Past Events & Programs

Our Nature | Climate Fresk

Using Gamification to Understand Climate Change

March 16 2024

Climate Fresk is a gamified workshop about how everything is connected in the climate crisis. The workshop empowered participants with an understanding and language to be able to speak to nuanced issues, and empowered them to build a foundation to move a community towards action. Led by Megan Yousef, an APTD-certified facilitator with a background rooted in change management.

Welcome Kettle Project

Together We Thrive: Sharing Local Refugee Journeys

December 7  2023

Graham Ball of USCRI, shed light on the robust support systems facilitating the resettlement of refugees and immigrants in Cleveland. Anne Hill from AMIS and Lynn Tramonte from OIA shared compelling insights into the mobilized responses of their respective organizations.

Welcome Kettle Project

Hope Unveiled: A Night of Refugee Artistry and Resilience 

 November 30  2023

The opening reception featuring The Columbus Crossing Borders Project left a lasting impact as attendees were immersed in a transformative evening. The documentary film, “Breathe Free,” wove the evolution of each art piece with firsthand stories from refugees. 

The Prism Series

Estate & Financial Planning for People with Disabilities

October 24 2023

Through this session of the Prism Series, we explored effective tools for ensuring a supportive future for unique needs with Tranquil Path Financial Planning and McFadden Bushnell LLC.

Leaf Party 2023

October 21  2023

A fall festival designed with inclusion in mind immediately following the Oak-y Dokie 5K & Able Acorn Walk.  Families enjoyed the fall activities– Sensory trail hike, art activities, bouncy house, fortune telling & more! 

Oak-y Dokie 5K and Able Acorn Walk

October 21  2023

A day of inclusion and acceptance with the Community Life Collaborative. Our annual Oak-y Dokie 5K and Able Acorn Walk highlighted the special needs community and individuals with different abilities .

The Prism Series

A Community Within a Community

October 18  2023

Through this session of the Prism Series, we tackled issues and challenges faced by differently-abled individuals entering adulthood with Solon Community Living and how it’s possible to have a safe, sustainable, and community-accessible neighborhood for them as they enter adulthood. 

Bees, Bugs and Butterflies Exhibit

How Pollinators Help the Cuyahoga Region Bloom

October & December 2023

In this unique photographic journey, we featured the work of Jerry Cannon, Danae Wolfe, Jim Roetzel, Denny Reiser, Anthony Rodgers, and Jeffrey Gibson. During various life stages, our native insects and caterpillars are hard at work supporting our local biome.

The Tree of Life Event

September 23  2023

The Tree of Life Event was a celebration of life for families that have lost a loved one due to opioid overdose or gun violence on our city streets. We have honored 15 families annually in the Northeast Ohio area with a “Tree of Life” dedicated to their beloved family members.

Rejuvenate Your Landscape

August 12 2023

A nature-filled event where participants learned about the importance and benefits of native plantings, demystified the process of analyzing their space and choosing plants, heard about different approaches to match their budget, and had their questions answered by experts.

Crooked River Contrast Art Exhibit

August 9 2023

This exhibit brought together historical images leading up to the 1969 fire and contemporary photographs depicting the positive results of the clean-up and conservation strategies that the event inspired.

2023 Garden Gala: The Year of the Firefly

June 10, 2023

Our second annual Garden Gala! An evening of dinner, games, auction, and FUN! We extend our gratitude to everyone who continuously supports the CLC mission and help us build innovative collaborations.

The Power of Water: A Day of Exploration

May 20, 2023

A day full of workshops and demonstrations by local experts, who shared their extensive knowledge of rain gardens, pollinators, native plants, and more. The day culminated with a reception & panel discussion.

Exploring the Disparity in Green Space Access

May 4, 2023

Discussions were held around how development practices often cut off African-American neighborhoods from clean air and water as well as limiting the availability of parks and natural recreation areas.

Low Power Happy Hour

May 9, 2023

The Low Power Happy Hour is a speaker series brought to us by the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga National Park. It featured local professionals who work in and around the topic of sustainability. 

Converting Vacancy to Bounty

April 24, 2023

Vacant lots are being converted into places of sustenance throughout Cleveland as a result of the partnership between CLEVLOT and Foodstrong, whose mission is to use local, fresh food to empower, educate, and cultivate health in our local communities.

Transforming Akron into a Sustainable City

April 20, 2023

The Summit of Sustainability Alliance (SOSA) is focused on UN Sustainable Development Goals. Currently working toward Life on Land, Zero Hunger, and Sustainable Cities goals, this collaborative is creating an enhanced environmental future for the city of Akron.

Beginning to End the Climate Crisis

April 8, 2023

A day of learning, discussion, and insight featuring the work of Alexander Repenning for his US book tour. His latest book Beginning to End the Climate Crisis: A History of Our Future shares personal accounts of the author’s evolution as climate activists with a thorough analysis of how climate change impacts their generation.

The Hell and Back Gang

March 25, 2023

A luncheon and discussion with a group of rehabilitated ex-convicts that have started South Street Ministries, providing reentry services. 

Deep Roots Conversations: Restoring Community

March 16, 2023

South Street Ministries aspires to empower authentic community voice, leadership, and transformation within the south Akron, Summit Lake, and reentry communities. Discussions centered around meaningful work creating holistic community development while pursuing justice, peace, and love.

Deep Roots Conversations: Strengthening Roots

March 11, 2023

Hand2Hand founder and director Veronica Robinson shared her efforts to create programming for at-risk youth, helping them with the skills they will need to navigate life and excel as adults. With ties to many other organizations, H2H works to create a deeper sense of community with its constituents.

Film Screening: Mama Bears

March 5, 2023

An in-person or virtual screening of the documentary Mama Bears, followed by a panel discussion. Mama Bears was awarded Best Documentary of both the Sun Valley Film Festival and Out Shine LGBTQ+ Film Festivals in 2022.

Deep Roots Conversations: A Song Can Save a Life

February 21, 2023

Active in all three Ohio juvenile correctional facilities, the Power of Harmony used singing and positive male role models to demonstrate cooperation and community and gave program participants opportunities for connection within their home community.

The George Floyd Traveling Quilt Exhibit

February 8-13 2023

The Sacred Ally Quilt Ministry was an exhibition of 10 quilts that together memorialize the final desperate words that George Floyd spoke as he was pinned to the pavement under the knee of a Minneapolis Police officer. 

Wings and Voices Over the Cuyahoga Exhibit

Jan 18 – Feb 2, 2023

Jim Roetzel Wings and Voices Over the Cuyahoga exhibit was installed as the kickoff to a new chapter of engagement to communities through art. This exhibit was a wonderful complement to the Our Nature Series. 

Leaf Party 2022

October 30, 2022

An unbe-leaf-able amount of fun with fall activities for the whole family — participants enjoyed arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, a bouncy house, pumpkin decorating, and more!

Adulthood Forum

October 21, 2022

Panel discussions centered around the real-life experience of navigating a career and adulthood that highlights each individual’s abilities. Providing examples of how resources are used to help with the transition from childhood to thriving adulthood.

Issues Forum

October 20, 2022

Fieldstone Farm empowers and heals individuals through unique equine therapy. Their approach to inclusivity and engagement provided an interactive experience to those with special needs. 

Youth Forum

October 12, 2022

Stacy Cianciolo discussed how to approach and interact with neurodivergent individuals and provided information on the various ways that neurodivergent individuals communicate and think.

Oak-y Dokie 5K & Able Acorn Walk

September 25, 2022

The all-terrain chip-timed 5K kicked off our new Prism Series, a forum exploring the distinctly able. The one-mile fun walk was mostly pavement, but there was a small amount of lawn/terrain involved. Participants were encouraged to dress-up as their favorite woodland flora and fauna!

Kristin Ohlson Book Signing & Conversation

September 15, 2022

We welcomed Kristin Ohlson for a book signing and held meaningful conversations about her newest book, Sweet in Tooth and Claw.

2022 Garden Gala

June 11, 2022

A special night of dinner, games, auctions, and fun! We are truly grateful for those who have supported the CLC mission and helped us build innovative collaborations.

An Evening with Douglas Tallamy

May 5, 2022

An evening with New York Times bestselling author, Douglas Tallamy as we conclude the Our Nature: Rethinking, Rebuilding & Restoring our Relationship to Nature series. 

Stop, Look & Listen: Build a Better Backyard

April 9, 2022

An exploration of the gardens at North Chagrin Reservation allowed us to assess our own spaces and expand our understanding of an eco-friendly gardening approach. 

Democracy, Spirituality, & the built Environment

March 12, 2022

In this session, we’ve heard from David Orr about the compounding issues of climate change and discussed the work of both faith communities with Rev. David Hill and the Green Team of the First Church in Oberlin.

Garment Revolution

March 5, 2022

The Garment Revolution was an exciting event with a great (re)purpose! During donation week, people brought good-quality wardrobe items for us to sort. In addition, the CLC invited Afghan refugee families aided by the Welcome Kettle Project and the resettlement agencies to come and choose items for themselves at no cost.

Environmental Racism, Urban Ecology & Building Resilient Communities

February 26, 2022

Mike Johnson and discussed community challenges with the Big Love Network and South Street Ministries.

Forecast a Positive Future; Time to Rewrite Our Script

February 5 2022

Our first annual fundraiser was held right after Groundhog Day! This event was packed with enough fun to make Bill Murray jealous. A night of dinner catered by Social Affairs, a silent auction, wine pull, dessert raffle, live music, and so much more!

Freedom Speaker Series: Laurese Glover

November 18, 2021

The Freedom Speaker Series featured exonerees through the Ohio Innocence Project

Love Your Neighbor Women’s Retreat

November 13 2021

Presented by Spice of Life Coaching with Jennifer Brown, the theme of this one-day retreat was: Learning to Love Yourself authentically, as God loves you, in order to fully embrace God’s desire for you to Love your Neighbor as Yourself. 

The Welcome Kettle

November 10, 2021

Hundreds of at-risk Afghans arrived in the Cleveland area just in time for winter. With limited resettlement funds and resources, they will need to build their lives back from scratch. Through this project, we have helped provide a new start and gave them a warm welcome to northeast Ohio.

Freedom Speaker Series: Charles Jackson

October 28, 2021

The Freedom Speaker Series featured exonerees through the Ohio Innocence Project

Freedom Speaker Series: Alfred Cleveland

August 26, 2021

The Freedom Speaker Series featured exonerees through the Ohio Innocence Project

The New Normal

August 5, 2021

In this event, participants learned how to transform their workplace into an inclusive environment.

Namaste & Nosh

July 31, 2021

A day of fun for kids, friends, and neighbors for a yoga session on the Family Life Center lawn. This was followed by an exclusive first taste of the Cleveland Field Kitchen’s food truck fare!

Open House Event

July 22, 2021

The CLC is celebrated its inception and partnering with Chagrin Arts to provide an evening of live music, delicious food and drink, and relevant remarks. 

What’s Happening to the Honey Bees?

June 15, 2021

The health of our pollinators is something that affects all of us. Gene McCune of McCune Family Apiaries shared his experiences from years of cultivating hives and updated us on the future of the honey bee.

Reiki Training Certification Course

June 4-5 2021

Reiki is an ancient healing technique that promotes health and well-being, relieves stress, speeds healing, reduces pain, and supports deep relaxation, even in pets! Participants learned to employ this energy in their everyday life to support themselves, friends, family, clients, and pets.