A cupcake bouquet can make anyone's day—but, for some, it can make a world of difference. Enter Abolition Bakery, the brainchild of Old Brooklyn resident Rita Ballenger. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, the home-based bakery operation donates a portion of its proceeds to help combat a devastating issue: human trafficking.

With today designated as World Homeless Day, the YWCA is turning its lens on Cleveland—where there are more than 22,000 people homeless annually, and about 4,000 people homeless each night (according to the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless).

When portrait photographer Matthew Greene took a mission trip to the Ugandan village of Kabingo back in 2010, he had no idea he would later become the official photographer for Hope for Kabingo and return to the village twice to capture more photos. Tonight, those portraits take the spotlight here in Cleveland with “Faces of Kabingo,” a three-day exhibition at Hudson Fine Art & Framing Company.

Amanda King graduated from Case Western Reserve University's law school last year and still lives in the Cleveland Heights apartment she rented as a student. But instead of practicing law, King has immersed herself in her true love—photography. Now King's six-part portrait series, "The Marigolds," will be showcased as the first of four installations in LAND studio's Inner City Hues project.

Barbershops offer much more than traditional haircuts in Old Brooklyn—where barber chairs double as school desks, as psychologists’ couches, as job counselor offices, and as safe spaces. 

At 10:30 a.m. on September 2nd, Gateway Church Old Brooklyn will hold the first service in its brand-new home at 4542 Pearl Rd. in a shared space with Unity Lutheran Church, located on the southeast corner of Behrwald Ave. It's the hard-earned culmination of five years of community building in Old Brooklyn for pastor Tony Loseto and his wife, Beth.

Yulonda Amey and her three children, Nayira, 16, Ni’Shawn, 13, and Richard, nine, will be moving in to one of five Buckeye neighborhood houses recently renovated by North Carolina-based Ply Gem, a leading manufacturer of exterior building products, and the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity as part of Ply Gem’s Home for Good project.

This Saturday, Surrogate Suburbs author Todd Michney will lead a guided bus tour hosted by the Cleveland Restoration Society. Titled "The Roots of Black Sub-Urbanization," the tour will dive deep into the rich histories of the Mount Pleasant, Lee-Harvard, and Lee-Seville (Miles Heights) neighborhoods. “It’s basically about the struggle to achieve the American Dream,” Michney says. “It’s the history of Cleveland’s Black middle class and looking toward the edge of the city for African Americans [who] started moving in the early 1900s."

Just a few months ago, Give Box CLE was an idea. Now, six of the Little Free Library-style boxes are painted and ready to be installed throughout Cleveland’s East Side neighborhoods—but instead of books, they offer non-perishable goods, personal care items, toiletries, and other daily necessities.

It's Young Professionals Week here in Cleveland, and what better time than to highlight rising stars who are helping to put Cleveland on the map? Introducing FreshWater's first-ever #Fresh10, a group of talented professionals under 34 years old all making their mark on The Land—and beyond. Find out who made the list here.

For more than 100 years, officials at United Way of Greater Cleveland have worked tirelessly to make sure local children get a quality education; help residents find food, shelter, and transportation; find jobs for those seeking to rise out of poverty; and tackle prevalent issues around health, substance abuse, and violence. Through all their work, the United Way acknowledges who the true heroes are in the organization’s mission: the people of Cleveland. This evening, the organization recognized those “superheroes” by urging the community to come fly their hero capes at a thank-you event in Public Square.

More than 100 gatherings took place yesterday as part of Cleveland Foundation’s second annual Common Ground event—a series of meaningful community conversations across Cuyahoga, Lake, and Geauga counties. FreshWater Cleveland was honored to host its own installment: “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” Hosted at the Baseball Heritage Museum, the conversation was geared at connecting with neighborhood changemakers and helping bring their stories to the forefront.

Although Ohio ranks fourth in the country for reports of human trafficking cases, there are just six beds available in Cleveland for rescued victims of modern-day slavery—and all six beds are in Cleveland’s Salvation Army Zelma George Family Shelter. Starting in July, Cleveland will have a total of 18 beds for human trafficking victims—thanks to a joint effort by the Hue Jackson Foundation and the Salvation Army Northeast Ohio Division.

After the tragic suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, social media turned into a barrage of crisis hotline numbers and pleas for people struggling with mental health issues or addiction to “reach out.” But what if there was another option? A care line designed to build community and prevent people from ending up in “crisis” situations in the first place, aka ASSISTCommunities.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

When Faith & Whiskey got involved with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland's Jam for Justice six years ago, drummer and singer Rich Wesorick admits they mainly viewed it as a great opportunity to play the House of Blues. But for Wesorick and many others, the event has become so much more. Showcasing musical acts comprised of local lawyers and judges, the annual benefit helps provide legal services to low-income or vulnerable Northeast Ohio residents.

At 10 a.m. on a Thursday, a group of veterans has gathered in the TV room at the VA Domiciliary in Glenville. These veterans grew up in different cities in varying socio-economic settings. They served in different wars and suffer from different challenges: addiction, depression, homelessness, loneliness, PTSD. Today, they have one thing in common: “The Smiling People” by Ray Bradbury.