FOX19 NOW, The Enquirer and United Way of Greater Cincinnati have joined forces for the 39th year to help families in need with the Wish List program. After wishes are granted, remaining funds assist people with similar needs throughout the year. This is the final story in a series of eight.
CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The sanctuary at Greater Fellowship Baptist Church in Mount Auburn feels warm even on a cold December afternoon. Sunlight catches the edge of the pew where Lisa Watts settles herself with the ease of someone who considers this a second home. Her mother sits nearby, and she’s surrounded by her three grandchildren – Victor, 14, Vaylin, 12, and Nevaeh, 7.
At 60 years old, Lisa is raising all three of her grandkids full-time. She stepped in after the children endured physical abuse at the hands of their mother, which was so severe that none of them want any contact with her. It’s an experience Lisa still struggles to talk about, but one that defines her fierce protectiveness. “I refused to let them go in the system,” she said. “Blood that’s going through my veins is going through theirs … And I’m healthy, able.”…