Last night Gee’s Bend opened at Playhouse In The Park and I attended with twenty students who participate in the Glad House Saturday program. The play and the actors are amazing.

Gee’s Bend is the inspiring story of the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, who sew quilts that turn out to be magnificent works of art, and their deeply personal journey which parallels the turbulent history of African-Americans in the 20th century. The true story of these wonderful women has already touched millions who viewed their stunning quilt work through a national exhibition tour and features in Newsweek and Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine.

The Glad House students also created a story quilt that is on display at Playhouse in the Park and to see their faces when they saw their quilt hanging was priceless.

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A total of 20 volunteers gathered on Monday, Jan. 31, to prepare meals for the children of Glad House, a venture founded by two Cincinnati Woman’s Club members, Dr. Bea Lampkin and Mary Schwaderer, to help care for neglected children.

The ladies who gathered at this mid-winter event made dinners, soup, snacks, and Valentine cookies for the Glad House freezer. Volunteer cooking opportunities to benefit Glad House occur approximately once a quarter.

Glad House offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. Homework Helpers give children one on one attention with their schoolwork from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

On Mondays, the children enjoy the music program begun by CWC member Jane Gavin and taught by CCM students. Used computers are also being collected by the CWC for use by Glad House children.

At the annual meeting of Glad House, the CWC Philanthropy Committee was honored as Glad House’s volunteer of the year.

The charity thanked the CWC for all of their support, including contributing 30 scholarships to Camp Joy, the many meals prepared by members individually and as a group, birthday bags and gifts for all the Glad House kids, beauty care items for the moms, the Mothers Day craft gifts and even swim instruction this summer, provided by a CWC member.

Glad House is one of many ways the Cincinnati Woman’s Club members continue the tradition of volunteerism and philanthropy in our community that dates back to 1897.

http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20110405/NEWS05/104050316/Woman-s-Club-helps-Glad-House

It’s a big day for Tamika Martin – a party to celebrate her graduation from Withrow High School. Inside a local restaurant, friends and family let Tamika know it’s a big achievement. “I’m happy they could see what I accomplish and help me celebrate it.”

She’s one of several high school grads who are part of the Glad Program on Reading Road. Getting a diploma means a lot for the kids here – they all come from homes with alcohol and drug addiction. “Many of the mothers have done crack cocaine or heroin, street drugs, street life.”

The agency concentrates on breaking that cycle. Kids ages 5-18 come here to learn the importance of education – and to work through the anger that often comes from growing up in a difficult home. “Glad house helped me to really focus and get it under control. I was able to say no to alcohol, no to drugs.”

Today, Monique Oliver is a sophomore at UC and a “Glad” graduate. She came back to support students like Tamika, and to help them take those next steps towards college. “When I put my mind on something now, I’m stuck on that thing. It ain’t no changing my mind, I’m going to get it done and that’s how I did with high school. I got my mind set on graduating and that’s what I did.”

Glad house works on long term intensive treatment with children and teens. The agency has an after-school program and a summer day program with tutoring, meals, and counseling.

Teens Who Overcame Obstacles Graduate Thanks To Help From Local Program. Originally aired on 7/21/10.

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