ARTS

GET GRAPHIC! COMICS DISCUSSION (NEW LOCATION): Join us on the first Thursday of each month at 6 pm at our new meetup spot, Forest City Brewery (2135 Forest City Brewery), for this free book club focused on comics and graphic novels. This year, we’re highlighting works by Ohio natives. Our next two meetings will be April 2, featuring The Toxic Avenger, Volume 1 by Matt Bors, and May 7, featuring Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jimenez. Copies of each book we discuss are available to check out at the Cleveland Public Library.

STREET STUDIO: This month’s Street Studio will be Saturday, April 25 from 1 pm to 3 pm at St. Paul’s Community Church, 4427 Franklin Ave. All are welcome to share music, poetry, spoken word or to listen in support. Piano, drums, guitar, and microphones provided – as well as coffee and snacks. For more information contact Ian Heisey at heisey2140@sbcglobal.net or Trennell Garrison at sapphire1497@yahoo.com.

CONSUMER

FIX-IT CLE: Have a broken item or piece of clothing that needs repair? Come to one of our free workshops where coaches help you fix your damaged item, while also teaching you skills that you can use to make future repairs yourself. This month, join us on Saturday, April 4 and Tuesday, April 14 at Ingenuity Labs (5401 Hamilton Ave.) between 6 pm and 9 pm, or on Saturday, April 25 at the Carnegie West Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (1900 Fulton Rd.) between 12 pm and 3 pm . Please note that this is a drop-in event. You can drop in at any time during the allotted hours and stay as long as you’d like. For more info, visit bit.ly/FixitCLE.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT: The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs encourages you to take simple steps now to reduce your risk of identity theft throughout the year: Freeze your credit reports (it’s free!) to keep ID thieves from wrecking your credit. (Learn more about credit freezes at: cuyahogacounty.gov/creditfreeze.) Keep your computer, mobile devices, and social media accounts secure. (Find easy-to-use tips at: cuyahogacounty.gov/internetsafety.) Request free copies of your credit reports annually to spot accounts you didn’t open or suspicious inquiries. (Visit annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.) Never share private information – including passwords, security codes, or account numbers – with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or text. (Find out the sneaky ways scammers steal personal info — and how to protect yourself – in our Scam Squad Guide, available at: cuyahogacounty.gov/scamsquad.) Need one-on-one help? Call the Scam Squad line (216-433-7226) to speak to a Cuyahoga County Consumer Affairs investigator.

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.

FREE K-8 TUTORING: Need extra support for your child’s learning? Our caring tutors at OneHope NEO provide homework help, reading support, and fun learning activities in a safe and encouraging environment. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 pm to 5 pm at 3202 Fulton Rd. Sign up at ohneosignup.paperform.co.

FREE MICROGREENS WORKSHOP: Discover the basics of growing in this hands-on introductory class. Learn about seeding, watering, lighting, and harvesting, and explore the best materials to grow healthy microgreens at home. Participants will plant their own mini tray to take home. Saturday, April 11 from 3 pm to 6 pm at the Jefferson Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (850 Jefferson Ave). Sign up at https://cpl.libcal.com/event/15946981.

EMPLOYMENT

EL BARRIO WORKFORCE PROGRAM: The Centers’ free workforce programs are open to anyone 18+ and include short-term career training, specialized industry certifications, professional certificates, and job placement services. Our vast network of corporate partners teaches in our classrooms, provides career assistance, and hires from our program. Some of our trainings are also available in Spanish. To get started, call us at 216-325-WORK (9675) or visit thecentersohio.org/workforce-development.

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM: Students between the ages of 14 and 18 years old that are looking for a summer job can register online for the Summer Employment Program, sponsored by Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.), at youthopportunities.org. If a student is selected, their work experiences typically start in mid-June and run for six weeks. The pay rate is $13.50 per hour for 20-25 hours per week. Registration closes on May 1.  For more information, call 216-776-3900.

ENVIRONMENT

EARTH DAY ART ACTIVITY: Arthouse Inc. (3119 Denison Ave.) offers a free, family-friendly workshop on the third Saturday of each month from 1 pm to 3 pm. This month’s Friends and Family Open Studio, entitled “Earth Day Upcycled Flower Art”, will be on Saturday, April 18. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Visit arthouseinc.org to sign up or call 216-398-8556 for more information.

FREE TREES: The Trees4CLE Tree Adoption program, from the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, is now open. If you live in Cleveland and want a free tree for your yard, visit https://wrlandconservancy.org/trees4cle and fill out our short form to apply. This spring, we’ll have a variety of trees to choose from—like small trees with flowers, big trees that give shade, fruit trees, evergreen trees, and trees that grow strong in our city. You can ask for up to 2 trees at your home, but only if you live in Cleveland.

RIVERSWEEP LITTER CLEAN-UP: Join Canalway Partners, dozens of other community groups, and hundreds of volunteers on Saturday, May 2 from 9 am to 11 am for this annual litter clean-up, to help keep garbage out of our beloved rivers and lake. Various clean-up sites are located along the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. To pick a location and to sign up to volunteer, visit canalwaypartners.com. Volunteer spots are limited. When you arrive at your chosen clean-up site, the site leader will greet you with an event t-shirt and provide cleaning supplies and further instructions. Please only register at one location. Registered volunteers will receive an email invitation to a Thank You Party after the clean-up event. Don’t forget to RSVP to the party! Questions? Contact Canalway Partners at 216-520-1825.

EVENTS

AUTHOR TALK: Join us at the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (10601 Euclid Ave.) for a conversation with local writer Josh Womack, author of the new book Sweaty Stories from the Cleveland Schvitz Saturday, April 18 from noon to 1 pm. A few special guests will be joining him.

OPENING DAY IN OHIO CITY: Come celebrate the Cleveland Guardians home-opener at the inaugural Opening Day in Ohio City celebration, featuring live music, an Opening Day Cookout featuring ball-park fare, local food trucks, craft beer and beverages. The Cleveland Guardian Hot Dogs mascots and Slider will make an appearance, and we’ll have a 50/50 raffle, yard games and family fun. Friday, April 3 from 10 am to 2 pm at Market Square Park (across from the West Side Market). The inaugural Opening Day parade across the Hope Memorial Bridge to the festivities at Progressive Field, will be led by Parade Grand Marshal, Slider!

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 website at clevelandrapecrisis.org to learn about preventing sexual violence, developing healthy relationships, supporting a friend who needs help, and more.

FREE END-OF-LIFE DOULA PRESENTATION: Saturday, April 18 from 10:30 am to noon, Tina Thonnings will speak about her work as an End of Life Doula at Reserve Care Hospice Services (formerly known as the Hospice of the Western Reserve) in a free Zoom presentation. All are welcome to attend! Visit https://tinyurl.com/doulapresentation.

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.

HELP ME GROW, an initiative of the Ohio Department of Health, offers free home visits to pregnant mothers and parents of young children. Our caring and professional visitors can help you plan a healthy pregnancy, share tips to help keep your child healthy and safe, answer your questions, and help you find resources that meet your needs. To learn more or to sign up for this voluntary program, visit helpmegrow.org/HomeVisiting.

MEDWORKS: Are you struggling to afford health care? Medworks Navigators can help you find solutions! We can help you understand insurance options and benefits, enroll in health insurance, find low-cost health care, access community resources (food, housing, etc.), schedule a COVID-19 vaccine, and more. All our services are 100% free to patients. Contact us at 216-231-5350 or navteam@medworksusa.org, or visit medworksusa.org to learn more.

HOUSING

HOME REPAIR ASSISTANCE: Northwest Neighborhoods works with many partners to help residents meet their housing needs in our diverse, mixed-income communities. If you are a Detroit Shoreway, Cudell, Edgewater, or West Boulevard resident, contact our Healthy Homes Coordinator at 216-961-4242, ext. 223 or by email at kchappell@nwneighborhoods.org for help choosing and applying for resources or to have printed materials mailed to you. Visit nwneighborhoods.org/home-resources for a list of available services.

HOMELESS

IF YOU NEED SHELTER, contact  Cuyahoga County’s Coordinated Intake office at 216-674-6700. Hours of operation: 8 am – 8 pm, Monday – Friday. After hours and weekends, please call 2-1-1 for an on-call Coordinated Intake representative. If it is after hours, women in need of assistance may also go directly to Norma Herr Women’s Center, 2227 Payne Avenue, and staff will assist you in contacting Coordinated Intake the following day.

NEOCH STREET OUTREACH: If your business or neighborhood has someone experiencing homelessness and you are concerned, your first call should be to the outreach team at NEOCH (the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless) so they can get skilled, competent outreach to resources and a trusting relationship as they start or continue on a path to being sheltered. This is an alternative to calling law enforcement. We can typically respond within 24 hours, and we can work with the individual to provide shelter, health care, food, blankets, or transportation to a safe place. Call us at 216-432-0540.

RECREATION

FREE ADMISSION AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: Every Saturday and Sunday, since January 25, 2025, residents of the City of Cleveland, East Cleveland, Brooklyn, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, and Warrensville Heights can receive FREE admission to the newly renovated Cleveland Museum of Natural History, thanks to the generous support of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation. To receive free admission, reserve tickets on our website and present proof of residency at the Welcome Desk on the day of your visit. Proof of residency should include an address in one of the eligible cities and can be any of the following: a current Ohio driver’s license or state ID, a utility bill or bank statement, a medical insurance statement, a lease agreement or mortgage statement, or a paystub or W2. (Mandel Community Days give you access to everything covered by a general admission ticket.) To learn more or to reserve your tickets, visit cmnh.org/visit/mandel-days .

FREE MONDAYS AT THE ZOO: Every Monday, the zoo is FREE for residents of Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township. To confirm your residency, bring your driver’s license or state I.D. or a current utility bill with your Cuyahoga Cty. or Hinckley Twp. address along with a photo ID.

RESOURCES

CLEVELAND 311: To report an issue or request a city service, call 311 or 216-664-2000. You can also report an issue using our revamped web portal by visiting clevelandohio.gov/311. Issues that we can help address include: problems with building and housing, maintenance issues at city-owned cemeteries,        broken benches or equipment at city parks, graffiti removal, illegal dumping, potholes, trash and recycling issues, and issues related to vacant properties.

TAXES

FREE TAX PREPARATION ASSISTANCE: With the Cuyahoga Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition, eligible individuals can prepare and file their taxes absolutely free at convenient locations around Northeast Ohio. If you are an individual or family earning up to $69,000 a year, you qualify for our free services. To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit refundohio.org or call 211. The deadline to file your 2025 tax return is Wednesday, April 15.

FREE ONLINE TAX PREPARATION: For a free, 100% virtual tax filing option, visit getyourrefund.org. You’ll connect with an IRS-certified tax team from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. They will prepare and file your return and will make sure you claim all of the benefits you are eligible for. Your tax team will need to get in contact with you along the way and will review your return with you before it’s filed. It can take two or three weeks to complete the process. We also offer a do-it-yourself “File Myself” option, which allows you to use our free online software to complete your own taxes. Many people start and finish on the same day, and it is a great option for those with simple tax returns who have access to a computer. PLEASE NOTE: you will have to upload your ID(s), Social Security Card(s), all of your tax documents and sign your return electronically.