Garden of Joy Culinary Academy

This week at Garden of Joy was truly something special. ❤️

As we closed out the last week of our first season of afterschool programming, we are so grateful to announce that Garden of Joy Culinary Academy is being featured nationally on public television through

This feature gives people across the country a glimpse into what happens when young people are surrounded by love, consistency, opportunity, and a community that believes in them.

Here’s a look at what our students created together this week!

On Tuesday, students made homemade Detroit-style pizza from scratch, mixing dough, shredding fresh donated mozzarella from and creating their own pizza variations with fresh ingredients.

On Thursday, students made breakfast for dinner with Chef Dom’s family-famous breakfast quiche muffins, homemade crepes with chocolate drizzle, homemade blueberry jam, fresh fruit, and more.

Then on Friday night, we welcomed our students and families for our end-of-program Celebration Dinner. Our students helped prepare a soul food feast with gumbo, mac and cheese, candied yams, grilled chicken, mango ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and more.

We also honored our students with awards celebrating their hard work, growth, leadership, creativity, and commitment over these past several months. Every student who walked through our doors this season helped shape Garden of Joy. Every student brought something meaningful to the table.

We are so proud of them.

Thank you to our students, families, volunteers, donors, partners, and everyone who helped carry us through our very first season of afterschool programming.

And a special thank you to for donating potting soil to help our learning garden grow.

Garden of Joy is 100% volunteer-led, and every gift helps keep programming free for students.

As we prepare for summer programming beginning June 22, we are looking for monthly donors, volunteers, field trip hosts, and community partners who want to help us keep growing.

Watch the All Access segment, support our work, or learn how to get involved through the link in our bio.

With love & gratitude,
The Garden of Joy Team ♥️

We’re being featured on national public television!

Garden of Joy Culinary Academy is honored to be featured on All Access with Host Andy Garcia. We’re so excited to share this moment with our community!

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/xcYI4c7CRck?si=tBfNhmaChLmMDiqS

This segment captures what happens when young people are surrounded by support, consistency, and opportunity.

At Garden of Joy, we’re working to help students graduate, reduce suspensions and expulsions, teach nonviolence, and build community through food, gardening, and shared meals.

This feature is only possible because of our team and our selfless volunteers, including our Founder, Rev. Todd Emerson O'Neal, our Culinary Director and Chef, Dominic Bley, our Curriculum Director, Nicole Curley, and our Garden Leaders, Rhea West and Anastacia Isaacs, whose work in planning, planting, mapping, growing, and caring for our learning garden and kitchen has helped bring our garden-to-table vision to life.

At Garden of Joy, we believe that every child has the capacity to do extraordinary things, and it starts with love and support.

And to all of our partners, volunteers, donors, families, chefs, educators, gardeners, and community members who have joined us since this segment was filmed last summer: thank you for being part of the Garden of Joy ♥️

If this work speaks to you, we would be grateful for your support. Every donation, every volunteer hour, every shared meal, every partnership, and every person who believes in our students helps us keep building.

Visit our website to learn more: www.gardenofjoyculinary.org

First Mutual Holding Co. 4 likes. "Growing Communities One Mutual Bank at a Time | FMHC"

This week at Garden of Joy was full of food, joy, and community ♥️

Our students baked zucchini muffins and zucchini bread with fresh zucchini donated by topped with homemade chocolate icing and blond crunchy pearls. We also went full Cincinnati mode, making our own take on with coneys and pasta.

On Wednesday, we wrapped up our pilot program with at the Roll Hill location. Over the past few months, we had the chance to cook, learn, and build relationships with their 7th and 8th graders. We are so grateful for this opportunity and we are looking forward to continuing to support the amazing work the Boys & Girls Club does to support Cincinnati’s youth!

On Thursday, our students made custom burgers, loaded fries, and strawberry ice cream using fresh strawberries donated by . That same evening, community volunteers joined us in the garden, and across three program days, we served over 100 meals to students, families, and volunteers.

On Friday, 300 Dreams and hosted a beautiful free concert at Mount Storm Park, where Chef Liam and volunteers served free, high-quality food while the community gathered for music, connection, and support for Garden of Joy.

And on Saturday, our students, families, and staff were invited by to attend the match together!

Thank you to everyone who continues to show up, share meals, volunteer, donate, and believe in this work.

Garden of Joy is only possible because of this community.

Link in bio to support ♥️

This week at Garden of Joy was full of life ♥️

joined us during our program on Thursday, and what they captured was a glimpse into what Garden of Joy is becoming. Thank you to reporter and cameraman Alex Korecky for being fully present with our students and our mission, and for taking the time to share our story. Coverage like this truly means so much to us!

On Tuesday, students stepped into the role of chefs, making Philly cheesesteaks with steak, chicken, or pan-seared mushrooms. Dinner was paired with oven-baked plantain chips and a cinnamon pear ice cream using fresh pears from

On Thursday, we welcomed into the space. Students grounded themselves in circle, practicing how to communicate when they are feeling overwhelmed or angry and how to ask for help when they need it.

From there, students split into the kitchen and the garden.

In the kitchen, students explored South Asian flavors, handmaking garlic naan, blending mango lassi, and preparing saffron rice with chicken tikka masala and tofu chana masala. The meal came together beautifully and was shared during family dinner.

In the garden, alongside a dozen community volunteers, students helped prepare our beds for spring planting. A special thank you to Sister Anastacia Isaacs and Sister Rhea West for leading this work, and to the for supporting our garden beds.

We are also grateful to Jess and Julia from Hope Ignite for their mentorship and care, and to Volunteer Chef Juliette for diligently working hard behind the scenes with Chef Dominic Bley to help bring each day’s lessons to life. And to all of our volunteers who showed up this week, thank you ♥️

Garden of Joy is only possible because of this community, and we are deeply grateful for everyone who continues to show up and support our young people.

As a 100% volunteer-led program, every dollar goes directly to our students. If you would like to support this work, you can visit the link in our bio to learn more and get involved ♥️

With love & gratitude,
The Garden of Joy Team ❤️

We are so grateful to WLWT Channel 5 for spending time with us at Garden of Joy and sharing our story with the community. It truly means more than we can put into words ❤️

A special thank you to reporter Rachel Whelan and cameraman Alex Korecky for not just coming out to cover the program, but for really being present with our students and our mission yesterday. That kind of presence truly means so much to us.

As a 100% volunteer organization, support like this helps us grow, reach more young people, and continue building something meaningful alongside our community.

If you’d like to support our work, you can learn more or make a donation at
www.gardenofjoyculinary.org ♥️

An old Frisch’s Big Boy building in Clifton has been turned into something entirely new.

This week at Garden of Joy was truly beautiful ♥️

From firing up the grill with our students to turning fresh fruit from into juices and lemonades, the kitchen was full of energy, learning, and joy.

Midweek, we took things on the road to the Boys & Girls Club , but we may have forgotten the flour for rolling out our pita dough… Instead of stopping, we adapted. Together, our team and students hand-rolled and pressed mini pitas, and they turned out amazing!

By Thursday, students leaned into leftovers, building giant burritos using everything from couscous and hummus to extra cheesy mac and cheese and Moroccan bean soup.

And on Friday, we opened our doors for our first community Family Dinner. People gathered around long communal tables, shared a meal, and spent time together in community, like a family ♥️

Garden of Joy is only possible because of this community, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who showed up, supported, and helped make this week what it was!

With love and gratitude,
The Garden of Joy Team ❤️

You’re Invited: Family Dinner Night This Friday at Garden of Joy!

Join us this Friday, April 10, from 6 to 9 PM for a special Family Dinner Night at Garden of Joy!

We are honored to welcome Chef Mohammad Largo, former owner and chef of Marrakesh Cafe on Ludlow Ave, into our kitchen for a warm and joyful evening of excellent Moroccan cuisine, family, friends, and community.

Every plate served helps sustain and grow our afterschool and summer programming for young people in our community.

We will be open from 6 to 9 PM. Bring your family and friends, stay and eat with us, or grab dinner to go and enjoy a Moroccan feast at home.

We would love to have you join us this Friday! We hope to see you there.

Menu for the evening includes chicken kebabs, shawarma, falafel, rice, salad, hummus, and housemade Moroccan mint tea.

$20 per plate

If you are not able to make it, you can still support this work and help us continue showing up for our young people:

We are deeply grateful for this community and all of the ways you continue to show up for our young people. Garden of Joy truly would not exist without this community. Thank you for believing in this work and helping us build something meaningful together! ♥️

We look forward to seeing you there!

With Love & Gratitude,
The Garden of Joy Team

Garden of Joy Culinary Academy provides faith-centered, garden-to-table culinary education that helps teenagers and young adults build practical life skills, confidence, and pathways to opportunity. This work is part of a larger effort to promote peace and education in the Cincinnati community.

View event details Click here for event details from Garden of Joy Culinary Academy!

We are honored to welcome Chef Mohammad Largo , former owner and chef of Marrakesh Cafe on Ludlow Ave, into our kitchen for a warm and joyful evening of excellent Moroccan cuisine, family, friends, and community!

Every plate served helps sustain and grow our afterschool and summer programming for young people in our community.

Menu for the evening:

• Chicken Kebab Plate
Chargrilled marinated chicken skewers

• Chicken Shawarma Plate
Chargrilled spiced chicken, shaved and served warm

• Falafel Plate (Vegan)
Golden fried crispy herb falafel

All plates served with:
• Fragrant rice
• Fresh garden salad
• Housemade hummus

Beverage:
• Housemade Moroccan mint tea

$20 per plate
Garden of Joy Culinary Academy
3226 Central Parkway

Bring your family, bring your friends, and come enjoy a night of great food and community with us! 🍽️

This week, the kids built their own salads with homemade Caesar dressing and croutons, sat together in circle to talk about mindfulness, food, respect, and trust, and we got our first student garden beds planted for this year’s growing season with the help of an amazing group of volunteers!

A lot of what makes Garden of Joy special lives in moments like these: creativity in the kitchen, honest conversation in circle, people showing up for each other, and something new starting to grow outside.

We’re really grateful to everyone who helped make this week happen. A special thank you to Sister Anastacia Isaacs and Sister Rhea West for sharing their master gardening skills and leading a volunteer gardening session this Thursday. Together, we got our beds cleaned out, mixed fresh soil, and planted our early spring vegetables!

Thank you as well to White Oak Gardens for helping us map out this year’s garden plan, and to the City of Cincinnati for the agricultural grant that made it possible to purchase garden materials.

We’re excited to announce that we’ll be hosting a Vegan Spring Pop-Up at Garden of Joy on Saturday, April 11 from 2–7 PM!

We’ll have an amazing group of vendors with us:



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Come out for good food, good people, and a joyful afternoon in community. We’re grateful to open our space for events like this that bring folks together to share great food and support local chefs and small businesses.

📍 Garden of Joy
3226 Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45225

Bring a friend, come hungry, and support some great local vendors! We’d love to see you there ♥️

Now Airing Across Ohio: Garden of Joy on Public Radio

Happy Saturday!

We are deeply grateful to Cincinnati Public Radio and Isabel Nissley for taking the time to visit Garden of Joy Culinary Academy and share our story. ♥️

We’re also excited to share that this story was picked up by The Ohio Newsroom and is now airing statewide as of this morning, bringing even more visibility to the work our young people and community are building together.

This kind of coverage means so much to us, not just because it highlights our work, but because it helps more people see what’s possible when a community comes together around our young people.

At Garden of Joy, we believe in a Cincinnati where young people can grow up safe, learn to resolve conflict without violence, build the skills they need to thrive, and stay on the path to graduation and beyond. Through cooking, gardening, and restorative practices, we work to equip young people with practical tools for adulthood.

As a 100% volunteer-run organization, moments like this truly matter. They help us reach new supporters, partners, and families who make this work possible.

👉 Read the full story:
https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2026-03-23/garden-joy-after-school-program

If you’re willing, we would be so grateful if you could take a moment to read and share the story with your friends, family, or community!

Help us Build on This Momentum!

Garden of Joy is 100% volunteer-run, and every dollar goes directly toward meals, ingredients, and programming for our students.

A $25 gift helps stock the kitchen for another full day of student cooking, learning, and shared meals.

If you’d like to support this work, you can make a donation below or become a monthly supporter.

www.gardenofjoyculinary.org/donate

We’re grateful for you, whether you give, share, volunteer, or simply stay connected. ❤️

Thank you for being part of this community and helping make this work possible.

With Love & Gratitude,
The Garden of Joy Team

P.S. If you enjoyed the story, we also encourage you to support your local public radio station—platforms like Cincinnati Public Radio make it possible for community stories like ours to be heard.

View event details Click here for event details from Garden of Joy Culinary Academy!

Thank you so much to Cincinnati Public Radio and Isabel Nissley for spending time with us and for sharing about Garden of Joy!

At Garden of Joy, we believe in a Cincinnati where young people can grow up safe, learn how to resolve conflict without violence, build the skills they need to thrive, and stay on the path to graduation and beyond.

It’s always humbling to have our mission shared, and as a 100% volunteer-run organization, it truly means more than you know!

Please share this story, visit our website (www.gardenofjoyculinary.org) to learn more, or reach out if you’d like to volunteer, partner, or be part of this work with us.

With love and gratitude,
The Garden of Joy Team ❤️

Every day at the Garden of Joy Culinary Academy starts with a mindfulness circle. Before teens put on aprons and start chopping veggies, they grab fruit patterned pillows and sit down in the dining room of an old Frisch’s in Clifton. Read more in the comments ⤵️