Year-end message
Our director reflects on what’s been achieved and what’s planned for 2026
We get to choose how our children grow up
Imagine barbed wire and flooded grounds, surrounding rusty, outdated playground equipment. A nearby vacant home is falling apart, with boarded-up windows broken through.
Is this a place for a child to thrive?
Just a few years ago this is what the Blythe Oldfield Park and its surroundings felt like. Neighbors wanted to see a change, but when systems are working against you, it can feel hopeless. Kids don’t get to choose the neighborhood they are born into. And they don’t get to just pick up and leave. But we, as adults and neighbors, do get to choose collectively what neighborhoods look and feel like for them. Our choices impact whether kids have opportunities to survive, and beyond that, flourish. On the other hand, our choices can deny them this kind of childhood.
Today the Blythe Oldfield Park is a vibrant place where neighbors from different backgrounds and income levels come together and feel connected. Most days you see families and children laughing, playing, eating together, and creating memories. This is the kind of place we have chosen alongside existing neighbors, but not without extensive community support and care. And the work is not done.
Would you thoughtfully consider becoming a monthly supporter or giving a one-time donation today to contribute to this abundant need? Kids deserve to feel secure and connected in the neighborhood where they live. Stable housing, safe places to play, and financial stability all matter in this equation. Choose to ensure a promising future for the children living in Cleveland’s most overlooked neighborhoods.
Gratefully,
David Goodwill
Executive Director