Neighborhoods

Two community organizations, ACTION and GROW Urban Farm, a project of Flying High, Inc., have set out to diminish the food deserts in our community.

They've been doing pop up markets for several years, but now realize the need is greater than they had imagined.

"We've been doing pop up markets all over the city but everybody cannot get to those markets," said Rose Carter, executive director at ACTION. "So we want to be able to get to all the outline areas in a mobile truck," she said.

The pop up markets usually last four months out of the year, but the truck will run year-round, going into neighborhoods and allowing people to enter and shop.

Just like a regular grocery store, the food is going to cost but prices will be low.

To see the full story from WFMJ, click here.

The Mobile Market Initiative in Mahoning Valley aims to deliver groceries to the city's most vulnerable residents by 2022. 

The initiative launched Tuesday with a goal to secure a bus to set up shop in different areas of the city to allow people to purchase healthy groceries at low prices. 

Rose Carter, executive director of ACTION, said Youngstown has been in a food desert for the past six years.

“We want to be able to make it as comfortable and convenient, especially our most vulnerable and handicapped people, as possible,” Carter said. 

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown has acknowledged the city is in a food desert, she said. Brown has also discussed luring a grocery store to Youngstown through the $82.7 million the city is receiving from the American Rescue Plan. 

To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.

Friday, July 23, 2021

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is holding an auction that will give you the opportunity to purchase vintage items from the Foster Theater.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit the revitalization of the Foster Theater.

This event will run from Thursday, July 22, 2021 to Thursday, August 5th, 2021 until 11:59pm.

To bid, please visit auctria.com/auction/fostertheaterauction

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is holding an auction that features vintage items from the long-closed Foster Art Theatre on Glenwood Avenue.

The event will run through Thursday, Aug. 5 at 11:59 p.m. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the revitalization of the theatre.

To see the full story from WKBN, click here.

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is hosting an auction to sell vintage items from the Foster Theatre on Glenwood Avenue.

The auction started Thursday and ends at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 5.

The iconic theater — which until the COVID-19 pandemic showed pornographic films and has fallen into disrepair — will get new life with reinvestment from the YNDC.

Ian Beniston, YNDC director, said people reached out when YNDC first got the building and said they would be interested in purchasing items from the theater that would be thrown away.

To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation can usually be seen around the Idora neighborhood, fixing up homes and businesses.

They are currently adding siding and electricity to some new builds on Mineral Springs Avenue.

To see the full story from WYTV, click here.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation can usually be seen around the Idora neighborhood, fixing up homes and businesses.

They are currently adding siding and electricity to some new builds on Mineral Springs Avenue.

YNDC owns the entire street and has high hopes for the area.

To see the full story from WKBN, click here.

Monday, July 26, 2021

Eugene was born and raised in his home and has lived there since the 60’s.

Roof leaks were causing damage throughout his home. By replacing Eugene’s roof, YNDC eliminated the roof leaks and prevented further damage to his home. “It is remarkable.” Eugene said.

With this new rule change, an FHA loan may now be possible for someone who couldn't qualify months ago, or they "could get tens of thousands to $100,000 more, depending on the scenario,” said Matt Moore of Amerifirst Poland.

Outstanding student debt is the No. 1 thing holding Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation clients back from owning their own home, Housing Director Tiffany Sokol said.

But now, recent changes to federal loan requirements mean debt-saddled buyers have a bit more buying power. For those who have struggled to buy a home because of student loan debt or who have been rejected for a loan recently, now might be the time for a second look, local experts said.

“When you see the statistics about the lack of home purchases among young people specifically, a lot of that really is tied to student loan debt,” Sokol said, referencing articles that pose questions like, “Why aren’t millennials buying houses?”

To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is having an online auction to sell 28 items or batches of items left behind when the group bought the former Foster Theater on Glenwood Avenue. 

Included in the auction are movie projectors, signs and movie reels. One listing called “eight parts related to film” contains film splice tape patches, for example.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit revitalization of the theater by YNDC.

Its executive director, Ian Beniston, said the building has an architectural style that is “atypical of the Mahoning Valley” and worthy of being preserved.

He said YNDC plans to restore the theater’s marquee and facade, but it has not decided yet how the building will be used.

To see the full story from The Vindicator, click here.