Neighborhoods

We all know amazing women throughout the Mahoning Valley who have left an impact through their line of work. One local group is making sure outstanding women don't go unnoticed for their efforts in making the Valley a better place. The 'Gems of the Valley' is an event that returned this year to honor the best of the best in the area. "We get to honor a lot of women who don't get the recognition that they deserve and they're really the unsung heros," explained Jana Coffin with Fund for Women & Girls.

Five outstanding women were honored with the 'Gem of the Valley' award by the Fund for Women & Girls, a community-led fund at the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley. Out of dozens of candidates submitted, the fund's committee chose their top 5 candidates. Honorees were nominated by someone close to them for always going that extra mile. For the first time, the Fund for Women & Girls accepted nominations from the community as they seek wider input on who to recognize as a Gem of the Valley.

"After the success of our Microfunding Event earlier this summer, we knew it was important to bring back Gems of the Valley," Coffin added. "This event is our way of putting the spotlight on the work of incredible women to make the Mahoning Valley a better place."

The 2023 'Gems of the Valley' included Meghan DeGregory with Thrive 1010, Dee Traylor with Mercy Health, Jennifer Evans with YNDC, Allison Smith with Outreach Quilt and Artists Guild, and Daphne Carr on behalf of Lynn Anderson with Sustainable Youngstown. 

To read the full story from WFMJ, click here. 

STORE RELOCATES: The MiMe Global store has a new location at 2533 Belmont Ave., Youngstown, the former glass bank building at the Union Square Plaza. It formerly was at the Eastwood Mall.

MiMe Global is a 3D printing company that creates full color, 3D printed figurines of customers in miniature. It also sells services 3D printing machines and sells 3D printer spare parts and supplies. The company was selected as the winner of the Eastwood Mall Small Shop Showdown competition in 2019, and received six months of free rent, marketing and advertising from the Cafaro Company, which owns the Eastwood Mall Complex. The Cafaro Company also owns Union Square Plaza.

WORKSHOPS OFFER FINANCIAL, INSURANCE HELP: Credit Union of Ohio will offer two free workshops this month to educate the community on individual health insurance and Medicare options, and the financial impacts of different plans. Mike Gatteri of Healthmarkets will lead the virtual sessions: Individual health care and insurance coverage 5:30 p.m. Tuesday — Learn about how health care reform works, how to maximize a subsidy in order to lower premiums, as well as addressing many little-known facts to save money. Medicare workshop noon Thursday — This workshop will give a detailed explanation of Medicare, supplemental plans, and how to decide which plan is best. There will be discussions of Medicare advantage plans, Part D plans, and Medicare supplements, as well as how each works. Registration is required to attend each workshop at cuofohio.org.

FARMERS’ BANKER HONORED: Juan Santiago, vice president, Community Reinvestment Act engagement leader at Farmers National Bank of Canfield, is being honored by the American Bankers Association as a recipient of its 2023 ABA Emerging Leader Awards.

The award recognizes the next generation of bank leaders who are committed to the highest standards of achievement and service to their industry and their local communities.

Santiago and 11 other winners will be recognized at the ABA annual convention Oct. 8 -10 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Santiago has been in the banking industry for 20 years, including eight with Farmers National Bank. In his role now, Santiago ensures the credit needs of low-to-moderate income individuals, small businesses and small farms are met in the areas in which the bank serves.

During his career, he has helped more than 100 families of Hispanic / Latino descent purchase a home through programs he has helped create. He also serves on the boards of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, Farmers Charitable Foundation, Mercy Health-Youngstown and the Ohio Bankers Foundation.

To read the full story from Tribune Chronicle, click here. 

The Fund for Women & Girls, a community-led fund at the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, put the spotlight on the work of five women at its Gems of the Valley event. The honor recognizes women doing important work to make the Valley a better place for all, especially when that work is overlooked or underappreciated.

Selected by the Fund for Women & Girls Guiding Circle, this year’s Gems are:

Lynn Anderson, activist and organizer for Sustainable Youngstown.
Meghan DeGregory, director of operations for Thrive 10:10.
Jennifer Evans, housing program manager for Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Allison Smith, artist and founder of Outreach Quilt and Artist Guild.
Dee Traylor, manager of the Resource Mothers program at Mercy Health.

To read the full story from The Business Journal, click here. 

Tuesday, October 17, 2023. 

On October 12 the Mahoning County Commissioners approved a $50,000 predevelopment grant to YNDC for affordable housing. YNDC will work collaboratively with Mahoning County Continuum of Care (Continuum), Family and Community Services, Inc. (FCS), and Mahoning County Land Bank.

The funding will be used for predevelopment expenses necessary to develop  a project and prepare to obtain the necessary financing and funding commitments. Many thanks to the Mahoning County Commissioners!

According to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, Mahoning County commissioners awarded a $50,000 grant to YNDC. The award was approved Oct. 12 by the commissioner’s office for the pre-development costs of affordable housing in Youngstown.

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

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley’s Fund for Women and Girls recognized five local women for their contributions to the community. Jana Coffin is a member of the Fund for Women and Girls Guiding Circle. “All of these women do what they do because they’re passionate about it, not because they’re trying to win awards,” said Coffin, who is also co-director of Project MKC. “The Gems of the Valley award exists to say, ‘We see you.’ This work matters and impacts so many people. Our communities are better for having women like Meghan, Dee, Jennifer, Allison and Lynn in them.”

The Guiding Circle selected the following five women to highlight as Gems of the Mahoning Valley: 

Lynn Anderson, activist and organizer for Sustainable Youngstown 

Meghan DeGregory, director of operations for Thrive 10:10 

Jennifer Evans, housing program manager for Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.

Allison Smith, artist and founder of Outreach Quilt and Artist Guild 

Dee Traylor, manager of the Resource Mothers program at Mercy Health

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

The Fund for Women & Girls, a community-led fund at the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, put the spotlight on the work of five incredible women at its Gems of the Valley event on Oct. 12.

The honor recognizes women doing important work to make the Valley a better place for all, especially when that work is overlooked or underappreciated. Selected by the Fund for Women & Girls Guiding Circle, this year’s Gems are:

Lynn Anderson, activist and organizer for Sustainable Youngstown
Meghan DeGregory, director of operations for Thrive 10:10
Jennifer Evans, housing program manager for Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.
Allison Smith, artist and founder of Outreach Quilt and Artist Guild
Dee Traylor, manager of the Resource Mothers program at Mercy Health

To read the full story from the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, click here. 

Thursday, October 19, 2023. 

On October 18, YNDC's TreeCorps completed its fall planting of 112 two inch caliper trees. Trees were planted in multiple neighborhoods in collaboration with: Seventh Ward Citizens Coalition, Handels Neighborhood Association, Know Your Neighbor Block Watch, Lincoln Knolls Community Watch, Northeast Homeowners and Concerned Citizens, and the Upper North Heights Neighborhood Association.

The fall planting brings the total number of trees planted by YNDC and partners in 2023 to 251 two inch caliper trees.

TreeCorps is a collaboration with the Healthy Community Partnership and multiple groups including: Common Wealth Inc., Youngstown CityScape, Youngstown Parks Department, Mahoning County Land Bank, Handel's Neighborhood Association, 7th Ward Citizens' Coalition, Idora Neighborhood Association, Lincoln Knolls Community Watch, Northeast Homeowners and Concerned Citizens Association, Know Your Neighbor Block Watch, Upper North Heights Neighborhood Association, Crandall Park South, Boulevard Park Block Watch, Treez Please, and Plant Ahead Ohio.

This work is funded by the Western Reserve Health Foundation. More plantings will be completed in 2024 with the Mahoning Valley TreeCorps. Mahoning Valley TreeCorps plans to plant 1,000 trees per year for five years beginning in 2024!

In Youngstown, New Bethel Baptist Church is using $100,000 dollars of American Rescue Plan Funds that the city received to create a community center and they say it'll be useful in more ways than one. "It's important that the church provides relevant, meaningful impactful programming for youths, forums, workshops, townhall meetings, banquest, weddings you name it," said Reverend Kenneth Simon of New Bethel Baptist Church.

Over in Warren, Grace AME church is working to get $10,000 dollars reimbursed for a back to school event they hosted for the youth back in August, but when all is said and done, how will we know that these private organizations are using the money properly? How will we know it's not being pocketed or misused? "It's going to be operated by a separate board, detached from the church," said Simon.

That board could consist of members of the community or other local officials, but the church never even touches the money. Instead, it goes to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation who pays the contractor. 

To read the full story from WFMJ, click here.

October 26, 2023.  

On October 26, 2023, YNDC completed its biennial Citywide Property Conditions Survey. This process surveyed every residential and commercial property in the City of Youngstown. The survey determined occupancy and if there were any exterior condition issues. The survey noted the following:
Vacant and Tax Delinquent Residential Properties - 740
Vacant and Taxes Paid Residential Properties - 1,030
Occupied Residential Properties with Roof Issues - 1,738
Occupied Residential Properties with Other Exterior Issues - 622
Vacant and Tax Delinquent Commercial Properties - 53
Vacant and Taxes Paid Commercial Properties - 222
Occupied Commercial Properties with Exterior Issues - 56

A map of the survey results can be downloaded below.