December 2016
  
Shamira is a very talented athlete who plays guard in basketball and defense in football.

When not in a game, Shamira enjoys hanging out with her friends at the mall, playing video games and going to the movies.

This caring teenager describes herself as funny and fun to be around. Shamira likes making people smile and laugh and always cheers her friends up when they are feeling down. She enjoys writing and loves reading mystery books.

Shamira dreams of becoming a lawyer when she grows up and she would like to travel to Disney World.

Shamira enjoys going to school and her favorite subject is math. She is working hard on improving her grades so a family that is willing to assist her with homework would be great.

She wants to be part of a small, active family that has pets. 



Quick Links



Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

View our videos on YouTube

Find us on Pinterest


Thanks for supporting us and our kids this season

Would you like to see the incredible joy of happy children? The overwhelming security of family? True, unconditional love?

Watch our mass adoption ceremony, which took place Nov. 4.

We've had 362 views so far, including from as far away as Germany. This is one of the greatest events we do every year. It is amazing to see these families come together and we are excited to share those types of moments - adoption proceedings usually take place in confidential settings - with the world, so everyone can see the joy that comes with a successful adoption.

This is just one of the outstanding things that happened for our agency in November, and December is already shaping up to be just as positive.

November also brought good news from Hamilton County voters, as they approved our Children's Services Levy. That will provide the agency with $40 million in local funds, which we will use to draw down a matching amount of money from the federal government, giving us $80 million to serve the county's abused and neglected children.


Our OMJ found jobs for 48 vets in October

OhioMeansJobs Cincinnati-Hamilton County found jobs for 48 military veterans during the month of October. That's a quarter of all the veterans placed in jobs statewide.

The Office of Workforce Development set a statewide challenge of hiring 200 veterans during the month. Our employees certainly helped exceed that goal.

Kevin Holt, section chief, said his team has "worked hard to put processes in place to identify veterans, to continue providing Priority of Service to veterans, to build strong partnerships and most importantly to provide innovative and collaborative ways to assist our customers."

 
Thank you for helping us provide gifts to kids in foster care

It's such an inspiring time of the year here at HCJFS - we are always overwhelmed by the kindness of those who help us take care of kids in foster care. 

We asked for help to provide a nice Christmas for our kids. And boy, did people respond.

Photographer Lisa Hezlep put out a Facebook challenge to her friends, offering free photography ser vices to any who donated gift cards to us for our teenagers.  Dena Cranley , the first lady of Cincinnati and the First Ladies for Health Group, also asked friends and to help us with gift cards.

Employees at Fifth Third Bank adopted dozens of our kids, fulfilling wish lists that included everything from Baby Alive to Kevin Durant shoes. Gifts also came from the Tai Chi Society, 4myBenefits Inc., American Modern Insurance Group and College Hill Presbyterian Church.
First Financial Bank workers bought gifts and the bank made a generous donation to help us give gift cards to the rest of our older kids.

Xerox donated money for us to be able to put on a holiday party for kids and their caregivers.

Uncle Bumpee's Barber Shoppe in West Chester donated dozens of rolls of wrapping paper. The ProKids Young Professionals came to help us wrap and brought dozens of pairs of socks.

So at ou r holiday party next week, we'll look around at the kids talking with Santa and opening their gifts and be so appreciative of having such tremendous support from this community.
 
Our new orientation program aims to empower, welcome

We're doing our first-day orientation program for new workers differently as part of our efforts to recruit employees.

We've made it an entire day - "an empowering and memorable" - first day, hopes Bev Kroeger, our human resources manager. "I believe everyone remembers their first day of every job."

With that in mind, our HR and executive teams have not only extended the orientation to an entire day, but added a meet-and-greet over lunch with managers. New employees also get a chance to see a Lifebook, the collection of photos and information given to kids who spend time in foster care. They also learn about COVE, or Community Outreach Volunteer Effort, our group of employees that does so much good in the community.

Kroeger wants new employees to know that working here gives them an "amazing opportunity that they have every day to make a difference in someone's life."

"I explain that many people who come here are in crisis, which stirs emotions," she said. "They have to be able to stay focused on their task of helping people and not get reeled into negativity, to take that charge seriously and with great compassion because when people deserve grace the least is typically when they need it the most."

If you think you'd be a good fit at HCJFS or know someone who might, check out our job openings.