Santa Maria Community Services history

Santa Maria Community Services is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization originally founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1897 and place-based in Cincinnati Ohio’s Price Hill community.

1918 – Santo Bambino Day Nursery opens.

1922 – St Anthony Welfare Center opens on Queen City Avenue.

1966 – Services move to Lower Price Hill at the request of the Community Chest (now United Way of Greater Cincinnati). Daycare services remain at 13th and Republic.

1969 – A storefront office opens at the top of Price Hill at 3114 Warsaw, with part-time workers offering services to families and youth.

In 1972, Santa Maria became a private not-for-profit.

Her name was Sister Blandina Segale, and if Cincinnati has forgotten her, it has forgotten one of its most colorful figures, and founder of what is now Santa Maria Community Services” (excerpt from The Cincinnati Enquirer in 1975 by Rosemary Davis).

1982 – Board of Trustees forms the Development Board.

1987 – Santa Maria celebrates 90 years of service.

1988 – With funds from the City of Cincinnati, the Sedamsville/Riverside Center opens to provide community-based services in isolated neighborhoods.

1992 – Santa Maria purchases the current Warsaw Avenue (3301 Warsaw Ave.) site and renovates it to consolidate East Price Hill services and agency administrative offices into one facility.

1995 – Santa Maria expands to three sites as the Sedamsville Center (617 Steiner Ave. ) is purchased.

1997 – Santa Maria celebrates its 100th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of Meals on Wheels.

1998 – The Santa Maria Endowment Fund, with a matching gift from Bank One, is established.

1999 – Santa Maria becomes one of the first agencies to contract with the Every Child Succeeds initiative, providing intensive home visitation services to first-time parents.

2000 – A major renovation of the Lower Price Hill Family Center is completed.

2001 – Price Avenue Center opens and houses Meals on Wheels and other services.

2003 – Santa Maria follows the Neighborhood Support Organization model, focused primarily on improving community housing and safety conditions and increasing civic engagement.

2005 – Administrative offices move from Sedamsville office to Price Avenue.

2006 – Santa Maria partners with the Price Hill VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program to teach staff and volunteers annually to be IRS trained and certified to help individuals prepare and file taxes.

2007 – A group of community investors select Santa Maria to lead the early childhood and youth components of the Place Matters initiative, a place-based investment strategy to accelerate social and physical change in Price Hill.

2009 – The International Welcome Center opens and assists immigrants with adjusting to life in the Greater Cincinnati area through ESL classes and other programming.

2010 – Administration and Meals on Wheels programs move from Price Avenue office to Sedamsville location.

2011 – Santa Maria partners with Good Samaritan to open a free health clinic on Warsaw Avenue.

2014 – Santa Maria adds the AmeriCorps Project Advance program, a national service program that provides full and part-time opportunities for participants.

2015 – Santa Maria’s President and CEO. H. A. Musser, Jr., is recognized as one of 100 United Way heroes as part of their 100th Anniversary celebration.

2016 – Santa Maria establishes the Joe Williams Family Center to house its Youth Development program.

2017 – Santa Maria becomes a Mission Asset Fund Lending Circles partner, which works to improve the financial stability of families in low-income communities.