Mary Magdalen House is helping to renew OTR by restoring dignity, hope | Opinion

Recent news articles have focused on the concentration of violent incidents and crime in Over-the-Rhine, and rightfully so. Mary Magdalen House finds itself in a neighborhood which is, in many ways, ground zero for those in need.

In the 1980s, the need for social and economic help in Over-the-Rhine was obvious. It had become one of the most distressed neighborhoods in the country, with an astronomical rate of poverty and unemployment. Local activists took notice and decided they needed to take action. Various organizations including Our Daily Bread, Tender Mercies, and Mary Magdalen House were founded separately to provide food, housing and hygiene services. These organizations − and others − brought their own type of renewal to the neighborhood in their respective locations. After 30 years, Mary Magdalen House had the opportunity to maximize its efforts by moving to a building on Republic Street along with other local nonprofits focused on tackling issues related to poverty and homelessness.

The concentration of social services in OTR is no accident. The deliberate focus of those efforts in one area is clear − people need help. We are physically located in the middle of an area that is attempting to evolve into a period of renewal. But renewal looks different to people depending on your circumstances. For some, renewal means luxury apartments. For some, it means increased employment opportunities and attracting new businesses. For others, renewal means the chance to eat a good meal and take a hot shower.

Impactful change is gradual, not immediate. As one of the organizations dedicated to working toward impactful change, Mary Magdalen House provides basic services that many people take for granted every day. Many people take for granted the ability to take a shower, put on clean clothing, use a phone and receive mail. Mary Magdalen House knows that these simple services can promote personal renewal. Since its founding in 1988, Mary Magdalen House has held to the core belief that dignity is the beginning of hope. Restoring dignity can offer a renewed sense of hope to someone going through the soul-grinding routine of homelessness.

Mary Magdalen House can offer some respite from the harshness of that daily struggle. But we could never do it alone; which is why Mary Magdalen House along with OTR community members, Cincinnati police, and city leadership have been working together to empower community members to make positive changes in the neighborhood to improve safety for everyone.

We are committed to supporting the dignity of our neighbors, believing that this is the first step toward hope and renewal on an individual level.  We are also committed to collaboratively supporting the holistic security of our neighbors with other nonprofits at the St. Anthony Center and in OTR. And finally, we are committed to working with community groups, businesses, and local government to improve and renew OTR through the PIVOT program which focuses on safety and violence prevention in our immediate neighborhood.

One thousand seven hundred and seventy-four people sought help at Mary Magdalen House in 2023. Those 1,774 individuals came to Mary Magdalen House more than 26,000 times to tend to their basic human needs. They took showers and put on clean clothes, they used the toilet, used the phone, received messages and mail, received bus passes to get to and from appointments, interviews, or jobs, and received referrals for physical and mental health, housing assistance, substance use recovery programs and much more. These 1,774 people came to Mary Magdalen House in search of dignity and hope. We don’t expect that number to go down any time soon.

Mary Magdalen House − and our fellow nonprofits in OTR − is in it for the long haul. We are working with the community in the community for the community for as long as it takes.

Jenny Perez is the executive director of Mary Magdalen House.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mary Magdalen House offers respite from the harshness of homelessness