Director's Corner

Thank you so much for joining us to share our strategic plan with you. I get really inspired meeting with residents and stakeholders and sharing opportunities to connect around making our neighborhood the best it can be.

Spring is right around the corner and you know what that means? That's right, SPRING CLEANING! One of our Strategic Goals is to plan annual neighborhood-wide clean up days in the spring and summer to make connections between people and to build pride in the neighborhood; and that's exactly what we are doing, so stay tuned for dates and a volunteer sign up!

Are you planning a cleanup on your street or think it's something you might want to do? Do you have a location that needs some extra attention? Please let us know!

Jeremy Taylor, SCSDC Executive Director
Thank you to those who attended our Strategic Plan Community Meeting. We are grateful for your input and for your support of St. Clair Superior!
Introducing... Brittany Watkins

St. Clair Superior Development Corporation has recently onboarded five new professionals to our Board of Directors. They are committed to St. Clair Superior's growth and stability and we are honored to work with them as we continue serving the neighborhood.

Welcoming Brittany Watkins... Brittany Watkins earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Composition from John Carroll University. Brittany served as a tutor in the Cleveland Heights School District where she provided support for scholars enrolled in the AVID program, a nonprofit college readiness program that provides students the skills they need to be successful in college. Brittany has over ten years of experience in finance. She currently works as a Business Banking Specialist for U.S. Bank where she continuously strengthens relationships with the community to provide outreach and support for small business owners.

Welcome to the SCSDC Family, Brittany!
"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
-African Proverb-
Upcoming Events...
Join us at our Community Zoom this month! The St. Clair Superior Community Zoom Series is designed to build relationships between our residents, community partners and more in efforts to strengthen the community through available resources, educational forums, and interactive activities. This month's Community Zoom will celebrate women in business for Women's History Month.

When: Wednesday, March 16th, 6pm
Where: Virtual (information below)

Meeting ID: 818 4606 0531
Passcode: 629683

One tap mobile:
+13017158592,,81846060531#,,,,*629683# US

Questions? Contact Kaliya at ksmith@stclairsuperior.org.
Join neighbors David and Virginia at St. Martin De Porres High School for a St. Clair Superior Potluck over the next few months! Bring a dish, your art supplies, a board game, a friend or just yourself.

When: Saturday, March 12th, 4pm
Where: St. Martin De Porres High School, 6202 St. Clair Ave.

Click here to learn more and to RSVP for one of the upcoming potlucks.
Explore meaningful careers in your local neighborhood at the upcoming Cleveland Clinic Community Career Expo. Join Cleveland Clinic and community partners Step Forward, The Urban Barbers Association, Legal Aid Services, Dress for Success, Cuyahoga County Public Defenders Office, Cleveland Food Bank, RTA and Towards Employment to get a variety of complementary services and resources you need, along with meals to-go.

When: Saturday, March 26th, 10am-6pm
Where: Langston Hughes Community and Health Education Center, 2390 E 79th St

The Northern Ohio Recovery Association (NORA) is hosting a Vaccine Clinic. First, second or booster COVID shots will be available as well as flu shots. The clinic is open to the public and is sponsored by NORA, Famicos Foundation, Cuyahoga County Board of Health and Ward 10 Councilman Anthony Hairston.

When: Monday, March 21st, 10am-12pm
Where: NORA, 1400 E. 55th St.

Download the flyer and attend the clinic to receive a $50 gift card after getting the COVID vaccine!
PB CLE (Participatory Budgeting Cleveland) is a coalition of individuals and groups focused on bringing the people of Cleveland into conversations that affect them. Join PB CLE to learn more about participatory budgeting and how it could work at the neighborhood level.

When: Thursday, March 10th, 5:30-7pm
Where: Virtual; register for details

Have a legal question? Need to chat with an attorney about a problem related to money, housing, family, employment or other issues? Stop by a Legal Aid Brief Advice and Referral Clinic through the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland! Events are first come, first served and will only address questions on civil legal issues.

For attorneys, law students, and paralegals who wish to volunteer: complete a form here!

When: Saturday, March 19th, 9:30-10:30am
Where: Fatima Family Center, 6600 Lexington Ave.

The Cleveland Asian Festival is a grassroots festival that highlights Cleveland’s AsiaTown and Asian culture in Northeast Ohio. Organized by the community, for the community, the Cleveland Asian Festival celebrates Cleveland’s diversity and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May.


When: Saturday, May 21st and Sunday, May 22nd, 11am-7pm
Where: East 27th St & Payne Ave

Join the City of Cleveland's Community Relations Board and the Cleveland Division of Police for the 3rd District Monthly Safety Meeting. This meeting will be virtual - make sure to invite your neighbors to join you!

When: Tuesday, March 15th, 6pm
Where: Virtual (information below)

Meeting number: 180 166 3710
Password: 6ksSQGvsA35
 
Join by phone: +1-415-655-0003
Access code: 180 166 3710

Are you hosting an event in the neighborhood? Do you have news or resources you would like to share with the community? Contact Julia at jferra@stclairsuperior.org to be included in the next Spotlight!
In Our Neighborhood... Cleveland Kurentovanje

Out with the cold, in with the warm weather… At least that was the hope of Cleveland Kurentovanje Festival that took place a few weeks ago in St. Clair Superior. Modeled after the official Kurentovanje Festival that takes place is Ptuj, Slovenia, the festival celebrates the changing of seasons by chasing away winter and ushering in spring with the help of the ancient and mythological creatures, Kurenti.

Lauren Calevich, Cleveland Kurentovanje’s Event Chair, Executive Committee Member, and Chair of Facilitates, is a native to the St. Clair Superior neighborhood and was excited to bring in new changes to the 10th anniversary this year. The festival spans an entire week with smaller events leading up the big parade and festival on the last Saturday in February. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Lauren and the planning committee moved all festivities outside to allow visitors to “party in the street” just like in Ptuj, Slovenia. Some events were still held virtually to engage party goers not only from northeast Ohio, but all over the United States and countries across the globe. Thousands of guests came to sing, dance and enjoy authentic Slovenian food.

This festival is sponsored by The Slovenian Museum and Archives, The Slovenian National Home and many local businesses within the St. Clair Superior neighborhood. Proud to call St. Clair Superior home, The Slovenian Museum and Archive’s mission is to preserve and share Slovenian ethnic identity by offering various opportunities for others to experience the Slovenian Culture. Lauren’s hope for the future of St. Clair Superior is to see the neighborhood active and full of life and to continue to build strong roots.

To learn more about Cleveland Kurentovanje, click here.
St. Clair Superior's NEW Website!

We are St. Clair Superior Development Corporation... and we are excited to share with you our new website! Our goal was to create a website that serves as a hub for information and resources in our neighborhood. For those that live, work or are visiting St. Clair Superior, we want the website to be one of the first stops folks make to learn more about our neighborhood.

Browse our new website to find resources, jobs and restaurants in St. Clair Superior — plus so much more!

REMINDER: Get Your Taxes Done with The EITC Coalition

Did you know that you can you get your taxes done for free? If you are an individual or family earning less than $57,000 a year, you qualify for free tax preparation services. There is no catch — you can file for free and keep your full refund. The Cuyahoga EITC Coalition is part of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

The EITC is the largest, most effective relief program in the country designed to help improve lives through financial assistance. With the EITC, eligible families can receive up to $6,600 at tax time. Tax sites are available through Cuyahoga County for easy accessibility. Translation services are also available in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Arabic and American Sign Language. To learn more or schedule an appointment, click here.

Interested in volunteering with the EITC Coalition? Learn more and sign up here!

Upcoming Food Distributions & Pantries...

Sterling Recreation Food Giveaway
Where: Sterling Recreation Center, 1380 E. 32nd St. Cleveland, OH 44114
When: First Wednesday of every month from 2:30-4:30pm

Food Not Bombs Produce Giveaway
Where: 6321 St. Clair Ave. Cleveland, OH 44103
When: Second and fourth Sunday of every month from 3:00-4:00pm

Asian Services in Action (ASIA) Food Pantry
Where: ASIA Cleveland, 3631 Perkins Ave. Cleveland, OH 44114
When: Fourth Friday of every month
Details: Call 216-881-0330 to register by the Thursday before each month's distribution. Click here for more information.

Where: NORA, 1400 E. 55th St. Cleveland, OH 44103
When: Third Monday of every month from 10am-12pm
Details: No residency or income requirements. NORA will have turkeys at their November food pantry (Monday, November 15th). Call 216-391-6672 for the emergency pantry, which is available Mon. through Fri. from 10am-3pm. Click here for more information.

Greater Cleveland Food Bank — Food Locator Tool
Details: Use this tool to enter your address and find information for food distributions near you.
COVID-19 Resources...
  • This map shows a combination of COVID-19 testing sites throughout Ohio at private companies and retail sites, community health centers, libraries and other local partners. Due to the demand for testing being exceptionally high, each testing location has its own inventory controls and protocols for the public to access tests. Make sure to call in advance to ensure tests are available and to determine how to access tests when you find a testing site. If testing is not available for any reason, many partners can direct you to an alternate location. Click here for more information.
  • As of January 19, every home in the U.S. is now eligible to order four at-home COVID-19 tests at no cost. The U.S. Government is providing these tests to be shipped through the U.S. Postal Service at no cost to purchase or ship. Click here for more information and to order your at-home tests.
  • All adults are now eligible to receive a booster shot for COVID-19. If you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are eligible for a booster dose two months after receiving the initial dose; if you received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you are eligible for a booster dose six months after receiving the second dose. Click here to view the fact sheet.
  • Click here to check vaccine eligibility, book your appointment and to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Call the Cleveland Department of Public Health helpline: 216-664-2222. Staff are available Monday-Friday, 9 to 5 p.m.  
REMINDER: Lower Your Sewer Bill Through NEORSD

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) provides regional management of sewage and stormwater services that protect the environment and serve our community. As the largest wastewater treatment provider in the State of Ohio, NEORSD serves 62 communities and one million residents, treats 90 billion gallons of wastewater a year, and manages more than 400 miles of streams.

As of January 1, 2022, an additional 40,000 customers became eligible for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s Affordability Program, which provides a 40% reduction on sewer bills. Previous eligibility requirements included only homeowners whose household income level was at or below 200 percent of poverty level. As part of the 2021 rate study, NEORSD made two significant changes:
  • Raised the eligible household income level to 250 percent of poverty level, which, for example, increases the household income for a family a four from $51,500 to $64,375
  • Added qualifying renters who can show proof of their responsibility to pay the sewer bill

The Affordability Program is administered by the CHN Housing Partners.
For additional information about NEORSD’s Affordability Program or other bill assistance, customers can click here or call NEORSD’s Customer Service Department at 216-881-8247.

Report Streetlight Outages

We are currently tracking street light outages along St. Clair Ave. for long term upgrades by the City of Cleveland. In the meantime, if you notice a street light outage or dimmed lights report it immediately to Cleveland Public Power. You can call (216) 664-3156 or visit CPP's website to report the outage... make sure to write down the confirmation number so we can track their progress! 
Job Opportunities...
Project Manager, CHN Housing Partners
Mortgage Loan Officer, CHN Housing Partners
Clinical Case Manager, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry
Maintenance Technician, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry
Medical Assistant, ASIA, Inc.
Bus Operator, Greater Cleveland RTA
Engineering Co-op Program, SIFCO Industries, Inc.
Upcoming Programs at the Addison Branch

Take-and-Make: Sundial Craft — Thursday, March 10
Can we really "save time"? Pick up your free craft kit and learn about Daylight Saving Time through printed materials and a sundial craft.

Family Game Time — Saturday, March 12 | 3 pm
It's Family Game time! Stop at the library and enjoy a game of Uno, dominos, left/right/center, checkers, and many more to choose from. Fun to be had by all!

National Learn about Butterflies Day — Monday, March 14 | 4 pm
Celebrate National Learn about Butterflies Day with a butterfly life cycle story and cute craft.

Preschool Storytime (ages 3 – 5) — Tuesday, March 15 | 10:30 am
Story times for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 include stories, songs, activities, and rhymes specially designed to support reading readiness and foster the social and emotional skills that kids need to succeed as they enter Kindergarten.

Take-and-Make: Springtime Mobile — Monday, March 21 | 12 am
Celebrate the Spring Equinox and look forward to longer days with this take-and-make craft. Free…while supplies last.

Preschool Storytime (ages 3 – 5) — Tuesday, March 22 | 10:30 am
Story times for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 include stories, songs, activities, and rhymes specially designed to support reading readiness and foster the social and emotional skills that kids need to succeed as they enter Kindergarten.

Hands-On Hydraulics — Wednesday, March 23 | 4 pm
Learn about the science of hydraulics…using moving water to move things, drive machines, or make power. Then, create your own simple machine using a hydraulics STEM Kit.

Family Game Time — Saturday, March 26 | 3 pm
It's Family Game time! Stop at the library and enjoy a game of Uno, dominos, left/right/center, checkers, and many more to choose from. Fun to be had by all!

Contact the library:
6901 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44103
Phone: 216-623-6906

Library hours:
Mon-Sat: 10am–6pm
Sun: Closed

For more information on events and programs at the Addison branch, click here.
Schedule Appointments at Joseph's House of Cleveland

Joseph’s House of Cleveland has been closed to the public due to COVID but you can now schedule appointments with Maureen Powers for clothing, volunteer opportunities and more. For more information, please contact Maureen Powers, Director of Operations, at josephhouseofcleveland@gmail.com.
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