YNDC Reports Busy Quarter, Awarded $1.3M in Grants - Business Journal


The Youngstown Neighborhood Development
Corp. had a busy second quarter as the organization hosted 11 community
workdays, sold six rehabilitated houses and launched the Iron Roots Community
Supported Agriculture program to provide fresh produce to members. 

According to its second quarter report released Wednesday,
YNDC hosted workdays in Wick park, Fairgreen Community Garden, Idora
Neighborhood, Oak Hill, Newport Community Garden, Mineral Springs Community
Garden, Lincoln Knoll and Powerstown. In total, YNDC has held 14 workdays this
year, drawing in more than 650 volunteers. YNDC received two major grants in the second quarter:
$200,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to complete assessments of
“priority sites” along commercial corridors and another for $150,000 from the
William Swanston Charitable Fund for improvements at four city parks. In total,
YNDC was awarded more than $1.3 million in grant funds in the last quarter, the
agency reported. As part of its house rehabilitation work, YNDC has five
houses in progress with three more recently acquired. Six completed houses have
been sold, three are being rented and two are on the market. Beyond full rehabilitation, the community improvement
corporation’s Paint Youngstown program has completed five limited-repair
projects and six owner-occupied rehabs across the city. More than 60 people registered to take part in the Iron
Roots CSA program, which launched June 13. Each week, members pick up their
share of the crop from Iron Roots farm and other local growers from the Idora
Neighborhood Farmers Market, the Warren Farmers Market or Catullo Prime Meat.
The program runs through Oct. 31.