Central Community House

Don't miss the African Village Arts Festival! Going on NOW! We are here at Central's English Center for Art and Community at 1251 Bryden Road.

A few weeks back, our Executive Director, Tamar Forrest, attended a discussion about retirement readiness in Central Ohio with the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Huge thank you to Patricia Mullins and the Isabelle Ridgway Foundation for the invite.

A few weeks back, CCH showed up to win the Kiwanis Club of Columbus Regatta. It's very important to say that we didn't win, but we did have fun.

Congrats to those who did win! It's such a great event and we will be practicing for next year.

Last week, our TRANSIT ARTS Vision Lab graduates presented their work. At the end of the presentations, one of the students stood up in front of her peers and exclaimed "We worked hard and I'm proud of us!"

Fair to say that we all agree, right? Look at the talent.

A huge thank you goes out to Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for supporting Vision Labs.

Come see more talent tonight at Open Mic! It's a beautiful day for it.

This is your formal invitation to Village Makers. We're so excited to see you. You might be asking yourself: what is the Village Makers Festival? Click this link to get the scoop: https://buff.ly/3xY1mp8

Want to be a sponsor? Want to volunteer? We would love to have you. Also, the simplest way to help us with this event is to share this post. Like it, engage with it, share it in your stories. We want to see the entire community this year.

It feels very important to let everybody know that we met our goal of giving out 300 backpacks to students in the community. And, they had the most fun.

Thank you to Anthem, Lighting Systems of Columbus, and Buckeye Health Plan Columbus, and everybody who donated school supplies to this cause. These kids will start school with everything they need because of you.

Extra special shoutout to David Cooper and our volunteers for pulling it all together.

Join us tonight for Back to School Bash!

What: Back to School Bash where families can come have dinner with our community, dance and enjoy DJ BHB, engage in art with Duarte, and kids can pick up a backpack filled with school supplies for the upcoming school year.

Where: 1251 Bryden Road

When: 6-8 pm

See you out there. It's going to be so fun (and it's not raining, so that's a plus).

Join Village Central on a walk in the park.

There's a new club in town and they'd love some more company. The Senior Walking Club will be meeting on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Franklin Park.

Come out and see us in one week, on the 13th.

The Near East deserves to celebrate once in a while, don't you think? We love this event because it's all about this community: honoring and celebrating the "Village Makers," the community members, the artists, the foodies. It's all happening on September 14 from 4-7 at 1251 Bryden Rd.

But, here's the kicker: we need help to pull this off. We have a sponsorship package that offers some marketing for you or your company and we would be so proud to make this the most successful year of partnerships. This is not an event just for us. This is an event for all of us. You know what they say: it takes a village.

This link sends you to more information about the sponsorship packages: https://buff.ly/4daKRVp

Can't wait to see you at the biggest party of the year.

Huge thank you/shout out post to our friends over at Community For New Direction and their workforce program. This is our second year in this partnership and we're very happy to keep it going.

Thank you to Miss. Sa'Mara, Mr. Dar'rell, and Mr. Amari. You're bringing the fun to summer camp and we love to see it.

We're gearing up for the most exciting event of the year! Village Makers is in just two months and you're not going to want to miss it.

Save the date and be on the lookout for so much fun content as we prep for this event.

For more info, click this link: https://buff.ly/3xY1mp8

Central Sails.

We're participating in the Kiwanis Club of Columbus Regatta and we'd love your vote. Click on the link below to go see the extra special "yacht" designed by TRANSIT ARTS.

https://buff.ly/3W2WO92

We're looking for a dynamic leader to be responsible for the strategic implementation and sustainable growth of CCH’s out-of-school time programs and initiatives, which engage 250+ children and young adults, ages 5 to 24, each year.

If that sounds like you, apply here: https://buff.ly/462w5Oh

Catching up on more summer camp photos because... pictures of kids and goats are hilarious.

The kids went to Olentangy Caverns and explored. It's safe to say they had a great time.

Thank you to one of our funding partners, Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, for making sure the kids get to run around and play.

July's community dinner is fast approaching. Special thanks to AIDS Healthcare Foundation for sponsoring this event. We hope to see you all there!

Join us next Tuesday for an Open Mic Night with !

We have a big announcement to make, one that affects many and deserves a celebration until we can’t celebrate any longer.

Jackie Calderone is preparing to conclude her impactful 30+ year career as an educator, fundraiser, and artist. This fall, Jackie will transition from her work life to embrace art and art education in a more immersive and advocacy-focused manner.

(This is the moment we all take a deep sigh that feels both happy and sad at the same time.)

Click to read more about the legacy of Jackie Calderone and TRANSIT ARTS https://buff.ly/3RYUa2B

If you have any fun stories you want to share about the ways in which Jackie has impacted your life, please share in the comments. We'd love to hear from you and I'm sure she'll be so happy to read about your stories.

The amount of fun had at summer camp is actually unreal. In fact, the number of smiling faces cannot fit in one post.

Today, let's start with a field trip to Blacklick Woods Metro Park to experience the Canopy Walk.

Thank you to one of our funding partners, Department of Neighborhoods Columbus, for supporting our efforts to get the kids out to experience their city. Look at their smiles. 😍

Stay tuned for more proof of fun in the coming days.

CCH will be closed today in honor of the Fourth of July. Our offices will reopen tomorrow, Friday the 5th, at 9:00am. Wishing everyone a safe holiday! 🎇

Are you a senior in need of some deck repairs due to safety concerns? Give Jim a call at 614.238.8132.

Our "Mini Hip Hop" event is back for the first time since COVID! Join us for free, every Tuesday from June 25th to August 13th. No registration needed—just drop in! Parents, please stay with your "minis" for the 45-minute session. 🎶🕺

It's back to school prepping season. We're trying to equip 300 students with school supplies to start the school year off right and we would love your help.

We created wish lists at Amazon and Target and we would love if you could help us meet our goal.

Amazon: https://buff.ly/3KVYg84
Target: https://buff.ly/3VSMsK0

If you work for an organization that would be interested in hosting a donation drive, let us know. We'd love to work with you.

We're so thrilled to announce a grant award from Ingram-White Castle for $20,000 to provide ongoing and comprehensive family stabilization supports for families with young children.

On behalf of CCH and the families, thank you to Ingram-White Castle and to The Columbus Foundation for being solid partners in this work.

With extreme heat forecasted this week, Columbus City Council is partnering with COSI and Gateway Film Center to keep residents cool. Starting tomorrow, Gateway Film Center will provide two days of free movie showings for families. Popcorn and soda are included in the ticket.

On Thursday, admission to COSI (333 W. Broad St.) will be free for the first 2,000 people. Residents can head to COSI during regular business hours, 10 AM-5 PM. Thursday is free for General Admission only. Parking, the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and Motion Simulator are excluded.

“Extreme weather events are becoming more common; from this week’s potentially record-breaking heat to the tornados and severe storms we have been experiencing, says Councilmember Christopher Wyche. “That’s why Council is working with City Departments and community partners to support our residents through multiple channels during this heat wave.”

Movies at Gateway Film Center

When:
Today
Tomorrow, June 20
1:00-6:00 PM

Where:
Gateway Film Center
1550 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201

Movies Showing Wednesday and Thursday:

Tuesday (2024)
The Bad Guys (2022)
Jurassic Park (1993) 4K Restoration
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Matilda (1996)
The Fall Guy (2024)
Shrek (2001)
The Grab (2024) - Wednesday Only
Resistance: They Fought Back (2024) - Wednesday Only

Happy Juneteenth! CCH is closed today, but we'll be back to celebrate with you all tomorrow at Community Dinner.

Also, join us for the Celebration of Freedom on June 23 at First English Lutheran Church, 5:00 PM.

It's a hot one, friends. Because of the heat advisory, we're moving open mic indoors at 1150 E Main St. And, since we know it's not getting any cooler, we'll be moving Community Dinner indoors at Main St. on Thursday.

Open Mic is TONIGHT (6/18) from 6:30 to 8.
Community Dinner is THURSDAY (6/20) at 5:30.

Join us and stay cool.