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Ask a Question: Frequently Asked Questions
Following are some of the
frequently asked questions we have recently received from Cincinnati
citizens, volunteers and the media.
-
What will the CityLink Center Be?
-
What kind of services will be provided at CityLink Center?
- How will it
work?
- Will there be
jobs available at CityLink Center?
- What will CityLink Center look like?
- Where is
CityLink and why did you choose that location?
- How will
CityLink Center Benefit The West End?
- Do you have any
statistics on the West End?
- Why did you
decide to create the CityLink Center?
- What kind of
research did you do to make sure CityLink is needed and what research
will you do to make sure CityLink is a success?
- What is the
process for opening CityLink Center?
- Who is behind
CityLink Center?
- Who can get
involved with OneCity and/or CityLink Center?
- How are you
paying for CityLink?
- Are you
attracting "undesirables" to the neighborhood, specifically sex
offenders?
- Is there really
40K square feet devoted to shelter?
- What is your
response to the zoning appeal filed by a few property owners?
- The West End and
surrounding neighborhoods are saying they are united in opposition. What
is your response?
- What do you have
to say about the opposition's concern that you are reversing their
revitalization efforts to date?
Should you have
additional questions about CityLink Center, please email us at
onecityinfo@onecity.org.
1. What will CityLink Center Be? [
top
]CityLink Center will be a collection of experienced service providers,
visiting ministries, referral partners an army of volunteers, and people
interested in changing their lives in a well-designed, well-maintained
center.
2. What kind of services will be provided at
CityLink Center? [
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]
Expert Agencies. A variety of services will be available at CityLink
Center from experienced services providers, such as the following four
agencies who will have a permanent home at CityLink Center:
- Jobs Plus will relocate from its Vine Street location to provide job
placement, training, and other employment services.
- Crossroad Health Center will provide health screening, pregnancy tests,
and wellness services.
- The Lord's Gym will open a large gym for weight training, exercise, and
wellness programs.
- City Gospel Mission will provide meals and housing for people involved in
their life-changing programs.
Visiting Partners .
Other services like counseling, financial aid, legal aid, dental care,
etc. will be provided at CityLink Center by partnering with other
organizations and a network of churches and volunteers. CityLink is
currently building its roster of visiting ministries. If you are
interested in becoming a partner and/or holding seminars, services, or
classes on the CityLink campus, please email
citylink@onecity.org.
Referral Partners. CityLink is building a referral network to provide
valuable services not available on the CityLink campus. If you are
interested in becoming one of CityLink's referral partners, please email
citylink@onecity.org.
Volunteers. Volunteers will play an active role in the CityLink Center
acting as mentors, tutors, coaches, instructors...and friends.
CityLink will conduct surveys periodically with the citizens of Cincinnati
and West End residents to inquire about services and programs that may
interest you. If you have thoughts or questions about services, please
email citylink@onecity.org
3. How will it work? [
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]
Customized Program and Service Plans. Trained staff will help each
individual find the right combination of on-site CityLink programs and
referral services.
Facilities. CityLink facilities, common areas, and classes are open to
individuals participating in CityLink programs. In addition, CityLink may
host various community seminars or sponsored events.
Childcare. Childcare will be available for guests and volunteers while
they are participating in programming and events.
4. Will there be jobs available at CityLink Center? [
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]
Yes. There will be additional staff needed at CityLink Center. The exact
number and type of positions needed has not yet been determined. As more
definitive plans on staffing are made, this information will be shared
with the community.
5. What will CityLink Center look like? [
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]
CityLink Center will be designed as a modern, bright, welcoming, open
campus, with a central building and landscaped grounds.
The concept drawings of CityLink Center give an idea of the style of
CityLink Center and a rough floor plan for a two story building totaling
approximately 100, 000 square feet. These drawings are preliminary.
Architectural work will begin in 2006.
CityLink will share updates on the design of the building and property at
upcoming West End council meetings.
 
6. Where is CityLink and why did you choose that location? [
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]
We closed on 800 Bank Street in the West End on January 3, 2006. We had 9
criteria for the right site (1) proximity to residents needing services
(2) adequate space - 4-5 acres (3) accessible by foot, bus, car (4)
parking for 100+ (5) Safe (6) Affordable (7) Zoning which permitted the
proposed use (8) No environmental hazards (9) Available. We looked at 19
properties; 800 Bank Street is the optimal site and the only one that met
all 9 criteria.
7. How will CityLink Center benefit The West End? [
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]
Building CityLink Center at 800 Bank Street means that current West End
residents benefit the most.
- Job training in the West End leads to better incomes for West End
residents; better incomes leads to more West End residents being able to
purchase their own homes
- Easy access to health care and physical training in the West End leads
to better health for West End residents
- Legal aid in the West End means more people can get past legal issues
that are holding them back
- Access to family counseling means healthier families. Healthier families
in the West End means kids have a better environment to grow and learn
- A beautiful, thriving building on Bank Street means better lighting,
more attention, and a safer environment in and around Bank Street
- A safer West End means additional attention and investment from
volunteers, consumers, visitors from around Cincinnati who come to the
West End to volunteer, visit, or live.
8. Do you have any statistics on the West End? [
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]
- 40% in the West End are in poverty as compared to 12% U.S. population
- 50% in the West End are out of the labor force vs. 35% in U.S.
- 55% in the West End have high school diplomas vs. 80% of the U.S.
population
- 8% in the West End have
bachelor's degree vs. 25% U.S. population
- 65% in the West End are Black vs. 12% U.S. population
Source: 2000 U.S. Census zip code 45214
9. Why did you decide to create the CityLink Center? [
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]
We believe there is an opportunity to be more successful at fighting
poverty by developing an infrastructure of coordinated relationships.
We wanted to create a place where people could grow
- a place where people
interested in change could find services, programs, and people that
focused on teaching life skills and providing lasting relationships.
We conducted research and found that there are many people who are hoping
that a better life is just around the corner and hundreds of
organizations, donors, and volunteers scattered across the city. Building
CityLink Center provides a place where these people can come together to
help each other.
10. What kind of research did you do to make sure CityLink is needed and
what research will you do to make sure CityLink is a success? [
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]
- Experience. CityLink was founded by 5 agencies that have worked with
people in poverty for decades and who believe they can have greater impact
by coordinating services in one place. They are joined by hundreds of
individuals who have experienced living, working, volunteering in our city
and believe the status quo is unacceptable.
- Qualitative/Quantitative values research
- conducted research with
roughly 200 participants (people in need, service providers, pastors,
volunteers, experts from across city) to determine key values and service
requirements for CityLink Center.
- Benchmarking research
- Visited 6 facilities across the U.S. to find
best practices through qualitative discussions with leadership.
- Secondary research
- CityLink continues to evaluate secondary research
and invite service providers into discussions to make certain we are
learning from national and local best practices.
- Community Surveys
- CityLink will conduct periodic surveys in the West
End to refine programming and service offerings.
- As we summarize and publish research we will make these reports
available on our website: www.onecity.org/citylink
11. What is the process for opening CityLink Center? [
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]
- 2004 - Vision: Created preliminary vision of CityLink with 5 founding
service providers and 5 founding churches.
- 2005 - Discussion: Conducted Research; Invited all Cincinnati pastors
(900+) to be part of development; attended 4 community council meetings,
distributed 6 resident communication pieces, and made countless
presentations, phone calls, emails, to contacts, friends, business
associates, local government officials, neighborhood groups, and the
Cincinnati Christian community.
- 2006
- Plan, Design, Build: Architectural and program design and
development of operational strategies through assistance of experts,
community advisory board, CityLink staff, volunteers.
- 2007
- Build/Open: Build and open doors at year end or early 2008.
12. Who is behind CityLink Center? [
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]
CityLink Center was created by 5 agencies who saw an opportunity to
improve their impact by coming together to offer people integrated
services, lasting relationships, and real life change. The five founding
agencies were: City Gospel Mission, City Cure, Jobs Plus, Crossroad Health Center,
and the Lord's Gym.
These faith-based
agencies rallied the support of 5 additional thought leaders from the
Christian community: Christ Emmanuel, Crossroads Community Church, New Jerusalem Baptist Church, New Life Temple, and Vineyard Community Church.
These 10 founders began to develop the CityLink idea and invited the
OneCity Foundation* to play a role in helping provide additional
resources.
CityLink is a not for profit organization. Funding for CityLink has been
from private donors from participating churches and individuals in the
Cincinnati area. CityLink will not make a profit from operating CityLink
Center, nor is it connected in any way to any for profit venture.
* OneCity is an organization that is devoted to making a strong, positive
impact on our city by investing in major initiatives like CityLink.
OneCity also helps develop programs like Whiz Kids (youth education) and
Team Works (job mentoring) which encourage growth and real life-change.
13. Who can get involved with CityLink Center? [
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]
Everyone. If you are interested please email
citylink@onecity.org, call
513-579-0555 or write 1947 Auburn Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45219.
14. How are you paying for CityLink? [
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]
The completed project will cost $10-15 M total and funded from thousands
of private donors.
15. Are you attracting "undesireables" to the neighborhood, specifically
sex offenders? [
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]
- CityLink will attract people ready for change. CityLink will connect
people to concrete, life-changing programs and a support network and will
NOT provide walk-up grocery/clothing handouts, emergency shelter or open
recreation. CityLink is NOT a YMCA or a community center, it IS a campus
for change, a place for people to learn how to get to a different and
better life.
- Transformation. A better question is not who comes to CityLink, but who
leaves CityLink. CityLink service providers have strong track records of
changing people's lives - integrating services and offering long-term
mentoring will facilitate even greater transformation.
- Sex Offenders. CityLink will not offer housing to sex offenders or
programming which targets sex offenders.
- Operational Strategies. In 2006 CityLink will develop operational
strategies to safeguard clients, neighbors, staff and volunteers. This
will include detailed plans for background checks, drug testing, lighting,
security, surveillance, timing of activities and intake policies, using
best practices from experts to shape our success.
16. Is there really 40K square feet devoted to shelter? [
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]
Initial drawings show 40K s.f. for City Ministries. This included
classrooms, common areas, and 50-100 beds. No emergency shelter is
offered.
17. What is your response to the zoning appeal filed by a few property
owners? [
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]
On 12/7/05, the City's Building Department approved our zoning certificate
after carefully studying the uses proposed and the requirements of the
City Zoning Code. We are hopeful that the Zoning Board of Appeals will
once again site and support our compliance.
18. The West End and surrounding neighborhoods are saying they are united
in opposition. What is your response? [
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]
We all want the West End and Cincinnati to be a better, safer, more
positive place to live, visit, volunteer, and work and we applaud everyone
who is actively involved in our city. We don't believe, however, that a
few property owners and real estate developers are representative of the
majority of residents in the West End or the voice of people in poverty.
Please see an excerpt from one resident supporter below.
"my son is incarcerated and is really searching for what life is really
about I am a recovering addict at having the courage to change and I am
truly believing that god is working through me to reach him but your
prayers would be appreciated. I am a graduate from h.t.c.t.c. and I
attended your church service last night and I really wanted to bring up my
before and after pictures to show what resources like your project
city-link and god does for people. now I know that not everyone makes it
but for those as myself we are grateful for the resources available to us
thank you God and if I can be of service in anyway please feel free to
contact me. I would love to share the photos that say more than
words.....thank you Jesus"
19.
What do you have to say about the opposition's concern that you are
reversing their revitalization efforts to date? [
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]
We are going beyond revitalizing buildings, stores, offices and homes to
revitalizing people's lives.
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