CINCINNATI — For Emilee Iuvara, cheering on the sidelines is only part of what drives her.
Three years ago, she was introduced to HER Cincinnati through Ben-Gals cheerleading — and it changed the direction of her life off the field.
HER Cincinnati promotes economic independence for women from historically disinvested communities in Greater Cincinnati through housing, education and recovery services. Established in 1830, it is the oldest social service agency in Cincinnati.
The organization serves over 350 people annually through three housing-based programs: Cincinnati Scholar House, Off the Streets and The Anna Louise Inn.
WATCH: How this Ben-Gals cheerleader found her calling through volunteering
Iuvara said the resilience of the women she met kept drawing her back to volunteering with the organization.
"I think as a woman it's just so inspiring to see other women that are so resilient, and I think the kindness and the determination that these women have to break the chains of poverty and addiction and human trafficking is so admirable and beautiful," Iuvara said.
While HER Cincinnati focuses on women, Iuvara found her niche in the Young Scholars program, which provides homework help and support to children of single mothers living in the Scholar House transitional housing program.
"I work specifically with children in HER Cincinnati right now with their Scholar House program with their Young Scholars, so pretty much it's like homework help and support for those children of single mothers, and just those kids getting to see a consistent face is everything," Iuvara said.
One young girl she worked with for weeks stands out as a defining moment.
"I feel like that instilled confidence in her that she was able to read and write better, and she just blossomed, and that as a volunteer was really beautiful to witness," Iuvara said.
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HER Cincinnati relies heavily on volunteer partnerships to carry out its mission. Since the beginning of 2025, the organization has had 510 individual volunteers contributing more than 1,500 hours.
Now heading into her fifth season with the Ben-Gals, Iuvara said she feels just as called to continue her work with HER Cincinnati — and she has a message for anyone on the fence about volunteering.
"Truly, there's no right time to volunteer. Sometimes it feels like, 'Oh, I'll do that next month, I'll do that in a year.' Life is busy, but for me, I just realized life is always busy, and we have to just jump in and be uncomfortable for a little bit and make time for what matters," Iuvara said.
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