Planting Roots in Lower Price Hill
They were not sure they’d stay.
When Lem and Jianna first came to Lower Price Hill, they were not sure they would stay. Their family had been through a difficult housing search, including temporary shelter in hotel rooms and a series of dead ends while trying to find a place large enough for their children. Eventually, they moved into an apartment across the street from The Sanctuary. It gave them a roof over their heads, but for a long time, they still imagined they would leave.
That first year, they never fully unpacked. Lem, a gifted gardener, did not even start a garden right away because he did not think they would be there long enough to put down roots.
“We never planned on staying,” Jianna said.
Slowly, Lower Price Hill became home.
For Jianna, one turning point came on a day when she felt pushed to the edge and needed to get out of the house. She started walking the neighborhood and ended up stepping into the Outerspace community leadership hub. There, she met neighbors and staff, followed the group to a nearby ribbon cutting, and toured the newly renovated Lower Price Hill Thrives apartments. She remembers thinking that the neighborhood could be something beautiful when people were willing to invest in it.
For Lem, that connection grew through the gardens. After seeing the LPH Community Gardens and meeting neighbors who were growing food in creative, layered spaces, he began to see what was possible. Even in shaded yards and small patches of land, there was room to grow.
Before long, Lem had built an incredible garden of his own, and Jianna had become active at Oyler School and in the Lower Price Hill Community Council. Their family was no longer simply living in the neighborhood—they were part of a community.
Then their apartment caught fire.
In the months that followed the fire, Lem, Jianna, and their children found themselves crammed back in a hotel room trying to rebuild. In the middle of that uncertainty, neighbors checked in, offered what they could, and made sure the family knew they had not been forgotten. That support mattered. As they searched for a new place to live, the family was clear about one thing. They wanted to come back to Lower Price Hill.
“When we were given a choice, I wanted to come back,” Jianna said. “It’s a sense of community that you don’t get everywhere else.”
Finding a four-bedroom apartment was not easy. Through our Community Supported Housing program, Community Matters was able to expand a three-bedroom unit to better fit their family.
They had a renewed commitment to community.
Today, Lem and Jianna are back in Lower Price Hill, where their leadership continues to grow. Lem now works as a Garden Assistant with the LPH Community Gardens and will mentor younger gardeners this summer. Jianna serves as Vice President of the Lower Price Hill Community Council, participates in the LSDMC at Oyler School, and advocates with partners for affordable housing citywide.
Lem and Jianna reflected, “You can’t plant the whole world, but you can plant the patch you got.” In Lower Price Hill, they are doing just that.
Investing in What’s Already Taken Root
They could have moved away.
Instead, Lem and Jianna demonstrated a deep commitment to Lower Price Hill. Our role was to make it possible for their family to remain rooted here, and your support helps make this kind of investment possible.
Over the last decade, Community Matters has remained a steady partner to our neighbors, building the resources, relationships, and spaces that allow people to pursue their goals, share their strengths, and shape the future of Lower Price Hill.
As we look ahead, we are building on that foundation through deeper investments in community leadership, shared ownership of resources, and spaces where neighbors can gather, lead, and create.
We invite you to make a donation this spring to help bring this next chapter to life.
