This summer, Community Matters was blessed to be a part of a powerful collaboration of Cincinnati icons, the Cincinnati Reds, Procter and Gamble, and the Cincinnati Zoo. This collaboration created three new community spaces in Lower Price Hill, created two new partnerships, and invested in LPH youth.
Since February, we have been working with the Reds Community Fund, P&G, and the Cincinnati Zoo to plan a major impact day in Lower Price Hill. Initially, we thought this would be a somewhat typical volunteer day where we do a few clean up projects or small scale makeovers. We were proven wrong in the best way. This incredible group designed a collaboration of private and public partners that not only invested in a project, but invested in the long-term sustainability of a community.
This is the ultimate dream in the non-profit world. Partners who care deeply about our community and are willing to dig into the grassroots work needed to make things happen. The team took the time to get to know Lower Price Hill and to understand our needs and our dreams. They met with neighbors and partners to ensure the plan made sense and the right community organizations were engaged. They helped negotiate real estate deals and navigate intricate permit issues. In every sense of the word, they became our partners.
The result? Over 300 volunteers helped makeover three major projects in LPH. Our community baseball fields received new dugouts, foul poles, and playground equipment, uplifting a neglected space in our community and making a great new home for our local teams. A vacant lot that was mostly trash and weeds was transformed into a new community garden with 20 new trees, vegetable beds, perennial flowers, and a nature play area for kids. The former Boys and Girls Club was revived as a space for youth and transformed into a new center for the Santa Maria Youth Program. Truly incredible!
This partnership and the impact it created should serve as a model for other organizations and companies seeking to invest in the community.
We are so grateful to have been a part of this project. Thank you to every partner who invested in our community and cared deeply about our dreams.
Thank you for believing that our community matters!
