UC Faculty, Staff and Students Head "Into the Streets" for Community Service

Volunteers from the University of Cincinnati will roll up their sleeves Sept. 27 for a Saturday of hammering, scrubbing, painting and yard work as they go “Into the Streets” to help the community. The UC organizers of the community service initiative arranged for “Into the Streets” to take place during UC’s Welcome Week for new students.

Students, faculty and staff will first check in at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in the atrium and Room 114 of the College of Law. From there, the UC volunteers will be transported to more than a dozen community agencies to provide service ranging from yard work to cleanup, light maintenance and painting.

In the past, UC’s Into the Streets has served thousands of people in communities around Cincinnati. Organizers of this year’s program anticipate that hundreds of UC volunteers will be dedicating their Saturday to a day of service and socializing with their UC family. “Into the Streets provides a unique opportunity for faculty, staff and students to get to know one another in the context of forwarding one of UC’s central missions: active community involvement and engagement,” says co-organizer Jonathan Alexander, UC associate professor of English and comparative literature.

The work is expected to take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Here are some of the agencies that will benefit:

• Habitat for Humanity – UC volunteers will begin their first day of construction on a UC Habitat for Humanity house, located at 111 Winkler St. in Mt. Auburn.
• Crossroad Health Center – Volunteers will be distributing information about the center that provides healthcare to people living in the inner city. The center is located at 5 East Liberty St. in Over-the-Rhine.
• Bethany House – The agency provides housing, education and assistance programs to low-income women and children. UC volunteers will provide cleaning and yard work at the agency, located at 1841 Fairmount Ave.
• Ronald McDonald House – The volunteers will first get a tour of the Ronald McDonald House, located at 350 Erkenbrecher Ave., then will prepare and serve lunch to approximately 50 people.
• Hearing Speech & Deaf Center of Greater Cincinnati – Duties include painting and basic cleaning for the volunteers who will be working at the center that is located at 2825 Burnet Ave.
• Cincinnati Park Board – The Cincinnati Park Board is a non-profit organization that works to improve Cincinnati’s parks and green space. In Northside, the UC volunteers will be working in an area called the Colerain Connector – a piece of land that connects to properties already owned by the park board. Volunteers will be clearing the area, removing brush and trash. Volunteers will meet on Martha Street, off Kirby in Northside.
• St. Boniface Church –   The historic church, located at 1750 Chase Ave., will be celebrating its 140th anniversary. The UC volunteers will be assisting in the preparation of the dinner celebration as well as providing assistance with the setup of children’s games in the gym.
• East End Community Heritage School – The K-12 charter school, located at 2423 Eastern Ave. in Cincinnati, is holding a block party around the school. Party organizers have requested dozens of UC volunteers to assist with party booths and food preparation.
• Washburn Elementary -- Volunteers will be placing a sign that reads, "Future home of the Cincinnati Preparatory Academy and the Carl and Edyth Lindner Family Branch YMCA" at the site at 1425 Linn Street. They will also do general cleanup at the site of the YMCA's multi-million dollar project. The work will include cutting down tree saplings, cutting weeds and removing trash.

“Into the Streets” is sponsored by the UC First Year Experience initiative, UC’s Just Community initiative, The Center for Community Engagement, the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, Student Activities and Leadership Development and the University Honors Scholars Program. UC Volunteers can sign up for “Into the Streets” by e-mail at cce3@email.uc.edu