Summer Fun for All at CCH

Dear Family and Friends of Central,

As I sit and write today, our building is filled with the laughter of children on the first day of Summer Camp at Central Community House. This contagious excitement brings joy to everyone in our building.

This year we are hosting Summer Adventures camp at our facilities, and at the facilities of the First A.M.E. Zion Church on Bryden Road. We are also offering a Basketball League on Friday evenings for youth aged 6-12.

Summer camp activities include Art and Music in the House, and Dance and Performance Arts. We are partnering with OSU Medical students to implement fun community health education activities, and youth will be participating in weekly cooking classes. Three days a week kids will also take fields trips to local parks, splash pads, and recreational facilities.

If you are interested in supporting Central Youth Programming, a great option is purchasing something from our Amazon Wishlist (and send to CCH at 11550 East Man Street, 43205)!

Our Outbound Adventures Program continues, with another great visit to the Kirkmont Center in May.

Central Staff have been embracing the warm weather, first with a Staff Appreciation event on June 9th, and then visiting the Arts Festival together on June 10th.

TRANSIT ARTS performed at the Arts Festival on Friday evening, and brought the crowd to their feet as they showed their appreciation for the incredible music and dance performances.

The TRANSIT ARTS team also hosted their first TRANSIT ARTS Residency Project (TARP) showcase on May 7th, featuring the multi-media works and performances of youth from the Near East and West-side neighborhoods of Columbus. Timely for PRIDE month, one of the exhibits included “The Story of Queer Youth”, a powerful of portrayal of LGBTQ TRANSIT ARTS youth sharing their experience and providing advice for others. Youth also continue to engage in intergenerational programming with Central Seniors through "Keeping the Recipes" podcasts where youth conduct interviews, most recently with Coach Keith Neal.

To celebrate the season, Village Central, our Senior Program, hosted a Spring Tea, where seniors enjoyed sandwiches, delicious cake, tea, and great conversation.

Village Central was recently cited in a national study by the Cornell University Department of City and Regional Planning as one of four projects considered an “outstanding use of American Rescue Plan Act funds” meant to improve broadband access, affordability, and adoption. We knew our Technology Access Project (TAP) was great, but it is wonderful when your hard work is recognized. In their report, they praised CCH’s “deep and relevant community knowledge” that allowed us to design a technology program that could quickly and effectively meet the needs of our Senior Program. We are thankful to continue TAP this year due to a generous donation from the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation.

The Village Central Advisory Council continues to be busy planning for programming in the months and year ahead.

And earlier this year, in February, Village Central hosted a conversation with Council President Shannon Hardin – discussion topics included safety, affordable housing and infrastructure.

Our Family Stabilization program is continuing to process large numbers of requests for rental and utility assistance for families and seniors, averaging $122k per month in disbursements since the beginning of the 2022. This is, in part, thanks to Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) grants through the City and County.

Since the beginning of the year, Family Stabilization programming has also included 3 well-attended Parenting Support Series; monthly family meals (including a Mother’s Day celebration!); and ongoing Resource Management workshops, with topics including Homebuying, Housing & Legal Rights, Maximizing Snap Benefits, What is Credit, Understanding your Utility Bill, and Household Budgeting.

Central’s Academy for Community Entrepreneurs (ACE) has had a very busy start to 2022 as well, beginning with Technology and Business Writing workshops in January, Business Finance classes in February/March, Business Model Design in March/April, and a 5-week Business Planning class also beginning in April. Access to Capital, Website planning, and a Marketing series were offered in May, in addition to a new workshop, “Using the Arts in Marketing Strategy”. Check ACE out at an upcoming Business Think Tank, the first Thursday of the month at 6PM through October, at our English Center for Art & Community at 1251 Bryden Road.

We have lots of fun activities coming up, and all are welcome, so put these dates on your calendar!

Community Dinners are outdoors at our English Center for Art & Community monthly on the last Wednesday of each month from 6:00-7:00PM, with music and art activities beginning at 5:30PM. This is a perfect opportunity to meet your neighbors, embrace the summer season, and enjoy great entertainment.