Lydia's House

Hanna Kahler was a Lydia’s House volunteer a few years back. When she asked if she could share some thoughts on reading to kids and book recommendations for the shelter, we said an emphatic  “yes!” The following are her thoughts, focused on multicultural books, and there’s even a book list at the end if you’d like to donate a book to Lydia’s House. By Hanna Kahler My entire life, I have loved reading books. I have warm memories of waking up early as a preschooler & snuggling on the living room couch with my mom, quietly reading picture books together

Top 10 Accomplishments During My Time at Lydia’s House After five years of working with Lydia’s House, I have chosen to take a new position as a full-time occupational therapist with Cincinnati Occupational Therapy Institute beginning in February. After a slow trajectory of my role shifting to become more administrative, I am excited to return to a clinical setting oriented to patient care. This position will be working primarily with children and will focus on using sensory integration strategies to support children experiencing trauma and mental health challenges. Reflecting on my time, I assembled the top 10 things I accomplished

Behind every successful woman with kids is another woman By: Meridith Owensby, Lydia’s House co-director In last year’s Hulu series Mrs. America told the compelling story of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and its opposition. At the heart of this story was Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative mother of six, who organized her newsletter mailing list into a formidable advocacy outfit. Her efforts eventually served to block the passage of the ERA. One of the less praised successes of the series, however, was the acknowledgement of the existence of help, both in the form of paid staff and family support. For

By Mary Ellen Mitchell The Jesuit Catholic Tradition teaches that the more we embrace our humanity with all its limitations, the more our divinity is revealed. We follow in the footsteps of Jesus, both fully God and fully human. This paradox sets the stage for the tyranny of time to be a gift. Perhaps there is nothing more human than the ticking clock; the knowledge that our time on earth will end. Our finite nature seemingly raises the stakes on the choices of each day. It’s in these choices, both the mundane and the consequential, that we make a life.

Savannah Staten is the new maternal and child health fellow at Lydia’s House. The following is her narrative on the decision to take this position and move from her home state of North Carolina to Cincinnati for the two year commitment: From the outside, being a mother seems like being a superhero. When we think of a mother’s love, we imagine a force that can move mountains and save the world. We see mothers go above and beyond for their children. However, we seldom hear about the hardships that accompany motherhood and pregnancy specifically. During my second semester at North