Updates from the PAR-Projects blog...

As our first week of thanks (#TogetherWeGrow) comes to a close, we'd like to solute an outstanding project that was spearheaded by the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. This one was dynamic, historic and quite tasty — Fireside Pizza. Oftentimes we hear about and/or read about new developments, but never quite know where they came from, what considerations were made, or even just who was really involved. Did someone swoop in from out of town? Was the community involved in the conversation? Do the tenants fit the neighborhood? The great news, is that this time around everything was done right, mostly thanks to the WHRF and their consistent engagement with the people of Walnut Hills. If you live in Cincinnati and have ever been to a Crafty Super Market or an outdoor even at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center , you may recognize the pizza trailer in this photo. Four or five years ago, that's how Fireside got its start. They make quick, crispy crust, delicious pies,

"Why even care about a Foundation in Walnut Hills?" - It seems like a good question at face value. "I mean really, foundations just donate dollars to kids and stuff ...right?" - Umm... let's stop there. A few days ago, we announced we'd be collaborating with the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation in 2015. We thought it would stir up a little more excitement, but then a conversation with the WHRF events coordinator was recalled. Just weeks ago, she mention something to the tune of "We're not even really a 'foundation' in the typical sense, which confuses a lot of people when they see our name." So, who and/or what is Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation? - As their website notes: We are the community development corporation serving Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills.  We believe a quality physical place is a driver of a healthy, safe, thriving community. So, we work to improve the physical environment of our neighborho

You know the term, a picture is worth a thousand words... When we paused for the picture above, all we knew is that we were enjoying our beverages; we were enjoying our conversation about the future of Cincinnati; we were enjoying sharing thoughts on how each of us was doing our part to help; and maybe most importantly, we were enjoying the work of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation — the creators of September's Food Truck Festival (2014). And for clarity the four different "WEs" represented in this photo are End Slavery Cincinnati , Mortar Cincinnati , Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation , and us of course ( PAR-Projects ). #TogetherWeGrow Given this information, the motivation of Fuel Cincinnati , plus the title of this post, we've decided to do something a little different as we approach this holiday season of giving. We're giving the spotlight to some folks we've worked with in the past, as well as a few organizations we'll be working

It's cold out there people... So as we begin finalizing our collaborations and plans for the warmth of 2015, we thought we'd take a look at some of the major things we've been able to accomplish in our short existence. To help illustrate some of the highlights you may not be aware of, we've put together a few images for your enjoyment. And worth noting, as you'll see, we're especially proud of the development we've been able to spark with our hard work, our volunteers' hard work, plus a bit of creativity and donor support. That said, after viewing our graphic below, we hope you'll consider joining our current fundraising campaign. For the first time in our history, we're offering affordable memberships, which will help us (finally) raise the extra funds we need to start building an art & education center for Northside, Cincinnati. So after enjoying some pics, please consider joining us over at...     + http://bit.ly/par500 We ne