Help Us Build a Respite Home for Unhoused Students in 2026

As we wrap up the year, I 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 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 three immigrant families back to our garden play space and to create a safe, temporary home for a CPS-connected family experiencing homelessness.

In partnership with 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. 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 washer/dryer, clean shower, and basic essentials

• Support connecting to 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 $7,000 toward the initial renovations — installing a shower, 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 news from more grants that could sustain this work throughout the year, we’re asking our community to help us match that first $7,000.

Will you step up and lend a hand?

Your gift right now helps us open the door to families who need safety, consistency, and a community that sees them. You’ll help us secure the furnishings we need to maximize the use of this small space, hire local tradespeople and support volunteers who can make these building updates happen quickly.

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