Love Kindess in the University District

This Valentine’s season, student volunteers with the Ohio State University College of Social Work will be teaming up with the University District S.I.D. Stewards to provide outreach to unhoused individuals in the University District. Teams will be passing out Love Kidness kits for access to support services at the Reeb Avenue Center on February 11th.

Outreach kits will include transportation to and from the Center, a required cloth mask for a ride with COTA, a meal while they are at the center, and of course Valentine’s Day sweets. These were made possible by contributions from the Ohio State Unviersity Office of Student Life.

The S.I.D. Stewards, who interact daily with the district’s unhoused populations, will provide glimpse into the challenges facing those that are unhoused to the student volunteers. The day will also provide an opportunity for the future social workers to gain valuabe field experience interacting with vulnerable populations.

Love Kindness is a volunteer-driven program to distribute $10 vouchers to Roots Café and Market at Reeb Avenue Center and a 24-hour COTA bus pass (a Love Kindness kit). While at the Reeb Avenue Center our most vulnerable neighbors are able to acceess support services that address their basic needs—from housing and health care to job training and education; after-school programs and early childhood education to food assistance and city services. The initiative originated with Jane Grote Abell and Tanny Crane, co-founders of Reeb Avenue Center, and Megan and Mark Kvamme who helped bring the project to life by generously providing initial funding.

More information can be found at: http://www.reebavenuecenter.org/Love-Kindness/