Over the past five years, Sweet Cheeks has raised awareness of the basic health need for diapers. 

While distributing over five million clean diapers to families. Almost 4,000 children receive a supply of diapers from Sweet Cheeks partner agencies every month. Dater Foundation grants have allowed Sweet Cheeks to increase operations, distributions, and the Diaper Distribution Program’s overall reach. Sweet Cheeks distributed 2.2 million diapers in 2020, a 147% increase over 2019.

Grants awarded in July:

Art Academy of Cincinnati, $25,000.  AAC’s Artist & Writer in Residence Program provides free quality instruction in the visual and literary arts at 25 schools to youth in grades 7-12, 74% of whom are economically disadvantaged.  

Bethany House Services, $50,000.  Respite Care for Families Experiencing Homelessness provides parents with the freedom to pursue their goals while the children are cared for and provided activities.  The program was developed while families were housed in apartments and hotel rooms at the height of the pandemic, and it will be continued as to Bethany’s shelters reopen.

Cincinnati Nature Center, $25,000.   The availability of a robust school program that typically serves 6,000 K-6 students with a variety of on-site programs will be available but likely limited dur to Covid-19 restrictions on school field trips.  Alternative virtual programming is being developed.

CISE – Catholic Inner City Schools Education Fund, $60,000.  The CISE/Friars club after-school study and sports program provides a stable, structured environment in which students complete homework assignments and then participate in a sports program.  Soccer is being added to programming for the 2021-22 school year.

Contemporary Arts Center, 30,000.  Youth Education outreach features a robust menu of  programs that encourage students, teachers and families to enjoy an interactive and hands-on art experiences.  As in-person programming resumes, virtual programs that were successfully implemented will continue as part of the CAC’s offerings.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, $50,000.  Education, Engagement and Inclusion programming takes place in school and at the Over the Rhine theatre. Programs include Prelude, Hunter Heartbeat, Fairy Godmother performances, Teen Scene and Summer Camp.

Every Child Succeeds, $25,000.  Moving Beyond Depression gives infants born into at-risk, low income households a boost during their first 1,000 days.  

Family Nurturing Center, $25,000.  Kids on the Block features both in-school and, when necessary, virtual versions of its Bullies and School Safety Program.  Children are educated about what constitutes bullying, promotes sensitivity toward peers, provides specific strategies to make schools a safer place, and helps children avoid or cope with bad situations.  The program is offered at no charge and typically serves over 15,000 children, parents and educators.   

First Tee of Greater Cincinnati, $20,000.  Free outreach programming through an in-school program and at other locations enables over 6,000 young people to benefit from educational programs that strengthen character, instill life enhancing values, and promote fitness and healthy choices.

Gateway Community & Technical College, $20,000.  The Childcare Program is provided free to students at the Edgewood campus, helping remove one of the major barriers to academic success for Gateway students and providing high quality learning sessions for their children.

Interfaith Hospitality Network, $30,000.  Family Emergency Shelter combines community support with professional services to provide emergency shelter to families experiencing homelessness.  A family’s average length of stay is about 50 days and includes overnight shel,ter, three meals a day, and a case plan to transition to permanent housing.

iSpace, $25,000.  Making More Mathletes will deliver in-depth, hands-on math support and enrichment for 1,600 second and fourth grade students in 10 underserved schools.

Karen Carns Foundation, $25,000.  Coats for Kids provides about 1,500 winter coats, hats and pairs of gloves to young people in need while strengthening the bond between teachers and the students they have nominated to receive a coat.

Library Foundation of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, $75,000.  The Homework Helpers program provides free help to K-8 students at 26 library locations where the need is greatest for homework assistance and skill-building coaching.  Programming has been expanded to include summer and school break sessions.   

Lighthouse Youth and Family Services, $30,000.   Life skills training is a major component of the program KEYS to a Future Without Youth Homelessness.

Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati, $30,000.  Little Free Libraries are wooden book boxes that are open to the public 24 hours a day and a freely open to all, removing barriers to book access.  Over 100 are already in place throughout the community; the goal is 200.

The Children’s Basic Reading Program uses the Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory structured language technique to provide assistance to children in kindergarten through grade five who have severe reading difficulties or symptoms of dyslexia.

Matthew 25 Ministries, $25,000.  The local fresh food program coordinates a collaboration of corporate in-kind product donors small to mid-size local partner organizations that can use fresh food to provide assistance to underserved and vulnerable populations.

Prevention First, $20,000.  The organization’s three centers (Prevention science, Community Engagement and Prevention Action) support the overall goal of deterring youth from experimenting with drugs

Salvation Army, $15,000.  The Five-Star rated Learning Center is a Monday through Friday early childhood program that serves children ages six months to 12 years.  The Center provides care for children and assists in educating families in Price Hill and adjacent communities about healthy child development.  

School House Symphony, $30,000.  Teaching Tomorrow’s Audience Today brings over 250 live musical performances by members of a six-person ensemble to 80 schools and 20,000 children throughout Greater Cincinnati.  Fees are kept low through contributions and grants, and part of the Dater grant funds programs at underserved inner-city schools.  If Covid-19 restrictions are in place, e live virtual programming is an alternative.

Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, 35,000.  Mindful that diaper need can be more stressful than food insecurity, a largely volunteer organization works to raise funds and leverage in-kind support to provide diapers for low-income families who cannot afford one of life’s most basic needs.  More than 2.2 million diapers were distributed in 2020.

WordPlay, $20,000.  Teen activities include creative writing, spoken word and playwriting/theatre, and the launch of WordPlay as the regional home of the National Youth Poet Laureate program. 

YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, $30,000.  The Domestic Violence Shelter Program provides safe, secure and emergency shelter to children and youth forced to flee their homes due to life-threatening abuse.

The private foundation was established by fourth-generation Cincinnatian, businessman and philanthropist Charles Dater (1912-1993) to ensure that his resources would continue to fund worthwhile community programs after his death.  The foundation has made more than 3,400 grants totaling over $60 million since its inception in 1985. 

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For additional information regarding this news release, contact Roger Ruhl (513/598-1141).

The Charles H. Dater Foundation, Inc. is located at 700 Walnut Street, Suite 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202.