(Plain Press January 2024)

ARTS

AFTER-SCHOOL THEATRE PROGRAM: RISE! is a free after-school program for students aged 7-15. Beginning in January, students will audition, rehearse, and perform Disney’s Frozen Jr. in our new Black Box Theatre. All programming takes place at Near West Theatre (6702 Detroit Ave.). The program runs Mondays thru Thursdays, from 4 pm-6 pm, January 29-May 5. No experience necessary! Visit nearwesttheatre.org for more information.

COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER: The Pivot Art Center (2937 W 25 St.) offers free drop-in art making and gallery exploration for the whole family during open hours: Fridays 2pm-7pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10 am-5 pm. For group visits during open and non-open hours, email commartsinfo@clevelandart.org. For a full list of upcoming events, visit pivotartcenter.com.

FREE CONCERT: The Paul Kovac Big Grass Band will play a selection of bluegrass songs on Saturday, January 6, at 2 pm on the third floor of the Main Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (325 Superior Ave. NE)

FREE THEATER PRODUCTION: Cleveland Public Theatre and Y-Haven present “Troubled Waters”, an original theater production that shares powerful stories of recovery, performed by people in recovery from substance abuse. The production runs from Thursday, January 25 thru Sunday, January 28 at Cleveland Public Theatre (6415 Detroit Ave.). The performances will be at 7 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and at 3 pm on Sunday. Admission is free and does not require a ticket, except for Y-Haven’s annual benefit, Saturday, January 27. Visit cptonline.org for more information. Groups coming from treatment centers, group homes, churches, or other established organizations can reserve seats for five or more people by calling 216-631-2727 (ext. 501) or by emailing boxoffice@cptonline.org. Please note that the production contains some strong language and talk about substance use and grief.

ST. PAUL’S STREET STUDIO: Missing a chance to play live music or share poetry in person? Check out the St. Paul’s Street Studio and join us to share music/spoken word in a peaceful atmosphere of respect. We provide a piano, drums, acoustic guitars, and microphones…and an encouraging circle of listeners. All are welcome! The event is held at St. Paul’s Community Church (4427 Franklin Blvd.) from 1 pm-2:30 pm in the sanctuary. This month’s session is on Saturday, January 20. For more information, contact Ian Heisey at 216-973-1486 or heisey2140@sbcglobal.net.

CAREERS

FREE JOB TRAINING: If you are a SNAP benefit recipient, you are eligible to receive free education and job training. Contact the Workforce Opportunity Resource Center at Cuyahoga Job and Family Services for more information: 216-987-6578.

WORKFORCE 360°: Do you need your GED or High School Diploma? Are you 18 to 24 years old? Are you a resident of Cuyahoga County and eligible to work in the United States? If so, OhioGuidestone offers a program for you. The program includes: paid training; GED assistance; help creating a resume and preparing for interviews; financial literacy training; leadership training; transportation assistance; help finding a job; help with healthcare, child care, housing, food assistance, and legal needs; help with additional education; Occupational Training in customer service, hospitality, culinary, and health care; support for one year following program completion.  Orientations are held every Tuesday at 10 am. For more information or to sign up, call 440-260-6813 or email Nicole.Buongiorno@OhioGuidestone.org or visit Workforce 360° Center (3235 Prospect Ave.)

CELEBRATIONS

FREE ADMISSION to a variety of local museums is available Monday, January 15, in honor of MLK Day during normal visiting hours. This includes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (rockhall.com), the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (cmnh.org), and the Maltz Museum (maltzmuseum.org). The Cleveland Museum of Art (clevelandart.org), which normally has free admission, will offer a variety of special programming in honor of MLK Day.

TRI-C’S MLK CELEBRATION: Join Tri-C for the 47th annual celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., featuring a musical performance by Grammy-winner BeBe Winans. The event will honor Tri-C scholarship winners who embody the work of Dr. King and feature impassioned student presentations and inspiring performances by Tri-C’s Creative Arts Dance Academy and The Cleveland Chorale. Sunday, January 14, from 2:30 pm-4:30 pm at KeyBank State Theatre (1519 Euclid Ave.).

THREE KINGS DAY: Celebrate Three Kings Day from 4:30-5:30 pm on January 4 at the Fulton Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (3545 Fulton Rd.)

COMMUNITY

QUEER PARENT SUPPORT GROUP: Sponsored by the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, Building A Village is a support group for queer parents with children 10 and under. The group is an opportunity for parents to build social connections and give and receive support while their children participate in age-appropriate social programming. The group meets every fourth Saturday of the month from 10:30 am-12 pm at the LGBT Center (6705 Detroit Ave.). This month’s meeting will be Saturday, January 27.

SEED SWAP: Registration is now open for the annual winter seed swap sponsored by the Cleveland Seed Bank. The event will be held at St. Patrick’s Hall (3603 Bridge Ave.) from 2 pm-4 pm on Saturday, January 27. (Cleveland Seed Bank members can enter an hour early.) Seed Swap 2024 guests are encouraged to share their seeds, bulbs, tubers, plant cuttings, kombucha scoby, kefir grains, sourdough starters, and other fermentables. All viable flower, herb, and vegetable seeds are welcome! However, you don’t have to bring anything to attend. To register, visit hummingbirdproject.org/events.

WOMEN’S GROUP: the women’s outreach center at Franklin Circle Church (1688 Fulton Rd.) offers a variety of activities, including art therapy, poetry/book discussion, yoga therapy, crochet and knitting, and field trips. The group is held Wednesdays from 2 pm-4 pm. Please enter at the side door, on Fulton Rd.

COMMUNITY GUIDE

THE PLAIN PRESS will publish its annual Community Guide in the March issue. The guide offers free listings of the names and phone numbers of nonprofit organizations and government agencies serving the neighborhoods that the Plain Press covers. If you know of a nonprofit organization that has changed its name, changed its phone number, or was not listed in last year’s guide, please email the updated information to plainpress@gmail.com, or leave a phone message at 216-621-3060.

EDUCATION

FREE BOOKS for kids ages 0-5: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio mails kids one free book each month until their 5^th birthday. Any child in Ohio between birth and age 5 is eligible for the program. To sign up, visit OhioimaginationLibrary.org.

SEEDS OF LITERACY offers free adult basic education and GED classes and one-on-one tutoring. Services are available at both their westside (3104 W 25 St, third floor) and eastside locations (13815 Kinsman Ave). Call 216-661-7950 or visit seedsofliteracy.org to enroll.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE

APPLICATIONS: To apply for the Winter Crisis Program (WCP), Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), or Home Weatherization Assistance Program, visit energyhelp.ohio.gov  or download the Energy assistance Program Application. You can also call the Ohio Department of Development for an application at 800-282-0880. Call 711 for TDD services, for those who are hearing impaired.

HOUSEWARMING PROGRAM: CHN Housing Partners administers the Housewarming Program sponsored by Dominion Energy Ohio. The program provides weatherization assistance at no additional cost to income eligible active Dominion Energy Ohio customers to help reduce their energy usage. The program may provide air leakage reduction, attic and sidewall insulation, heating system repairs or replacement, and energy conservation education methods to maintain your home and see cost savings. Applications are available online at: www.chnhousingpartners.org/energyservices or can be picked up in person at: CHN Housing Partners, Energy Services, Suite 134, 2999 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114. For more details, call the information hotline at 216-325-1149.

ENVIRONMENT

LIGHTS FOR LIONS: Do you have broken or used holiday lights and extension cords? Now thru February 10, donate them to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to help protect lions and cheetahs in Tanzania through its partner Lion Landscapes. Please do not include any packaging. You can drop off the items at the main entrance of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way (you don’t need a Zoo ticket to drop them off) or at the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, 4750 East 131 Street in Garfield Heights.

FOOD

FREE HOT BREAKFAST: Enjoy a complimentary breakfast courtesy of Bridge City Church at 3381 Fulton Rd every Saturday. Delight in church-made eggs, sausage, grits, and donuts—all for free! Breakfast is served between 8 am and 11 am.

HEALTH

CLEVELAND RAPE CRISIS CENTER offers 24/7 access to free, anonymous support via text, online chat, or phone call. Call or text 216-619-6192 or 440-423-2020. You can also visit our app (no download needed) at app.clevelandrapecrisis.org to learn about preventing sexual violence, developing healthy relationships, supporting a friend who needs help, and more.  

FREE EPILEPSY COURSE: If you or someone you know is affected by epilepsy, contact the Epilepsy Association at 216-579-1330 or tmiller@epilepsyinfo.org to learn about this free, virtual, 8-week course, led by a nurse and a person with epilepsy to share ideas about how to best manage your life with epilepsy.

FREE SMOKE ALARMS are available to Cleveland residents thru Operation Save-A-Life, a program of the American Red Cross and Cleveland Fire Department. The smoke alarms are installed by Cleveland firefighters at no cost to the resident. To apply, call the 24-hour hotline at 216-361-5535. Please note that the application and installation process may take up to 90 days.

JANUARY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: If you suspect someone is experiencing a mental health crisis or is contemplating suicide, consider reaching out to them with empathy and understanding. Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. Dial 911 if it is an emergency. The Jason Foundation is another available resource. The Jason Foundation is dedicated to the awareness and prevention of suicide through educational programs and provides tools and resources to identify and assist those who are at-risk. For more information on helping your friends and loved ones who are suffering with a mental illness, please visit jasonfoundation.com.

HELPLINES

OHIO PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE: Problem gambling treatment is available at low or no cost to Ohioans. The Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline operates 24/7 at 1-800-589-9966 to provide resources to callers. Specialists can also connect callers with treatment options within 24 hours. You can also visit GamblingHelpOhio.org to find gambling treatment in your area.

UNITED WAY OF GREATER CLEVELAND’S 211: United Way of Greater Cleveland’s 211 experience is simple, friendly, free, and confidential. People in need of assistance dial 211 to connect with one of United Way of Greater Cleveland’s 211 highly trained navigation specialists who asks a series of questions about the caller’s circumstances. In one out of every three calls, United Way’s 211 navigation specialists identify multiple areas of need where additional resources and assistance are provided. Once the caller understands how to access the resources they need, the call ends but United Way’s 211 experience continues. Depending on the program, the United Way 211 navigation specialist follows up with the caller after a few hours or days to ensure the information provided was accurate and accessible — a logistical feat that United Way’s 211 navigation specialists accomplish with more than 100,000 unique data checks and entries to the Community Resource Database each year. Those who wish to do so can also chat online with a United Way 211 navigation specialist by visiting 211oh.org. The top five overall needs for callers to United Way’s 2-1-1 HelpLink throughout 2021 include:  Housing, including rent payment assistance and shelters; Utility Assistance, including help with electric, gas and water bill payments; Income Support/Assistance, including employment and tax preparation services; Health Care, including vaccination information, prescription drug patient assistance programs, and coronavirus testing, and; Legal, Consumer, and Public Safety Services, including help with birth certificate fees.

LEAD SAFE

FREE WATER LINES FOR CHILDCARE CENTERS: Childcare centers in buildings built before 1953 are likely to have lead water lines. A state-funded program will replace both the city’s section and building owners’ lines for FREE. For more information call the City of Cleveland Water Department at 664-2639 or send an email to: leadlookup@clevelandwater.com.

LEAD SAFE CERTIFICATION FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES: The City of Cleveland and its community partners offer several resources to help landlords make their rental property lead safe and obtain a lead safe certification. Some financial assistance for testing and repairs may be available for owners of properties that are current on property taxes and registered as rentals through the City’s Rental Registration. For financial assistance or guidance on preparing your property for inspection, contact the Lead Safe Resource Center online at: https://leadsafecle.org/ or by phone at: (833) 601-5323. For information regarding how to submit your report visit the Department of Building and Housing online at: http://www.clevelandohio.gov/leadsafe or call us at 216-664-2274.

LIBRARIES

0 TO 3: READ TO ME: Literacy begins at birth and every parent can learn and use simple, researched-based techniques to build language and literacy skills right from the start. Check out the Cleveland Public Library’s new collection of programs designed especially for children from birth to age 3 (36 months) and parents or other adult family members. cpl.org/readtome. Questions? Call 216-623-7114. This program is made possible with a grant from the Bruening Foundation.

FAMILY SPACE: Families with children ages 0-5, play, learn and grow together with your library. FamilySpace is a special play area and dedicated staff connecting you to resources in the community. Carnegie West Branch, 1900 Fulton Rd.For more information, dates and times visit cpl.org/familyspace  or call 216-623-7114.

WORDS ON WHEELS:  Cleveland residents can get books, movies, and more by mail. All you need is a Cleveland Public Library card. To sign up for a library card or to find out if this program is right for you, call your neighborhood Cleveland Public Library branch. For more information, visit cpl.org/services/at-home.