Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood

2022-2023 Update

Dear partners, friends, residents and ambassadors of Cleveland Central Promise:

As we reflect on all our work since last summer, we would like to thank you for your partnership and commitment to our collective work in our beloved Central community. Your partnership continues to allow us to make positive change and deep impact. 

As we uplift a year of collective accomplishments, I also want to plant a seed of growth and continuation. We are experiencing a period of rapid change, and we are grateful to be a part of a resilient community filled with leaders, activists, artists, healers, caregivers and thought partners.

Thank you for continuing to be a part of our network and standing with us. We look forward to doing many more great things together.

Richaun N. Bunton

Managing Director, Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood

Family Partners helps Central residents of all ages

The Family Partners program is a collective impact initiative focused on partnering with parents and caregivers to equip them with the tools that will help their families access resources to learn and grow together. Together with OhioGuidestone and Family Connections-SPARK Ohio, Cleveland Central Promise is helping Central families meet their needs and build resiliency to thrive.

Watch and share this video to learn more about the inspiring work of Family Partners.

Champions of Central nominations open now!

At the end of 2022, we celebrated the latest Champions of Central honorees. This award was created to honor esteemed community members and partners who go to great lengths to elevate the voice of the Central community. Champions of Central are individuals who contribute to the vibrancy of our beloved Central community. This annual gathering and dinner is one of our favorite celebrations of the year.



Our 2022 champions were:

Leslie Andrews

Vanessa Cunningham

Maria Estrella

Kim Foreman

Sharon Glaspie

Rev. Dr. Lisa Goods

Samira Malone

Lisanetta McDade

Wyndi Moore

Beverly Owens-Jackson

Monica Rudzinsky

Latia Taylor

Dr. Temujin Taylor

Shannon Yarbrough

Do you know someone who is a Champion of Central? Nominations for 2023 are open!

Mark your calendar for our gathering and celebration: November 16, 2023

Welcoming a new class of Ambassadors

In June, the 2023 class of Promise Ambassadors completed training and were welcomed into the Promise family.

Promise Ambassadors are advocates and supporters of the Cleveland Central neighborhood. They have participated in Promise-provided training and committed to working directly with the Promise Neighborhood organization at Sisters of Charity Foundation and its partners to improve the quality of life for residents in the Central community.

2023 Ambassadors



Brittany Jones

June Terry

Shaa’nique Storey

Talisa Norman

Catherine Walsh CSA



with special thanks to Ambassador Robin Turner who joined us for training!

Ambassador Spotlight: LaQueta Worley joins listening team at Signal

Longtime Promise Ambassador LaQueta Worley is on the new Central Listening Team for Signal Cleveland. We are excited that Signal has selected Central to launch this work, and we look forward to learning more from the listening team. Ms. Worley is a Cleveland Documenter and has written articles for FreshWater Cleveland and The Land, where she recently wrote a feature on Paul's Serv-Rite Food Market on Central Ave.

Look for Ms. Worley and the rest of the listening team at community events and gathering spaces around Central asking, “What’s important to you?”

Ambassador Spotlight: Kareemah Rose

My dream is that we continue to utilize our resources, talent, voice, and dollars to invest in the community that has loved and supported so many. As a result, Central will become the blueprint for a resilient community throughout Northeast Ohio and beyond. - Kareemah Rose, Promise Ambassador

Kareemah Rose has taken on many projects in her years as a Promise Ambassador. In addition to providing Girl Scout experience to young women and girls in the neighborhood, she has also served as a mentor to youth through Men and Women of Central. This year, she has partnered with Lead Safe Cleveland and the East 39th Street Garden to help educate families in Central and nearby neighborhoods on the long-term effects of lead and how to keep children safe. Kareemah said she’s proud that her work as a Promise Ambassador has helped her become a trusted adult to young people and their families in Central and is grateful that she is part of the Promise family, which she said supports her ideas and growth.

Scarab Scholars - Class of 2023

Promise is proud to support the Promise Scholars who graduated from East Tech High School in 2023. Each received $300 from Cleveland Central Promise to help launch their post-secondary journey.

Ta'Myka Adams

Sharrion Anderson

Jaithen Benson

Autumn Billips-Foster

Shaniya Blevins-Bearden

Destiny Blue

De'Asia Boone

Kylon Byrd

Gabrielle Cole Cross-Leinahthan

Dashun Davis

Antaysia Drummond

Ja'Vae Elder

Deasia Green

Dymond Haynes

Damarius Jefferson

Theresa Johnson

Tommie Kelly

Janayia Little

Tierra Martin

Precious McKnight

Nadia Parker Ianmarcos

Darain Rosario

Emya Shaw

Jayla Spikes

Erica Wainwright

Rayvon Whatley

Partner Spotlight: Building Healthy Communities

Cleveland Central Promise shares a close mission -- plus office space! -- with Building Healthy Communities. Building Healthy Communities has provided learning and healing opportunities for adults and youth in Central for more than 15 years, through the longtime commitment of recent Champion of Central Sharon Glaspie. Now semi-retired, Sharon handed the reins to Sherece Brown-Gray, who has carried forward healthy eating, cooking and health & wellness activities in the community.

A few highlights from this past year:

• This year BHC restarted its crochet circle after breaking due to covid. The circle meets weekly to work on projects and increase participants skills, understanding and love of crochet. The items made during the class will be sold at markets and also donated to senior residents in the community.
• Jr. Chef ended serving over 100 youth weekly with nutritious afterschool meals at Burten, Bell, Carr Cornucopia Place, Friendly Inn and Outhwaite Community Center.
• The farmer’s market season got off to a good start for Garden Boyz. Selling pre-packaged produce proved to be a winner. The boys hosted in collaboration with the Western Reserve Area on Aging Department.
• Adults continued to appreciate the meal and lesson about new spices during the Spice Up Your Life cooking sessions at Burten, Bell, Carr Cornucopia Place. 
• BHC partnered with The Links, Inc. to provide more information about kidney disease prevention.

Community gardens keep growing

Promise Ambassadors have repurposed outdoor spaces in Central as special gathering spaces for community residents. Namely, Andrea Johnson’s East 39th Street Community Garden and Gwen Garth’s Community Healing Garden. Both gardens are designed to welcome community members to enjoy outdoor activities and foster deeper connection to dismantle isolation.

C.O.P.E. (Central Opportunity for Purposeful Engagement) returned to the East 39th Street Community Garden this summer. The annual Health Walk featured partners from Lead S.A.F. E. Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, 22Roots Cold Pressed Juices, and educational resources from Tri-C and East Tech High School. Families also had a chance to taste natural honey from HIVE 39, a new local beehive at the garden.  

Community engagement expert, published author

Promise's own Dawn Glasco published her first book, Community Engagement Leadership: Unleashing the Power Within, and we celebrated with a book signing event at Rid-All!

Always inspiring, Dawn spoke about her experience with community engagement and how to become an authentic organizer and leader. Grab a copy of her book on Amazon.

Congratulations, Dawn!

The Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood is a collaborative initiative led by the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. Visit our website or Facebook page for updates on what's happening in the Promise Neighborhood.

ClevelandPromiseNeighborhood.org