Bethany House Services

1841 Fairmount Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45214

Bridging the Divide: Summer & Afterschool Programming for Students Experiencing Homelessness

Grant Application:

In anticipation of Bethany House’s new facility opening in September and as the apex of the annual Summer Surge approaches, our Family Services Department is implementing a robust series of enrichment, academic, and entertaining activities for students during the summer and afterschool beginning in September. Our summer programming includes a series of daily and weekly camps, family outings to local and regional points of interest, and more. The afterschool program will include a balance of therapeutic and academic activities, including content-specific tutors to help complete school assignments, learn tips to independently problem solve and other activities that are designed to increase their interest and self confidence in academics. The academic and therapeutic activities coupled together create an opportunity where each child can focus on developing the best versions of themselves, which in turn increases their interest and performance in school.

Grant Evaluation Report:

In October 2022, BHS transitioned into a new 58,000 sq. ft. building in which all staff, programming, and services from seven buildings were combined under one roof. In early December 2022, Bethany House reached full capacity for the first time in the new building, with 41 families (93 children) -- two of which used adjoining rooms for their large families, thereby utilizing all 43 rooms.

The FSD suite of programs to support children experiencing homelessness has been overwhelmingly successful in 2022 and continues to innovate into 2023 due to the Foundation’s generous support. BHS has secured and implemented youth development curriculums, such as it did recently with the Kaleidoscope Play & Learn program, and expanded partnerships with Project Connect to provide consistent academic enrichment after school since moving into the new building. In partnership with Best Pointe, Kaleidoscope has been an increasingly attended class for young parents in shelter. The program is led by an external facilitator and designed for parents and children from birth to the age of five to participate in group activities that are designed to promote children’s cognitive, language, social, and emotion development--while also helping parents learn the nuances of early child development. 55 parents have attended weekly sessions in Q1 of this year but BHS is exploring expanding the program to families in Housing programs as staff/trainer capacity and family interest grows.





Website: http://www.bethanyhouseservices.org
Amount: $50,000
Date: June 2022



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