Loveland, Ohio – The LIFE Food Pantry recently added “Jora Jr.” to the compost farm behind the pantry. This 70-gallon capacity composter joins the larger 106-gallon Jora installed in May. These fully insulated composters are highly efficient at decomposing unusable fruits, vegetables, and bread leftover from the pantry operations.
The Panty is dedicated to keeping as much as possible, waste from their operation, out of the normal collection stream so it doesn’t end up in Rumpke’s landfill.
Their first compost harvest was in May, and through August, volunteers Nancy Garfinkel and Peggy Goodwin have delivered 930 poundsof compost to help the Loveland Learning Gardens (formerly Granny’s Garden) across the street on the campus of the Loveland Primary and Elementary schools.
Having fully insulated composters ensures the temperature of the compost remains high enough in cooler weather that the microbes, worms, etc., stay alive and active enough to break down the mulch into the most usable organic matter.
DID YOU KNOW?
LIFE is looking for volunteers! They have openings to sort, stock and manage donations, and to work with clients during normal Food Pantry hours.
You can use the online LIFE Food Pantry sign up to learn about available positions and sign up to volunteer. If you are signing up for the first time, please begin with the backroom position, which will provide a good understanding of how the pantry operates, before you volunteer to work with clients. “We appreciate and welcome all new volunteers!”
LIFE’s MISSION
LIFE is a faith and community supported organization that provides food, financial assistance, and programs to those experiencing hardship.
Scheduling, set up, organizing the sorting and dating of donations. Stocking of pantry needs.
Communicating with donor organizations.
Inventory control of storage units and pantry.
Help organize the Pass It On Loveland School Drive for LIFE Holiday Food Baskets.
Symmes Township, Ohio – Loveland is full of so many wonderful things for families to get involved in and for parents to get their children involved within the community. The Loveland Music Academy (LMA) is one of those places that welcomes anyone that has a passion for music or simply wants to learn something new that is entirely community-oriented!
LMA came into conception in 2007 when Linda Bergholz and Aaron O’Keefe found a need within the Loveland community for a music academy that could provide quality instruction based on the need of the student. LMA began its journey by offering private lessons for guitar, piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, harp, percussion, voice, and acting in the heart of Downtown Loveland. LMA’s goal was to provide students with a solid musical education and lessons tailored to each student’s interests and goals. With that motto in mind LMA grew rapidly!
LMA quickly began to be known as the go-to place in Loveland and beyond for fantastic music education and instruction at a very reasonable price. In 2009, LMA moved into the Brown Building at 209 W Loveland Ave (which was across the street from LMA’s original location) because they were growing so fast and needed more space for studios. Within 5 years LMA gained 26 instructors educating 400-500 students per week!
“I teach from age six through adults; each lesson is tailored to the individual student. I believe that it is important for students to be exposed to all types and styles of music–from classical to jazz, rock to gospel, country to blues, broadway to reggae, we all find our ‘niche’–and learn to make the music we love. My goal in teaching a student is not that they win awards, but that they carry the love of listening to and playing music for a lifetime. You can’t always find someone to play a game of soccer or basketball or tennis with you, but you can always sit down to a piano (or keyboard, or pick up the flute) and make music yourself.” – Linda Bergholz
Bergholz started to make plans to both expand and improve the LMA building due to the influx of new students, instructors, and much-needed renovations putting in a significant amount of money to a building that LMA didn’t own. Over the course of 10 plus years that LMA called 209 W Loveland home, they paid over 200,000 dollars in rent to the Loveland Community Firefighters’ Association (LCFA), a non-profit organization that owns the Brown Building off the Loveland Bike Trail in Downtown Loveland’s Historic District where LMA resided.
The LCFA according to their website, “works year round to raise funds to help supplement the department and many other community services. Most of the members of the LCFA are also members of the fire department or their families. These individuals work diligently year-round at fundraisers to raise money to donate to the fire department and other causes around the community. The LCFA has always tried to give as much back to the community as possible that we serve.”
Because of the LCFA motto, Bergholz thought that LMA would be in Downtown Loveland forever as it not only served the community, and supplied local music instructors with jobs, but also brought in a lot of money for both local restaurants and shopping boutiques from its 400 plus students and their parents. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
LMA’s new home at 10084 East Kemper Road, just outside of the Loveland City limit in Symmes Township.
In September of this year, LMA moved to 10084 East Kemper Road, just outside of the Loveland City limit in Symmes Township because they were notified that their lease would not be renewed by the LCFA. Bergholz along with LMA’s music instructors and students were devastated as they thought this would be the end of Loveland’s only music academy.
Bergholz coincidentally came into Mile42 Coffee the day she was notified that LMA was being kicked out of the Brown Building and ran into me. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was not okay and that something major had happened. Bergholz sat with me and told me what had happened and said she just couldn’t let this be the end of LMA. I agreed and encouraged her to keep on fighting because hundreds of local students, parents, and music instructors depended on her strength and dedication. That’s just what Bergholz decided to do. Not only did she write a letter to LCFA asking why LMA’s lease wasn’t going to be renewed and if they would reconsider, she began to work as hard she could to find a new location for LMA. Bergholz later found out that LMA’s lease was not being renewed because LCFA wanted to acrue more income from the Brown Building i.e they wanted to put in a new bar or restaurant. Although Bergholz felt she could prove that LMA did provide a significant amount of income, she decided to move forward in search of a new building.
The search for a new LMA building was tough for Bergholz being that America was in the midst of a pandemic, the cost to move LMA would be extravagant due to all the heavy music equipment (LMA has several Grand Pianos), and LMA would have to stop doing business for however long it took to move. Bergholz was determined to make it work, and she did just that.
I decided to take a trip to the LMA’s new location to see how the moving progress was going and to talk to Bergholz about the journey that led to the new building! So without further ado, I bring to you a one-on-one EXCLUSIVE Loveland Magazine TV Interview with Linda Bergholz! Believe me you won’t want to miss this one!
If you would like to take music lessons or you would like to get involved with LMA you can call them at 513-239-7105 or send LMA an email.
In September of this year, LMA moved to 10084 East Kemper Road, just outside of the Loveland City limit in Symmes Township.
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For more heart-felt Loveland stories stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
2021 Annual Thanksgiving Box Registration runs from Wednesday, September 1st through Saturday, November 6th during normal pantry hours.
Loveland, Ohio – Every year, along with the assistance of Loveland City Schools, restaurants and churches within the community and in partnership with Northstar CARE Center, a food drive takes place to collect food items to supply Thanksgiving boxes to clients of the LIFE Food Pantry and other residents in the community as well as Holiday Bags for later in December.
If you live in 45140 and have not registered with the pantry please contact (513) 583.8222 or lifefoodpantry@yahoo.com. Residents of Chapelwood, Loveland Pines, MacArthur Park or Westover Village will automatically receive a box. Northstar provides the turkey and delivers the boxes to the complexes.
Many students and volunteers deliver the donations from the food drive to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church where volunteers sort, date check, organize and assemble a Thanksgiving meal box to go out to area families on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The families will have the items to prepare to sit down together and enjoy a traditional meal for the holiday.
Each classroom/grade K-8 will have specific items to collect. When your child brings home information about the Pass it On Food Drive, please be generous when you send your donations with them to take to school.
Ensure, potato sides, canned peaches, Hamburger Helper, muffin mixes (not corn muffins), cookies, crackers, pasta (not spaghetti), baked beans, refried beans, pinto beans, chili beans, paper towels, mac-n-cheese cups, and fruit cups.
2021 Annual Thanksgiving Basket and Giving Shop Registration run from Wednesday, September 1st through Saturday, November 6th at the pantry during normal hours.
Every year, along with the assistance of Loveland City Schools, a food drive takes place to collect food items to supply Thanksgiving baskets to our clients!
The students and volunteers, deliver the food donations from the food drive to Prince of Peace (weather permitting). Upon receiving the food, volunteers organize the items donated and assemble a Thanksgiving meal for our clients in need. The family also receives a gift card to a local grocery store to pick out the meat of their choice. This allows families to sit down together and enjoy a traditional meal for the Holidays.
To receive a basket, you must register in advance. If you live in the Loveland School District and have not registered please contact the Pantry at (513) 583.8222, lifefoodpantry@yahoo.com. or use our Contact Form. Let us know your full name, phone, and number of persons living in your household.
Loveland, Ohio – Leading up to last Saturday’s Pottery Affaire at Whistle Stop Clay Works where the art show was held, artists crafted unique pottery designs that would be sold during the show and the money raised would be given to the LIFE Food Pantry. Raffle tickets were also sold throughout the day for a chance to win two clay vases. Some visitors at the show also just dropped money into a donation box or after purchasing an item donated their change as well.
Yesterday, Bonnie McNett, representing Whistle Stop, presented a check to Audrey Hawley and Linda Bergholz of the food pantry for $449.
Audrey said, “Thank you very much to the artists and their donations and for their creativity. It’s wonderful for the whole community.”
“Actually, this will be great,” said Linda about receiving the check, “Because this time of the year, going into the Fall season is when we have a lot more requests for financial assistance. We have a lot more people coming to the pantry needing help when the weather is changing and the temperature is getting colder.”
Bonnie said she was just happy to pass along some, “good fortune to those in need.”
“A check like this will go a long way in helping people with their financial needs,” added Audrey.
You could easily put the total over 1K by adding your own donation to the Panty.
Loveland InterFaith Effort is a (registered) 501c3 non-profit organization and your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.
LIFE MISSION
LIFE is a faith and community supported organization that provides food, financial assistance, and programs to those experiencing hardship.
Scheduling, set up, organizing the sorting and dating of donations. Stocking of pantry needs.
Communicating with donor organizations.
Inventory control of storage units and pantry.
Help organize the Pass It On Loveland School Drive for LIFE Holiday Food Baskets.
Whistle Stop Clay Works is a fully equipped ceramics teaching studio and gallery located in historic downtown Loveland, Ohio, where the corners of Hamilton, Warren and Clermont counties meet. It’s close to excellent restaurants and shops and the renowned Little Miami River Bike Trail. Come take a tour with our 3 minute video!
LIFE is Loveland’s faith and community-supported organization that provides food, financial assistance, and programs to those experiencing hardship in the greater Loveland area.
Loveland, Ohio – Would you like to make a difference and give back to the community? Local non-profit, The Loveland Learning Garden, provides the opportunity for anyone to volunteer to help teach local students about the environment, or maintain the vegetable garden, the flower garden, and the nature trail!
The Loveland Learning Garden, located at 600 Loveland-Madeira Road (Loveland Primary and Loveland Elementary school grounds), dedicates everything to giving kids the opportunity to form “lifelong connections to the wonders of the natural world.” The non-profit outdoor education program not only strives to build awareness and community support but also maintains a vegetable garden, a flower garden, and a nature trail that is used for hands-on learning. The over 1,200 Loveland 1st-4th grade students involved are able to get an interactive experience, through a 20-week curriculum (taught by “Garden Educators” during the school day in the Spring and Fall), with nature while still adhering to the academics they are being taught in class. Seeing how food is grown, tasting fresh produce, and harvesting food that is eventually donated to local non-profit LIFE Food Pantry are just a few things students are able to get involved in at the Loveland Learning Garden.
Planting Kale in May at the Loveland Learning Garden
Board President, Laurie Flanagan, chatted with us at the Loveland Learning Garden about why gaining dedicated volunteers is vital to keeping the non-profit education program running.
“In order to successfully sustain our program, we seek people who want to share their talent and ‘dig in’ to join us by taking on leadership roles on our board or owning pieces of work that make the organization run,” Flanagan explained, “Our committees include education, communications, garden and trail maintenance, volunteer recruitment, and grants/fundraising. We have a diverse volunteer base of ages and backgrounds and welcome everyone! For example, we have students from the LHS National Honor Society, Tigers in Service, and the LHS Environmental Club who have helped us, University of Cincinnati students, workgroups, church groups, students from neighboring school districts, local parochial schools, and many individuals from across the Cincinnati area.“
Check out the video below to see Laurie Flanagan explain how you can help the Loveland Learning Garden!
During the months of March-October volunteers are heavily needed at the Loveland Learning Garden. If you or your organization would like to volunteer email the Loveland Learning Garden.
The Loveland Learning Garden will be a part of the 2021 Great Outdoor Weekend sponsored by Green Umbrella. On September 25th from 9 AM-1 PM, the Loveland Learning Garden will be holding a scavenger hunt for kids ages 4-10. For more information click the above Great Outdoor Weekend link!
To stay informed on the Loveland Learning Garden’s upcoming events and volunteer opportunities you can visit their Instagram and/or Facebook.
Loveland Learning Garden History The foundation for Loveland Learning Garden was planted in 2002 as a floral garden on grade school grounds thanks to the vision of a grandmother who wanted to share the joy of picking fresh flowers with children. With the addition of vegetable gardens and a nature trail in the woods behind the school, Granny’s Garden School grew to be one of the most comprehensive school garden programs in the country and was recognized as a model for nature-based education training. In 2016, the founder retired while a new group of leaders, believing in the value of the program to students and the community evolved the nonprofit to its next iteration. Today, with new energy and a refreshed identity, the Loveland Learning Garden operates with strong, collaborative school partnerships, diverse leadership, community involvement, and a continued passion to educate and inspire children to the lifelong benefits found through nature.
For more ways to get involved with the community stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio – Now more than ever is the time to encourage our youth to both protect and benefit from our ever-changing environment! This is exactly what local non-profit, The Loveland Learning Garden, aims to achieve.
The Loveland Learning Garden, located at 600 Loveland-Madeira Road (Loveland Primary and Loveland Elementary school grounds), dedicates everything to giving kids the opportunity to form “lifelong connections to the wonders of the natural world.” The non-profit outdoor education program not only strives to build awareness and community support but also maintains vegetable and flower gardens, as well as a nature trail used for hands-on learning. The 1st-4th grade students involved are able to get an interactive experience, through a 20-week curriculum (taught by “Garden Educators” during the school day in the Spring and Fall), with nature while still adhering to the academics they are being taught in class. Seeing how food is grown, tasting fresh produce, and harvesting food that is eventually donated to local non-profit LIFE Food Pantry are just a few things students are able to get involved in at the Loveland Learning Garden.
Board President, Laurie Flanagan, believes that exposing the over 1,200 Loveland students that the outdoor education program serves to the environment at an early age will leave a lasting impact of positive impressions with nature.
“We’re instilling a love of nature, joy, and wonder in discovering the outdoors and influencing the growth of the next generation of people who care for our environment,” Flanagan said, “We have a diverse volunteer base of ages and backgrounds and welcome everyone! For example, we have students from the LHS National Honor Society, Tigers in Service, and the LHS Environmental Club who have helped us, University of Cincinnati students, workgroups, church groups, students from neighboring school districts, local parochial schools, and many individuals from across the Cincinnati area.“
The Loveland Learning Garden operates using dedicated volunteers so gaining new talent is vital to keeping the non-profit education program running. “In order to successfully sustain our program, we seek people who want to share their talent and ‘dig in’ to join us by taking on leadership roles on our board or owning pieces of work that make the organization run,” Flanagan explained, “Our committees include education, communications, garden and trail maintenance, volunteer recruitment, and grants/fundraising.”
During the months of March-October volunteers are heavily needed in order to maintain both the garden and nature trail. If you or your organization would like to volunteer email the Loveland Learning Garden.
Here at Loveland Magazine, we found the Loveland Learning Garden to be both interesting and inspirational so we decided to meet Laurie Flanagan, Melanie Simon, and Jen Banzinger at the garden for an on-camera tour. To see just what the Loveland Learning Garden is all about watch the video below!
The Loveland Learning Garden will be a part of the 2021 Great Outdoor Weekend sponsored by Green Umbrella. On September 25th from 9 AM-1 PM, the Loveland Learning Garden will be holding a scavenger hunt for kids ages 4-10. For more information click the above Great Outdoor Weekend link!
To stay informed on all the latest Loveland Learning Garden updates you can visit their Instagram and/or Facebook.
Loveland Learning Garden History The foundation for Loveland Learning Garden was planted in 2002 as a floral garden on grade school grounds thanks to the vision of a grandmother who wanted to share the joy of picking fresh flowers with children. With the addition of vegetable gardens and a nature trail in the woods behind the school, Granny’s Garden School grew to be one of the most comprehensive school garden programs in the country and was recognized as a model for nature-based education training. In 2016, the founder retired while a new group of leaders, believing in the value of the program to students and the community evolved the nonprofit to its next iteration. Today, with new energy and a refreshed identity, the Loveland Learning Garden operates with strong, collaborative school partnerships, diverse leadership, community involvement, and a continued passion to educate and inspire children to the lifelong benefits found through nature.
For more local inspirational stories stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio – There is no better time than now to give back to your local community and that’s just what the Loveland Police Department and the Loveland Citizens Police Academy Alumni invite you to do this Saturday!
On Saturday, July 17th at the Loveland Madeira Kroger the two local organizations invite all area residents to their 9thannual Annual “Stuff-a-Cruiser” Food Drive, in order to benefit Loveland’s LIFE Food Pantry.
The event will be held from 9 AM until to 1 PM at the Loveland Kroger, 800 Loveland-Madeira Road.
You can clean out your own pantry and drop off non-perishable food donations or while in the store, purchase some extra items to put in the cruiser on your way home – to literally stuff a police cruiser full! Actually as you go in, ask what items they would like you to shop for and buy a whole bunch!
During the Summer months, the LIFE Food Pantry tends to get very low on food supplies because there are so many families that are at home (school is out which means no school lunch programs to fall back on) and in need of nutrition. This is why both the LPD and Loveland Citizens Police Academy sponsor the Annual “Stuff-a-Cruiser” specifically in the Summer.
Last year Peggy Goodwin, a member of the Loveland Citizens Police Academy, spent most of her day at the Food Drive event helping organize donations and couldn’t express enough how kind the community of Loveland is for the number of donations brought in!
Please enjoy the video interview below with Peggy Goodwin and Lt. Amy Campbell as well as the photo album from the Food Drive as I and Cassie Mattia did a little “stuffing” last Summer!
Keep in mind that the Pantry is now in their new location next to the Loveland Library, not in their previous location that Goodwin describes in this video. (541 Loveland-Madeira Road, Loveland, Ohio 45140 (513) 583-8222)
If you would like to donate food items or learn how you can get access to food benefits for you and your family go to http://www.lifefoodpantry.org/. Thank you once again Loveland for being a community filled with LOVE!
Loveland, Ohio – The Student LIFE Shop event will be held Saturday, July 31 and Saturday, August 7 in the parking lot in front of the pantry between 9:30 AM until 12:30 PM.
Every year the pantry throws a back to school party that helps their clients provide the things their children need to get back to learning in the Fall in style and with all the tools their more affluent school buddies will have. One important aspect of this program is that it frees up household funds that are needed for things like rent and utility payments.
Clients of the LIFE Food Pantry with eligible students are invited to attend one of these two dates. Your pantry registration needs to be current and you will need to know in advance your student’s clothing sizes
This is a first come, first served event!
Here is how YOU and the greater Loveland Community can help make the program a success:
List of items needed if you’d like to donate:
3 subject spiral notebooks
8 Subject dividers
Planners
Highlighters
Erasers
Permanent Markers
Composition Notebooks
Box of Colored Pencils
Bottles of Glue
10 Subject dividers
College Ruled Loose Leaf paper
Scissors – Adult Size
Fine Line Colored Markers
One subject spiral notebooks
Reusable bags for personal items
Three Ring Binders 1.5”, 2”, 2.5” and 3”
Boxes of Tissues
Sanitizer/cleaning wipes
Hair Conditioner
Please drop items off at the LIFE Food Pantry by mid-July at the pantry storefront in Shoppers Haven – 541 Loveland Madeira Road.
