Saturday, September 23, 2000

Gardens Center more than shelter

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By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        COVINGTON — For nearly 30 years, the pre-Civil War era building at 11th and Greenup streets has stood vacant, a boarded-up blight on Covington's east side.

        Friday afternoon, the renovated Gardens Center was dedicated. It is designed to help homeless and at-risk families become financially self-sufficient, said Steve Elsbernd, development coordinator at Welcome House, the Northern Kentucky social service agency that oversaw the project.

Alexis Avery, 5, and Ola Riley catch toy fish with magnets Friday in the renovated building's child development room. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        It's part of “a long-term program to get people up on their feet, self-sufficient so that they don't have a crisis again,” Mr. Elsbernd.

        The $500,000 project was funded by home builder Henry Fischer and his wife, Elaine; grants from the city of Covington; and contributions from area corporations and foundations.

        Though it will eventually open to more east-side residents, Garden House will initially serve the 67 people now living in the Gardens at Greenup.

        “God is good,” proclaimed east side resident Sharon Brown, who toured the building with her 4-year-old grandson, Quentin. “This building has been vacant forever and it's really good that something like this has come into the neighborhood.

        The Gardens Center offers:

        • A Montessori child-care center operated by Children Inc., a Covington social service agency. Many of the apartment buildings' 20 families are headed by single women who can work or attend school while their children are in the center. It is state-licensed for up to 30 children.

        • A computer lab, funded by Toyota Motor Manufacturing's North American headquarters in Boone County, with five Internet-equipped terminals, two fax machines and a printer. Computer skills, job-seach skills and career training will be taught in the lab.

        • More job training classes will be offered in the third major facet of the proj ect — a community room for meetings, events and G.E.D study sessions.

        Third-floor offices are being finished by volunteers and staff.

        Residents of Gardens at Greenup aren't allowed to live there without agreeing to a self-sufficiency plan from a Welcome House case worker. The plan might require that a resident attend school and hold a job, Mr. Elsbernd said.

        A resident can stay in the apartments for up to six years, said Welcome House Executive Director Linda Young.

        “That sounds like a long time but a lot of the people were pretty far down, and it takes them a while to get their lives together,” Ms. Young explained.

        Apartment rent is charged on a sliding scale. Both the apartments and the center's programs are paid for with federal tax dollars.

       

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