American Jewish Committee honors Junior Katie McElveen for demonstrated passion to make community a better place to live

Katie McElveen awarded Human Relations Award

Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School student Katie McElveen has been awarded the Simon Lazarus, Jr., Human Relations Award by the American Jewish Committee (AJC).

McElveen was one of two students selected out of 52 nominations by 35 high schools for her establishment of and work with Windows of Hope – an organization that uses student-artists to create windows depicting scenes of hope for families of children with serious medical issues. McElveen began the project in Cincinnati, and it has since spread into other cities including Columbus, Dayton, Indianapolis, Lexington and Nashville.

“We are so proud of Katie and all that she has accomplished during her tenure at Loveland High School,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “Her work with Windows of Hope is truly amazing and inspiring; she has made our Loveland community a better place to live – and we can’t wait to see what her future holds.”

The Simon Lazarus, Jr., Human Relations Award is presented to student volunteers of all faiths who have demonstrated a passion for making our community a better place in which to live. The award is named for an accomplished leader of the AJC, Simon Lazarus, Jr., who was president of the Cincinnati region from 1951-1953, and a member of the National Board of Governors.

It first began four years ago when McElveen started spending time with families at Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House (RMH) – trying to use her gifts as an artist to give others hope.

“I began meeting with each family at RMH and asking them what they would like to see outside their window as a source of inspiration and hope while they were staying at RMH. Some families wanted to see a scene from a dream vacation, other families wanted to see a familiar scene from home. I painted whatever scene brought them hope. Donated antique barn windows were used as frames for the paintings.”

At that time nearly 80 families were staying at the House, and McElveen saw great opportunity to involve fellow students at Loveland and students who attend Sycamore to use their creative talents to serve. Windows of Hope was officially born, and now has more than 50 student volunteers who meet every week during the school year. Some students paint and others prepare the windows.

“It’s very special when high school students want to get involved with our mission to serve families with critically ill children,” said Tanya Cornejo, RMH development director. “Windows of Hope has brought so much joy to our families and to our House. The paintings are so beautiful! We are grateful to each one of the students who have volunteered their talents to bring hope to our families.”

See some of the Windows of Hope.