Neighborhoods

Leaders of charitable foundations in the Mahoning Valley see a bright future for philanthropy in the area as they not only contribute money to worthwhile causes and organizations, but also work to bring groups and people together to grow and improve the area. 

“The Wean Foundation serves as a connector to leverage resources, create partnerships and build capacity as well as a grantmaker,” Jennifer Roller, president of the 74-year-old organization, said. “Inasmuch as we encourage our nonprofit partners to collaborate and work together, we seek to work with nonprofits, business, government and funders — sometimes following and other times leading — to ensure the community’s well-being.”

Casey Krell, director of donor services and supporting organizations at the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, said: “Philanthropy provides the opportunity to use our resources and capacity to pull people together to start imagining a community and developing a vision for what we want for our community and then begin to talk about what that change looks like.”
Lynnette Forde, president of the Youngstown Foundation, said: “Philanthropy partners with government and nonprofit institutions and corporations to ensure that folks can get an education and have jobs and get support for the goal of better health and impact their quality of life.”

Paul McFadden, president of the Youngstown State University Foundation, said the area “has a rich tradition and history of philanthropy. Volney Rogers gifted Mill Creek Park, Reuben McMillan Library is an original Carnegie Library, YMCA Camp Fitch, the Canfield Fairgrounds and the YSU campus are dotted with philanthropically-funded buildings. I see signs (that) this tradition will not only continue, but grow in the future as past philanthropists will encourage future philanthropists.”

YSU FOUNDATION
The YSU Foundation received a record $24.1 million in financial support in 2022, including $5 million to Kohli Hall, home of YSU’s Excellence Training Center, $1.5 million from Richard and Susan Sokolov to name the Sokolov Honors College and $600,000 from the annual fall appeal. The foundation is an independent organization that supports YSU student scholarships, student development and career opportunities, McFadden said. The foundation’s endowment started in 1966 with $13.5 million and exceeded $300 million in 2021. It is the sixth largest public university foundation in the state and the largest in northeast Ohio, McFadden said. It had four employees in 2012 and now has 20, he said. The foundation’s goal this year is to raise the $20 million needed to replace the Kilcawley Student Center, McFadden said.

The Bruce Zoldan family made the lead $5 million gift to name it the Zoldan Family Student Center Campaign. Overall, $7.5 million has been raised toward the campaign goal.
Another goal for this year is the acquisition of endowed scholarships, McFadden said. “Scholarships directly impact students by providing access to their education while supporting YSU through the tuition those scholarships pay to YSU,” he said. The foundation’s future goals tie to its increased staff and the use of research tools and data analytics as it allows it to “identify and connect with potential investors” at a rapid rate, McFadden said. “This has been especially vital in reaching out to donor prospects who do not reside in the Youngstown area,” he said. “The YSU Foundation is positioned to acquire significantly more philanthropy to bring back revenue to impact our university and our region.”

WEAN FOUNDATION
The Wean Foundation accomplished a lot in 2022, Roller said, including the launch of the Strategic Partners Fellowship with Trumbull Neighborhood Parntnership and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. with a long-term goal to promote leadership development and racial equity in the nonprofit sector.

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

Monday, April 17, 2023. 

On April 14, the First National Bank Community Foundation awarded YNDC with a $15,000 grant to support YNDC's housing programs including housing counseling and emergency repair.

The Housing Counseling Program empowers low- to moderate-income residents to identify and overcome barriers to homeownership, including inadequate savings, income, credit history, and understanding of the home buying process, and prepare them for future homeownership; and to provide existing low- to moderate-income homeowners with resources to maximize their limited incomes and minimize repair costs so that they can avoid foreclosure and improve their living conditions. The emergency home repair program assists low-income homeowners with emergencies such as furnace and plumbing repairs at no cost.

Many thanks to the First National Bank Community Foundation for their continued support!

Tuesday, April 18, 2023. 

On April 17, Direction Home of Eastern Ohio awarded YNDC with $91,609 for home maintenance.

These funds will be used for critical home repairs including: furnaces, hot water tanks, and ramps.

Many thanks to Direction Home for the continued support!

Sara Palowitz is the Owner-Occupied Home Repair Project Coordinator for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. Under the supervision of the Owner-Occupied Home Repair Program Director, Sara collaborates with a team of professional staff to implement YNDC's Owner-Occupied Home Repair program including the coordination of projects from start to finish.

Contact Sara at spalowitz@yndc.org

Wednesday, April 19, 2023. 

Janet has lived in her home since 2006. 

Located in a tight knit neighborhood where everyone knows each other, she says, “our neighborhood is the greatest neighborhood.” By replacing Janet's roof, YNDC eliminated severe leaks that were causing damage throughout her home and prevented further deterioration, allowing Janet and her disabled husband to remain in the neighborhood where they have made their home for the past 17 years. Janet is her husband's caregiver and is grateful to no longer have to worry about leaks every time it rains. 

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is in the process of planting more trees around the city. 

On Wednesday, we found them on Sherwood Avenue in the Idora neighborhood. They planted three trees on a lot where a house once stood. It’s part of YNDC’s TreeCorp program. A total of 250 trees will be planted — 138 now and another 112 in the fall.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is in the process of planting more trees around the city. 

On Wednesday, we found them on Sherwood Avenue in the Idora neighborhood. They planted three trees on a lot where a house once stood. It’s part of YNDC’s TreeCorp program. A total of 250 trees will be planted — 138 now and another 112 in the fall.

To read the full story from WYTV, click here. 

At the Youngstown Botanical Garden, Eric Jones took the things that he loves; landscaping, planning and design; and created a space where he can share his passions with the youth in the community.

Eric’s father is an avid gardener and the father and son duo have been partners in the project from the very beginning. Eric hopes to attract motivated young people to the garden, located on West Indianola Avenue in Youngstown. He plans to host classes, workshops, events, and parties.  

The garden has four priorities: to educate, motivate, congratulate, and celebrate. Through education, young people will become motivated. They can discover their passions, develop and achieve goals, experience success, and celebrate their successes. 

Purchased in 2010, the property has developed into an impressive garden, with significant meaning in every piece of the land. For Eric, family is his priority.  “This is all for my boys” he said. He wants to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Each section of the garden holds personal meaning and has been intentionally crafted with plants that embody symbolism of connection to the community and connection to God. Every section of the garden has its own story. Each plant is thoughtfully chosen and placed in a specific area with intention. 

The entire project holds great spiritual significance for Eric. “This is my expression of God’s love.” Thyme is an overall theme throughout the garden, with abundant patches of of thyme varieties scattered throughout each section. “You have to take the time, you have to set aside the time, and sacrifice the time to create this space.” He hopes the garden will be a place of exploration, serenity, creativity, and connection. 

Officials with the City of Youngstown have been talking about their trees. 

City council created a new Climate Change, Environment and Sustainable Technology Committee, and a meeting was held earlier this month about removing the dead and unwanted one. 

On a recent sunny afternoon on Youngstown’s Sherwood Avenue, Lola Lewis was helping a crew of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation plant three American Beech trees on a vacant lot.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

Monday, April 24, 2023.

On Thursday, April 20, YNDC hosted representatives from multiple Cleveland and Akron community development corporations including: Famicos Foundation, The Well CDC, Old Brooklyn CDC, Northwest Neighborhoods CDC, Lakewood Alive, Ohio City Inc., Slavic Village Development, and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.

YNDC's partner organization Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership also participated, as well as the Ohio CDC Association. YNDC shared information on its organizational structure, planning, and programs and provided a project tour. The exchange provided the attendees with an opportunity to network and learn from one another. YNDC looks forward to more collaborative events and organizing in the future.