Social Change
In one of the most difficult years in memory, Cleveland nonprofits helped more people off the streets and into hotels or stable housing than usual. NEOCH executive director Chris Knestrick discusses how the pandemic changed funding priorities for homeless prevention, and what’s next.
Dameyonna Willis believes that self-love and empowerment are royally important—and that’s exactly why she started QUEENIAM to help young girls thrive. Though COVID-19 has put a cramp in Willis’ in-person meetups, she hasn’t let that stop her, instead creating a vibrant “Queen in Quarantine” virtual program to keep the movement in motion.
With more than 40 sober living homes in Cleveland, there is no shortage of residential support systems for locals in recovery—but there are none quite like The Moms House.
Richard Rothstein, author of "The Color of Law," recently gave a webinar to talk about a missing chapter in American History books—the chapter that tells about systemic racism in U.S. public policy.
Our FreshFaces podcast is back for season two! Episode Five features Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana and Freshly Rooted's Alysha Ellis, who have teamed up to lead SEEDS, a transformational nine-month program for Cleveland's Latina community.
Our FreshFaces podcast is back for season two! Episode Three features Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry's Michael Sering, who is making big strides to help the homeless and create more affordable housing in Cleveland.
Our FreshFaces podcast is back for season two! Episode One features [unBail] executive director Cait Kennedy, who helped design the [unBail] app as a "Google maps for court cases" to help defendants better navigate the criminal justice system.
With about 1,000 students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District either living in homeless shelters or with relatives, Project ACT makes sure those students can continue in their current schools while also providing both technology and personal support during the uncertainties of the pandemic.
They're creative. They're courageous. They're resilient. They're the Fresh Innovators, a group of talented professionals making a difference locally. The Cleveland Leadership Center and FreshWater Cleveland will salute the group virtually with Spark 2020: Grit to Great, the center's annual leadership symposium, tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 3.
When it comes to politics, Katie Paris is true blue. A longtime veteran of national politics, Paris has spent the last year zeroing in on the political scene a bit closer to home—right here in Ohio. In 2019, Paris founded Red Wine & Blue, a grassroots organization geared at rallying suburban women to vote and affect change.
Cleveland is lagging in responses to the 2020 U.S. Census, so community groups are taking some creative measures to encourage traditionally hard-to-reach groups to be counted—and it's working.
In Lois Jeavons' 96 years, she has witnessed ignorance and divisiveness in everything from the invention of a polio vaccine to racism and social justice, to politics and the Cold War. She reflects on how her experiences spanning nearly 10 decades have taught her to be an activist and stand up for what she believes is right.
After a successful launch this past June, The Buckeye Flame online weekly news publication covers both the struggles and the celebrations affecting the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
The Cleveland Leadership Center in September will honor six innovators during the Spark 2020: Grit to Great leadership symposium. These six people accomplish amazing feats while often going unnoticed.
After receiving a $50,000 grant to build the African American Civil Rights Trail in Cleveland, the Cleveland Restoration Society is starting to choose sites for the 10 historical markers that will comprise the trail. But the organization needs your help in choosing which 10 sites should be included on the trail.
More than 60 local organizations and businesses have now taken a stand with the Cleveland Indigenous Coalition in asking Cleveland City Council, Progressive Insurance, and Cleveland baseball sponsors to persuade the Cleveland Indians to change their name and end Indigenous themes and imagery.
The Cuyahoga Human Rights Commission was formed in 2018 to protect the basic human rights of the LGBTQ community. Last week, the commission began accepting and enforcing discrimination complaints under the county's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance.
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Dedicated to preventing infant deaths in Northeast Ohio, First Year Cleveland has created an extensive support network to promote the physical and mental health of parents who have experienced a loss.
When COVID-19 hit Cleveland earlier this year, government officials and advocates scrambled to find safe housing alternatives to the streets and shelters. The temporary answer just may lead to some long term goals and solutions.
Station Hope, Cleveland Public Theatre's annual celebration of Cleveland's social justice history, is particularly timely this year amid a time of violence and awakening.