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Sisters offer job training through inner-city pizzeria

Cincinnati Business Courier - July 14, 2006
by Lucy May
Senior Staff Reporter


Sister Barbara Wheeler, left, and Sister Judy Tensing are moving their renamed pizzeria, Venice on Vine, to Over-the-Rhine.
It's not just that the people who come to Power Inspires Progress have had a hard time holding jobs.

Many have limited reading and math skills. Others don't see the importance of showing up on time -- or even on the days they're scheduled. Still others are felons who have meetings with parole officers and court appearances that demand their time.

All that would seem to make it nearly impossible to run a small business.

But that's exactly what Sister Barbara Wheeler and Sister Judy Tensing intend to do at 1301 Vine St. in Over-the-Rhine, the new location for the Venice Pizza restaurant they founded 16 years ago as part of their Power Inspires Progress mission.

Renamed Venice on Vine, the pizza place will double as a job training program for inner-city residents struggling to work. It's one of two businesses operated by Power Inspires Progress, or PIP, the nonprofit job training agency started by the two nuns. West End Catering, established in 1986, also will move to the 1,400-square-foot Vine Street location.

"This is giving us a chance to pull in our reins and see what we actually can do," said Tensing, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur.

The two businesses train 12 to 15 people each year. Some move on to other jobs -- one was even hired by Comair last year. But others end up back at PIP or without steady jobs, said Wheeler, a Dominican Sister of Hope.

Tensing and Wheeler expect the new Over-the-Rhine location will draw more trainees from the neighborhood. They know it won't be easy. The street can still be rough; Wheeler saw three drug deals go down just the other day.

But their faith extends to the people they serve.

"If you believe in a person, they do all kinds of things for you," Tensing said. "And you have unbelievable results."

For years, Venice Pizza was located in University Heights. But the nuns were evicted a couple years ago after Wheeler balked and refused to pay the higher rent that new owners wanted to charge. PIP launched a search for a new home and found the space on Vine Street.

"The big challenge is going to be to take this to the next level of really trying to make, if not a profit, some substantial income from the restaurant and the catering business," said Tony Castelli, an attorney and PIP board member. "The catering business does fairly well, but the restaurant was more just training people and selling some pizzas."

Sister Monica McGloin, president of the PIP board, thinks the new store will mean more foot traffic. That would help the agency raise money toward its goal of hiring a paid executive director and give the trainees more real-world experience, she said.

Venice on Vine, after all, will benefit from a more residential location and snazzier digs.

Architecture students from the University of Cincinnati and Miami University helped design the place, and businesses have donated time and materials. Funch Lumber Co. donated wood for the training area floors. Singer Contract Group donated commercial-grade vinyl wall covering that was installed for free by Miami Valley Paperhanging and Ron Klei. Students designed the Venice sign inside the restaurant out of aluminum cans and beer bottles.

So far, PIP has raised about $253,000 to pay for the renovations and needs about $40,000 more. The agency hopes to open Venice on Vine at the end of this month, depending on how fast the work goes.

As always, Wheeler and Tensing have faith. They believe in their work and the people they serve. And if only they could get the word out a bit more, they think even more businesses would believe in them, too.

 


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