News
Release
1150 Main St. Columbus, Ohio 43205
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2012
For more information:
Liz Hughes-Weaver,
Development Director
614-545-2708
lhweaver@cchouse.org
Settlement Houses are Hidden Jewels in Urban Neighborhoods
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Maybe you’ve recently lost a job and fear not being able to pay the rent.
Or maybe you’ve found work but can’t afford Child Care or safe Afterschool activities for your
children. Where does a family turn when facing hard times or simply working hard to overcome
poverty? For many it is one of the hidden jewels of Columbus urban neighborhoods, the
Settlement Houses.
One such organization, Central Community House sits on East Main Street, but you can find
others throughout the central city: Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center,
Gladden Community House, Godman Guild, The Neighborhood House and St. Stephen’s
Community House. These six neighborhood-based, full-service community centers operate in the
historic tradition of Settlement Houses. Dating back to the late 1800’s, progressives of the time,
often educated women who weren’t properly allowed to hold paying jobs, began purchasing
homes in poor neighborhoods to “settle” among the poor in order to work toward erasing class
lines, to share education and resources, and generally do whatever it took to improve the quality
of life for poor and often new Americans. These centers became neighborhood hubs offering aid
for those in need at the grassroots level, as well as cultural exposure, acclimation for immigrants,
and avocation for basic human and workers’ rights, including regulating and eventually ending
Child Labor.
The movement helped develop the practice of social work and of human services as we know it
today. In modern times, workers no longer live within the houses and the organizations are often
known as Community Houses or Neighborhood Centers, staffed by professionals. Many of the
same services are still offered, as need is determined by each individual neighborhood:
workforce development, early education child care centers, afterschool and summer programs for
youth and teens, art and cultural programs, family strengthening, and many basic and emergency
needs that help individuals and families weather hard times, unemployment and the many
challenges often found in impoverished areas.
“Central Community House is the hub of the near east community and a second home to many,
especially kids and teens looking for some place fun, positive and safe in their neighborhood,”
said Pamela McCarthy, Executive Director for over twenty years.
“We serve all ages, all walks of life. Everyone has something to bring, and everyone needs the
support of another at some point in their life.”
When a crisis hits… lost job, serious illness, death in the family… Central Community House
helps people navigate hard times. In addition, as often poverty is passed down through
generations, Central offers tools to break the cycle and for people to become more self-sufficient.
This could include using Central’s Computer Lab to help find a job, bringing the family to free
monthly dinners and holiday celebrations, or using subsidized Child Care so parents can work
while young children learn basic skills preparing them for future schooling. Similarly afterschool
and teen programs provide tutoring, physical activities, art and dance workshops and an array of
support to help keep kids safe, learning and out of trouble. Meanwhile family support and aid
when a family lacks basic needs can also be found.
For near east residents looking to improve the neighborhood as a whole, Central Community
House offers support, advocacy, meeting space and the services of a professional Community
Organizer. There are also Community Gardens and an active Senior Program. If you don’t live in
an urban neighborhood, you may never have heard of them, but truly the Settlement Houses are
here, serving all ages and all walks of life, working diligently for a high quality of life for all.
Central Community House is a private non-profit settlement house providing programs designed
to strengthen families and improve community life in the near east side and southeast quadrant of
Columbus. A United Way member agency, CCH is a multi-service community center focusing
on early education child care, youth and family programs, emergency and basic needs assistance,
and community development initiatives to reduce barriers and increase self-sufficiency. The
executive director is Pamela McCarthy. For additional information, please call 614-252-3157 or
visit www.cchouse.org.
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