By December evenings may be chilly and dark, but Lydia’s House is glowing with holiday cheer. I’ve never heard so many spontaneous outbreaks of caroling! We have been observing the season of advent by praying together, lighting candles, and making holiday crafts. ORNAMENTS I bought some pom-poms, raided the craft closet, and opened up many pinterest tabs on my phone. It was ornament-making day! But once the kids got hold of the colored paper and tacky-glue, all plans were abandoned. And, of course, their creations were delightful! They made little books, abstract sculptures, and yarn puffballs. The children at work.
Giving Thanks for Answered Prayers
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR: Healthy births for two first-time moms, L and D. S’s beautiful family, sweet new baby, and her new apartment. T’s healthy new baby, and her new apartment. L’s safe transition to the Shanklin’s house. A’s transition to her own apartment through the Welcome Project. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund, created this year in the city of Cincinnati. All the generous donors that allowed Lydia’s House to acquire a building & develop affordable apartments. The great success of the Women for Women event, and the ongoing friendship of the Krzeski Family. The enrichment provided by
Our Version of All Saints’
First, we must acknowledge the very happy occasion of a birth and a birthday: Baby S was born On Friday, October 13. And Kid J celebrated his 2nd birthday on the 20th! His badge is a teeny tiny flip-phone with a text message that reads: “HELLO NANNY” (his favorite words). Many former guests and neighborhood friends joined us in celebrating All Saints’ on Sunday, October 29. The house felt full and lively. Each room in Lydia’s House is dedicated to a different (sometimes unconventional) saint. At this worship service,
Norwood Flora & Fauna: Temporary Beautification for Abandoned Space
The new building when Lydia’s House first acquired it, in May: The same building, on October 29: Lydia’s House’s new building was facing a long year of renovations. The windows would need to be covered, and we wanted to do that in a way that would be beautiful, and show that the building had new owners who cared about it. We connected with Woven Oak and Garden Camp, hoping that local kids could be involved in some kind of
September in Review
Every weekend in September held a joyful event! Here’s a few pictures and notes from the last month at Lydia’s House. WOMEN FOR WOMEN It’s our biggest event of the year: Women for Women. Maria Krzeski has planned and hosted this fundraiser for us for five years, and it is an incredible labor of love. Women gather, clad in shades of blue and purple, to hear the stories of our guests and the trajectory of our mission. MUSE choir serenades us, and we end the night with dinner and desserts. This year, we raised $75,000, exceeding our $50,000 goal. We
