The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is committed to supporting residents looking for work or aspiring to a better, more financially and emotionally fulfilling career. To this end, the Library is in a longstanding partnership with OhioMeansJobs (OMJ).
Starting July 17, the Library expanded this partnership to a new place: the OhioMeansJobs Center at 1916 Central Parkway.
For the past year, a dedicated member of the OMJ team, Cindy Frietch, stocked the lobby at the center with books for clients of all ages to enjoy. Thanks to the support of the Friends of the Public Library, an honor book collection of donated materials is now located at the OMJ Center. Clients can now take books home and enjoy them.
“Every day we serve parents who are trying to make their lives and the lives of their children better by finding a new job—but often they need to bring their children with them,” said Frietch. “Reading is such an important part of lifelong success. I wanted the families that are here waiting for service to be able to enjoy a book, as well as to take a book home with them.”
When Paula Brehm-Heeger, the Library’s Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director and board member of the (SWOSouthwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment BoardRWIB), heard of Frietch’s efforts during the SWORWIB SuperAwards ceremony, she knew a new way the Library could help.
“Books and making connections that better serve our community are part and parcel of what makes the Library special,” said Brehm-Heeger. “Creating an honor book collection at OhioMeansJobs is another way we can help connect people with the world of ideas and information.”
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ABOUT SWORWIB & THE OHIOMEANSJOBS (OMJ) CENTER
SWORWIB procures the service provider for OMJ/Cincinnati–Hamilton County that works every day to connect job seekers and employers. By bringing together business, government and the community into a collaborative unit, the OMJ Center is able to create a more skilled and better-trained workforce. The collaboration results in more successful employers, increased tax revenues generated by new or better jobs for previously unemployed or underemployed individuals, and improved social services through reduced reliance on public assistance.
