New Board Introductions!
Several new friends have joined us in profoundly changing lives as 2019 Cabbage Patch Board members! We are grateful for their commitments and will be introducing them here, a few at a time, over the next few weeks. Mark Pfeifer is a former Patch Board President who joins us for a new term of profoundly changing lives! He is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of Hospital Medicine at University of Louisville. Mark is married…
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Guest Post: Musician Jim McGee
Musician Jim McGee led 10 two-hour sessions of the Music and Rhythm group in November and December 2018, which engaged kids in performance of diverse indigenous music of Kentucky including gospel song, freedom song, blues, call and response spirituals, jug band, jazz, KY fiddle tunes, holiday songs, kids songs R & B, and hip hop percussion. The goal of the group was to engage the kids in creating musical performances and expressing themselves through singing,…
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Welcome, 2019 Board Members!
Several new friends have joined us in profoundly changing lives as 2019 Cabbage Patch Board members! We are grateful for their commitments and will be introducing them here, a few at a time, over the next few weeks. First up, David Dorsey and Emily Lawrence! David Dorsey is retired from Brown-Forman. He is married to Lee Ann and they have three grown children. He is a member of Second Presbyterian Church. In his spare time,…
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Merry and Bright: An Evening with Robert Half
What good friends the children of The Patch have at Robert Half! For the seventh year in a row, the Robert Half Christmas Party treated Patch members to dinner, games and gifts during one of the most anticipated events of the year. Based on good behavior and active participation, 30 Cabbage Patch members earned the privilege of participating in the party. Children enjoyed Chick-fil-A meals, a visit from the Chick-fil-A Santa Cow, giant Jenga, a…
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Saving for the Future
Did you have a lot of direction when you were growing up about financial responsibility? Financial literacy is something that is often left out of a young person’s educational journey, but it’s very important! Thanks to PNC and State Farm, The Cabbage Patch is able to provide this much-needed program. Andrew* started out at The Cabbage Patch as a Teen Leader, where he was first introduced to the concept of financial literacy. During his time…
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Making the World a Better Place
Each spring, Cabbage Patch staff members take a group of children to Central Park to spruce up the landscaping. The other volunteers refer to The Cabbage Patch kids as the “Garden Ninjas.” They replant pansies, mulch and pull weeds. It would be a big job for just one or two volunteers, but because they all work together, they make quick work of beautifying their neighborhood park. Many people in low-income neighborhoods feel a lack of…
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Bonjour, Canada!
“I didn’t know there was this much water in the world!” shouted Harper* as she gazed out over Niagara Falls. Harper was part of a group of six Cabbage Patch members who went on a trip to Canada as part of our Global Civic Engagement program. The Patch has long been expanding the horizons of at-risk youth with travel camps, and the trip to Ottawa further built on this programming with an educational exploration of…
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True Grit
Grit is defined by Merriam-Webster as “firmness of mind or spirit: unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.” Recently, we spoke with our client, Samantha* and realized that she is a very “gritty” person. Samantha graduated with her associate’s degree in paralegal studies in the spring of 2017. Since then, she has been working very hard to find a job in that field. She received some assistance, guidance, and positive words from our…
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Addressing Poverty with Education
Once a month, families gather for a Patch Parents meeting, where they share a meal and receive information and resources that help improve their quality of life. At one such meeting, tables surrounding the room were covered with books. Having collected excess book donations for several months, the Educational Opportunities staff members were able to share with the families. Parents were encouraged to take as many as they could use, and most were eager to…
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Taking a Chance on Dance!
When is the last time you danced in front of someone? This question might make you laugh. You might say “No one wants to see that!” But where is this reaction coming from? You might think you are not good enough. You might be comparing yourself to better dancers and thinking you have nothing to offer in terms of creativity or technique. But what if you took a chance? What if you found out…
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