cecilia School Donor Appeal 2008
• October 28, 2009 -- Small Homes: Economical and Eco-Friendly!
• October 27, 2009 -- Cincinnati Market Overview – Oakley – 10/27/2009