FC Cincinnati assistant manager Kenny Arena and wife Jenny Arena moved their family to Southwest Ohio in 2022 to join the club and surrounding community. Once they were settled, they knew they’d found another community of at least equal significance to their lives in Stepping Stones.
Their move to Greater Cincinnati from Los Angeles was admittedly a “leap of faith,” Kenny Arena told The Enquirer in 2024, but Stepping Stones was integral to finding real comfort in the region. That’s because of what it provided their son, Holden Arena.
Now 11 years old, Holden Arena was diagnosed with autism at age two. Holden Arena is minimal-verbal and was challenged further due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted his development.
At Stepping Stones, the well-known non-profit that serves hundreds of individuals in Greater Cincinnati with disabilities through recreational and educational programming, the Arena family has only grown in their affection for that community, as well as in their ability to serve it.
For instance, Wayde Arena, 13, was able to volunteer at Stepping Stones and be present for his younger brother, Holden Arena.
“Stepping Stones was like this forbidden fruit with all the cool stuff but he was able to be on the property and partake in these activities,” Jenny Arena said. “As his mom, I was worried that he would lose track of his job and jump into the fun, and he’s never worked before. And so, I was ready for him to come home and say, “mom, I’m super-exhausted. I’m only going to do one day this week.’ But he came back and said, ‘that was so much fun. I had the best time ever. I can’t wait to go back.’
“That, as a parent, was very heart-warming and it almost hurt because I was so happy. My son was able to finally give back.”
Jenny Arena is also winding down her time as event chair for “Bloom,” Stepping Stones’ annual and largest fundraiser
Jenny Arena aided in increasing revenue from Bloom when she helped promote the event in 2023. She then accepted the event chair post and oversaw the 2024 James Bond-themed “Live and Let Bloom” event at Element Eatery at 5350 MedPace Way in Madisonville.
Jenny Arena said she would remain involved with Stepping Stones in meaningful ways, but would serve as event chair for a final Bloom on Sept. 6. The event will be Great Gatsby-themed and is called “The Great Bloom.”
This year’s Bloom event, in keeping with the themes of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel and the Roaring Twenties, will feature “glitz, food, musical entertainment,” casino-style games (with some enhancements compared to years past) and the silent auction, which is a Bloom staple.
More information about the event, as well as platforms to make donations, can be found here.
Supporting the organization, and Bloom in particular, couldn’t have greater personal meaning for Jenny Arena, who gave up her chosen career to support her family on the home front. Later, through Stepping Stones and helping put the Bloom events together, she said gained added meaning to her life.
“We didn’t have a big network when we moved here and we had to build Holden’s support system from scratch,” Jenny Arena said. “We decided it was best for me to not go back to work. We build Holden’s network for his therapies. Wayde established himself. And then, there was all this idle time or I was only doing things for my family, so being part of Stepping Stones has given me − I don’t want to say ‘purpose’ because my family gives my purpose − but it’s given me an opportunity to give back and still be engaged with what my child is doing.
“I’m part of Holden’s life and help him thrive as well as knowing I’m also helping others. It helps fill that void. The accomplishment of working on projects, achieving them, that rewarding feeling… that’s something that I’m extremely grateful for.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati’s Kenny Arena, family gearing up for 2025 edition of Stepping Stones’ ‘Bloom’
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
