OSU DIRECT

Coordinator's Welcome! By Maureen O'Rourke

Dec 11, 2001

Happy Spring! I hope everyone is enjoying the weather ?– even if it rains! Rain makes the flowers grow. OSU DIRECT is having a spring growth spurt of its own. We are now working with the Even Start Family Literacy program, too. Those of you who know me know that I spent my year as a VISTA with the Columbus Literacy Council and fell in love with the concept of Family Literacy. This is a new program in the Lincoln Park North and Capital Park areas. OSU DIRECT helps bring OSU Extension ?– Franklin County education to the parents in this program through the Parent Education component of Family Literacy. We began over the past two weeks with needs assessments and ?“get to know each other?” group discussions in both areas. Our first class began the week of April 22, 2002 in Lincoln Park North, and the topic was Money Management. Classes will be offered in series. Our first class at Capital Park will begin the week of April 29, 2002. Very exciting stuff!

I recently met with Bonita Lee, the Hilltop Neighborhood Pride Liaison as well as with Rick Tilton, Neighborhood Pride Coordinator. These are wonderful people, very dedicated to our Columbus community. We discussed how Neighborhood Pride (NP) and OSU DIRECT are becoming community partners and assisting each other with our missions to help bring pride back to our communities through information and education. OSU DIRECT will continue to participate in the NP Community Nights in various areas and get educational information out to the residents. We look forward not only to meeting with NP Liaisons on a regular basis, but to a long and productive partnership with the Neighborhood Pride program and the City of Columbus.

Great news! The Second Annual Neighborhood Resource Connection (NRC) conference is a go! Read more about this OSU DIRECT event and others in the Forum Update article!

Always feel free to contact me about anything you read in our newsletter. Take care!

Remember ?– We?’re on the web! www.neighborhoodlink.com/org/osudirect

Coming Soon: NRC WEST 2002! See ad on page 4!