Guest blog: Kevin Rains, Pastor of Vineyard Central Church

We are so pleased Kevin Rains sent us the following blog announcing a brand new, long term community project underway to beautify the areas in and around the Community Center and the old St. Elizabeth’s Church on Mills Avenue. We’re all invited to pitch in and help whenever we can. Doesn’t starting a community garden sound like a fun idea whose time has come?


This past Saturday, ten residents of Norwood gathered to get to know one another, pick up trash in the area and survey the assets and needs in the Mills/Carter corridor of west Norwood, OH. This area is home to the Norwood Community Center, Speckled Bird cafe, and old St. Elizabeth’s church among other things. Mills is also bookended by Victory Park at one end and Upper Millcrest park at the other. It’s also what many of us like to call ‘home.’ It’s an important place for us to start this work of beautifying the neighborhood. We have a goal that by summertime one hundred people will gather weekly on Saturday mornings to beautify the neighborhood. Right now we pick up trash and have dreams of starting a community garden in the area. This is an ongoing event happening every Saturday at 10am. We meet at the Speckled Bird Cafe (corner of Carter and Mills), get a plan and then hit the streets for a fun, doable project. Please join us if you're interested. Our plan is that as warmer weather hits this event will take on a more festival attitude and atmosphere with a cookout afterward, games and music. It's simply about connecting neighbors and beautifying our neighborhood... and you're invited.

Kevin Rains
Pastor, Vineyard Central