Help Us Build a Respite Home for Unhoused Students in 2026

As we wrap up the year, we want to share something beautiful that has grown out of our Children’s Community Garden — something many of you helped make possible.

In just one year, the garden growing in Oakley became a place where immigrant families, long-time neighbors, and Cincinnati Public School (CPS) families and teachers found friendship, safety, and a sense of belonging. Kids and adults of all ages and abilities planted seeds, played in trees, and watered tomatoes side-by-side. And somewhere in all that good soil, a new idea took root.

What’s coming in 2026

Because of the trust built this year, we’re now preparing to welcome families back to our garden play space this spring and to create a safe, temporary home for a CPS-connected family experiencing homelessness.

In partnership with our friends at City Peace Church and CPS’s Project Connect — whose mission is to “provide advocacy paired with specialized educational services and lifestyle enrichment opportunities for children who have neither a voice, nor a choice, in experiencing homelessness” — we’re opening a 300 sq. ft. family respite studio right next to the garden. We’re calling it the “Simons Studio” in a nod to the history of the church and their commitment to justice and peace. It sits inside the corner of the City Peace Church building, with its own unique entrance, separate from the rest of the building, allowing families to come and go with ease and independence.

Simons Studio:

This corner respite room pictured from the outside here, will offer:

• A secure room where families can sleep safely for up to 2 months

• A garden steps away for play, calm, and joy

• After-school activities with neighbors and specialized adults

• A new bathroom and space to sleep 6 with basic essentials

• Support connecting to stable housing, specialists, and school resources

Where we’re headed

This initiative grows directly out of the relationships formed in the garden — relationships that convinced us Imagine Cincinnati is meant to be known not just for compassion, but for action. We’re investing in community-based solutions and the advocacy and policy work that makes long-term change possible. This inspirational partnership with our supporters at City Peace Church and Project Connect is one of our boldest steps yet, and it would not be possible without our amazing donors.

Where we are today and how you can help

We’ve already raised more than $12,000 toward the initial renovations — installing a shower and water heater, updating electricity, painting, and preparing the room so families can move in safely. These early funds from Interact for Health, the Central District Conference of Mennonite USA, and private donors have given us a strong start.

But while we wait on construction permits, we’re asking our community to help us furnish the space. Please click the button below to find Wish Lists for specific furnishings to fit the space, and suggestions of gently used items we’re hoping to find.

Will you step up and lend a hand?

Additional Ways to Help:

• We’ll also welcome gift cards to IKEA, Target, Meijer, Amazon, Aldi, etc. to help cover ongoing supplies and replacement items - we want to be able to send families on with the essential items they need or love.

• Items to help provide welcome baskets when families arrive. This could include school supplies, basic toiletries, toys and books, bus fare, laundry cards, or gift cards to nearby restaurants (Skyline, Sleepy Bee, Baba India, etc.)

• Donate directly to City Peace Church to help cover ongoing costs for utilities, cleaning, and maintenance needs. Click here to donate directly to the Simons Studio Initiative Fund on their website.

• We’d love to connect with local shops and businesses in the Oakley area who want to partner with supporting these families.

  Email jen@imaginecincinnati.org or brian@citypeacechurch.org with specific ideas or gifts to donate.

  Drop off donated items off at City Peace Church, 4229 Brownway Ave, on Thursday or Sunday mornings (9am-12pm) or email to arrange a pick-up.

Your generosity now, helps us open the door to families who need safety, consistency, and a community that sees them.

Thank you for tending this work with us. We can’t wait to see what grows next.