Youth Center Art Class Gives Grants to Two Youth Center Volunteer Groups
Children who are held in the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center lose their freedom while awaiting the resolution of their cases. But they don’t lose their ability to learn and grow.
As part of the Youth Center’s on-site school, 14 students received certificates in May for completing 125 hours of community service. They accomplished this task with support from Cincinnati non-profit, Magnified Giving, which works with Youth Center art teacher Penny Harris’s students to create art for other local, non-profits.
Magnified Giving also provides the class funding to donate to grants to organizations chosen by the kids. The goal is to teach them about philanthropy and the fact that everyone can do their part to support important causes. “Before Magnified Giving, we thought you had to have lots of money to give back,” said one of the Youth Center philanthropists.
The students chose to donate their funding to two organizations that are currently sending volunteers to the Youth Center. They made a $1,000 donation to Never the Less and $1,000 to Best Friends Pet Assisted Therapy. Both are 501(3)c charitable organizations.
Never the Less is faith-based, providing programs and events for girls starting at the sixth-grade level. The women who run Never the Less mentor girls at the Youth Center and encourage and support them toward high school graduation.
Best Friends Pet Assisted Therapy is an all-volunteer non-profit that visits the Youth Center twice a week with one of two golden retrievers, Winston and Amelia, who provide unconditional love and comfort to children.
“We want the kids to know you don’t have to be old and rich to be a philanthropist,” said Kelly Collison, CEO of Magnified Giving. “Allowing kids to explore organizations and trusting them to decide how to allocate funds builds confidence and leadership skills, along with the satisfaction and positive feelings that come with doing good for and with others. These are life lessons and experiences that kids carry into their future lives.”
Collison and Alison Kaufman, Magnified Giving’s director of programs, give all credit to art teacher Harris, calling her the driving force behind the students beautiful art and for creating a life experience in a very limited situation. “She is the oil that makes it all happen,” said Kaufman.
As part of their community service work, Harris’s Youth Center students have also supported Queen City Book Bank, making centerpieces out of old books for a fundraising gala, and painting Free Little Libraries. They’ve also worked with HER Cincinnati to create large female empowerment paintings and paper cranes for the Anna Louise Inn, which provides safe and affordable housing to women experiencing chronic homelessness.
In a thank you note to the students, CEO & President Beth Schwartz wrote, “Dear Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Center- Art Class, Wow! You did something that was life-changing! By making a generous donation of two large painted canvases and a thousand paper crane chandelier to HER Cincinnati and Anna Louise Inn, you became a partner in our vision to work tirelessly in building a community where all women have the resources and confidence needed to thrive.”
Research shows that participating in service programs has a positive impact on teen’s mental health, makes them more responsible and boosts their self-esteem. Thank you to Magnified Giving, Ms. Harris, and all of our community partners for investing in the future of kids in the Hamilton County Youth Detention Center.