How many of us with children or grandchildren plan weekend outings around the city? The Cincinnati Zoo, Krohn Conservation and hikes at the Cincinnati Nature Center are just a few of my favorites. Yet, when I reflect on our women at Casa de Paz, they don’t often have the funds, the transportation, the awareness or the time to provide these experiences for their children. So…in stepped the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce who provided our families the opportunity to enjoy the city of Cincinnati through their Cincy Cinco Grant. The grant covered entrance to different attractions around the city, such as the Cincinnati Zoo, movie theaters, the Museum Center and the Krohn Conservatory. These outings have been new and great experiences for the moms and their children.
We sometimes don’t realize that visiting these attractions is a luxury, but it is. For some families, the resources are scarce, and children sometimes reach adulthood before getting to see a movie at the theater. With that in mind, one of our first outings we planned was to a movie theater to see a Christmas classic, The Grinch. The children as well as the adults were ecstatic about going to the movies. Some of the residents had not gone to the movies in a long time or had never been inside a theater. Being able to share in the experience of taking their first trip to the movies was
so awesome. I loved seeing the kids’ faces brighten up when we arrived. The kids sat quietly in their seats and were completely immersed in a new world for a few hours. I love to think that for those two hours when they sat mesmerized, they were able to forget about some of their daily challenges. It also didn’t hurt that they tried popcorn, boxed candy and soda too! The children enjoyed the movie so much that they were asking when we could go again, even before they left their seats!
