The struggle for our neighbors and community is real.
To support those neighbors, community-centered nonprofit organizations face no shortage of issues that impact their ability to serve, and Cincinnati nonprofits are no different. While there are many wonderful organizations helping people in the city, it can be a challenge to see clients holistically and for one nonprofit to meet every need of a client.
That’s where Cincinnati’s CityLink Center enters the picture.
“CityLink was founded by a group of social services and churches that believed that there was a better way to support our neighbors,” says Executive Director Johnmark Oudersluys. “Cincinnati has over 2,000 nonprofit organizations. Despite that massive effort and investment, a third of our neighbors still face tremendous economic struggles.”
CityLink Center seeks to address that struggle by bringing other nonprofits together under one roof to coordinate services for a more significant impact.
Those seeking out assistance often have a shortage of both time and money. “They are being asked to navigate an incredibly complex system of support,” Oudersluys says. “CityLink leverages the strengths of the nonprofit community but creates an approach centered around the client.”
Resident partners at CityLink Center include Per Scholas, Cornerstone Construction Training, Center for Employment Opportunities, SmartMoney Financial Education, Changing Gears, Learning Grove and The Literacy Lab.
Visiting partners — those who deliver services periodically or as a part of other programs but don’t have an office on-site — include Cincinnati Public Schools, Freestore Foodbank, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services and Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank.
It already has made a big impact.
CityLink Center has served over 5,000 individuals at its downtown campus in the past ten years. “Clients pursuing career training and employment enter the center with an average income of $10,145 per year,” Oudersluys says, “They typically have experienced barriers related to housing, debt, transportation and other areas.”
Many individuals engage in career and vocational training, which can last four weeks to three months depending on the course. After successfully graduating from partner programs, those same individuals see an average increase of $18,000 in annual income.
That is a massive return for short-term training and sets clients up for a career of continued wage growth.
Room to Grow
Now, after a decade of service, CityLink is celebrating a significant expansion:
Oudersluys describes the expansion as “more space for clients to enter, create their path with a personal coach and engage with an incredible network of partners who wrap around the clients. Our team felt God calling us to step out in faith to expand the campus to create more capacity to serve more of our neighbors.”
Although the pandemic significantly shifted community needs and programming, the need for expansion was apparent even before the pandemic. “We were simply out of classroom space, and key partners needed additional or customized space.”
The pandemic had a significant impact on engagement and operations. “With the pandemic, we saw a significant decline in clients seeking services — many were dealing with the instability of the school schedule, lack of childcare, lack of work and lack of certainty,” Oudersluys says. “It was really into March of 2022 that we saw this tremendous uncertainty.”
Then, in October of 2022, client volume rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. “Demand has only grown from there,” Oudersluys says.
CityLink’s expansion was funded by major donors such as Crossroads Church, the Weinberg Foundation, the Farmer Family Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, the P&G Community Fund, the Kids & Community Foundation, the Haile Foundation and several other institutions.
Additionally, over 80 individual families donated over a million dollars to the campaign, and the Cincinnati Development Fund invested tax credits which yielded $2.3 million for the project.
Not only has the expansion allowed existing partners to deliver their services better, it’s also created an opportunity for new partners to join.
“An unanticipated benefit of the expansion was converting office space so that Leading Men’s Fellowship could join the collaborative with their new and innovative program to engage 18-24-year-old men of color in early education,” Oudersluys says. “We also have an additional 20,000 square feet on our second floor — we’re openly expectant of what other programs and partners might join our collaborative.”
Oudersluys encourages others to get involved at CityLink. “Volunteers are critical to our work — teaching classes, supporting clients, managing our welcome center and so much more. Our organization is completely privately funded, so individuals in our community fund this through their generosity and desire to see a better path for our neighbors in need.”
It’s an approach enabling each nonprofit to complement the others for a more significant impact and, ultimately, stronger communities.
“Our mission is simple,” Oudersluys says. “It’s to show God’s love to those in need by providing an integrated path to holistic well-being.”
Can you support the mission of CityLink Center and help your Cincinnati neighbors? CityLink is located at 800 Bank St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. To learn more about volunteer opportunities or how to donate, visit www.citylinkcenter.org.