Community Life Collaborative

Our nature consisted of six events: a book signing with author kristin ohlson, writer of "sweet in tooth and claw", a kayak paddle along the cuyahoga river within the cuyahoga valley national park, three separate sessions highlighting environmental work being done in akron, the disparities of the built environment for lower socio-economic communities, and building a better yard through native planting. The largest event was a dinner and presentation with douglas tallamy, author of "nature's best hope." Tallamy led a presentation with following q&a on his initiative homegrown park and discussed at length the importance of native planting in increasing local insect, bird, and connected food chain populations (including us). In addition, the sauerland foundation granted 110,000 in 2022 for the purpose of supporting the our nature series and increasing the urban tree canopy and native plantings in the akron area. These funds will be spent in 2023 and 2024. The welcome kettle project was an educational and action-driven effort to inform geauga county residents about the history leading to the afghan refugee crisis in 2021 and steps that residents could take to be involved in assisting incoming refugees. Collections of household and personal items begun in 2021 were continued into 2022 and were housed at the family Life center, the property managed by the clc, and delivered to three local agencies providing resettlement services: catholic charities diocese of cleveland, us together, and uscri. During the span of the project, more than 25+ car and truck loads of items were delivered helping upwards of 200 afghan families resettling in the cleveland area. In addition, a clothing reuse drive called the garment revolution was held in march. Local residents were encouraged to bring gently used or new clothing to the family Life center where volunteers sorted the items and made them ready for the reuse event. Prior to the event's start, afghan families contacted through the refugee agencies were invited to shop remaining household items in addition to taking whatever clothing they wanted from the garment revolution collection. Any remaining clothing was donated to chagrin falls park Community center and the salvation army. Lastly, the prism series was created; a forum highlighting the issues and stories of the neurodivergent and distinctly-abled. The series included a tour of local therapeutic riding center fieldstone farm, a session on how the Community can learn to meet neurodivergent individuals where they are through sensitivity to common characteristics, and an informational session on the work being done at the cuyahoga county board of developmental disabilities. The series had two bookend events: the oak-y dokie 5k and able acorn walk, an all terrain chip-timed run with a 1-mile walk that was accessible for all individuals and the leaf party, a fall festival designed with inclusion in mind. The festival was created through collaborations with new avenues to independence, cevec, solutions behavioral consulting, and the cuyahoga board of developmental disabilities. All of the activities were designed to be as inclusive as possible while still being fun for everyone. The event consisted of sensory trail hikes, pumpkin decorating, bubble blowing, a bounce house, leaf rubbing, scavenger hunts, nature confetti, a sensory break room for those who needed it, and an epic leaf pile for individuals to play in. Attendance was between 200-250 individuals of all abilities.