Goodwill’s Center for Advocacy, Recreation and Education Cares About the Community!

For the past fourteen years, Ohio Valley Goodwill’s award-winning Center for Advocacy, Recreation and Education (CARE) program has demonstrated its commitment to the Greater Cincinnati community by choosing to volunteer to support many of it’s organizations. The CARE program offers an array of opportunities for individuals to become fully involved and connected with their communities as well as building personal relationships with others. With choices of more than twenty different community outings per week, CARE participants select the activities which are of the most interest to them. A hallmark of the CARE program is that participants have consistently chosen to spend a good amount of their time volunteering to help others.

Examples of their community volunteer commitments include regular visits to the SPCA to help out with animal care; Ronald McDonald House to support their mission of service to improve the health and well-being of children and their families; Clifton Healthcare Retirement Community to support residents, and the JCC Meals on Wheels helping assemble meals for older adults so they can maintain independence in their communities, among many others.

” From the very beginning of our CARE program, the participants have always expressed interest in wanting to help others. And we’ve found that the opportunity to do so, does wonders for their personal growth, skill acquisition and self-esteem. For example, Eddie Morgan and Phillip Hoover absolutely love to help out with JCC Meals on Wheels. They will not miss out on a chance to be part of this opportunity and have formed friendships with the other volunteers on site. Two other individuals in our program, Chris Angel and Daniel Silvers, were initially very fearful about the idea of going out in the community but now eagerly volunteer to help out with support of the Day Care program at the Vineyard Church and the Shiloh Food Pantry. A long-time participant in the CARE program, Sigmund Peterson has become a committed volunteer at Bethesda North Hospital providing the nursing team with assembled IV kits alongside a team of community volunteers. Also, Sigmund initially volunteered at the Vineyard Church through the CARE program during the week and now volunteers regularly as a Greeter for their weekend service.” said Lois Kramer, CARE Program Manager.

Ohio Valley Goodwill commends the CARE program participants for their community volunteerism and their giving spirit which enriches the lives of everyone in Greater Cincinnati. To find out more about the CARE program, visit www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/services.