Neighborhoods

Tuesday, December 26, 2023. 

The Schwebel Family Foundation has awarded a $1,000 grant to YNDC.

Many thanks to the Schwebel Family Foundation for their continued support of YNDC!

Tuesday, December 26, 2023. 

On December 13, 2023 the W. and H. Bender Memorial Fund awarded a $1,500 grant to YNDC for Glenwood Neighbors Community Safety program.

The program will engage residents and business owners in the neighborhoods along Glenwood Avenue in Youngstown in a coordinated effort to prevent crime by using evidence-based practices for crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), including installing lighting and doorbell security cameras on homes, businesses, and in public spaces that are in the vicinity of hotspots of violent crime. YNDC will work with resident leaders, business owners, and the Youngstown Police Department to implement the program. Thanks to the W. and H. Bender Memorial Fund for the support!

Regional economic development partners, elected officials and other area leaders this month raised a glass to toast a $155.7 million grant application to the state that, if successful, would fund transformational projects across four northeast Ohio counties. The celebration, however, was less about filing the mega request with the state’s Appalachian Community Grant Program, and more about the 13 months of collaboration among people in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties to develop the 41-project list. “It is out of the ordinary to have a major event for a grant that is only just now being filed. We are not celebrating the grant application. We are celebrating the fact this community came together, identified our top priority and reached a consensus around how we tackle that priority,” Guy Coviello, president / CEO, Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber, said at the event at America Makes. “I don’t believe anything like this has ever happened before in the Mahoning Valley.”

There have been other instances where the community rallied around a cause — Operation SOAR, an effort to save the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna from closure or base realignment and Drive It Home Ohio, an effort to repurpose the General Motors plant in Lordstown — but, Coviello said, those causes were forced upon the Valley. “In this case, we have a blank canvas. In this case, instead of sending dozens or hundreds of disjointed applications, I believe we set ourselves apart from other communities by pulling together public, private and philanthropic organizations to submit one transformational application,” Coviello said.

The grant program is funded with $500 million in American Rescue Plan dollars given to Ohio to invest in transformation projects across the 32-county Appalachian region in Ohio. The priorities are workforce, infrastructure and health care.

Awards are expected to be announced in February. The projects must be delivered by October 2026.

The submission includes projects from downtown development and infrastructure improvements to financial support for business incubators and health care to riverfront revitalization and workforce development. They were vetted by a team of regional partners, including the regional chamber, Eastgate, Western Reserve Port Authority and business and philanthropic leaders. “What is transformation to the city of Girard may be a $3 million enhancement project. What is transformation to the region could be investing in YBI (Youngstown Business Incubator),” Jim Kinnick, executive director, Eastgate, said. “We tried to balance that. We wanted to make sure we helped our communities with an eye on the bigger picture, too, for regional prosperity.”

Among the project list are:

• $28 million to help fund a $37.5 million project to redevelop the peninsula, a stretch of land prime for development on West Market Street in Warren.

• $5.5 million to reconfigure the downtown Warren headquarters of BRITE Energy Innovators to add more workforce training space.

• $3.5 million toward a $5 million streets improvement project in Girard and $694,440 toward a $22.9 million project there to develop the Leatherworks Trailhead.

• $2.5 million for a $12.4 million workforce development project by the port authority, the YNG Aviation Education Campus.

• $10 million toward a $30.2 million to help YBI portfolio companies expand into new space.

• $5.5 million of a $28.1 million project for downtown streetscape enhancements in Youngstown.

• $5.2 million to help pay for a $12 million project to redevelop buildings for Youngstown Flea.

• $5 million for a $114 million project to help Mercy Health-Youngstown expand stroke care at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. This project is the largest among the 41.

“Specifically, these grant funds would enable Mercy Health to add additional infrastructure and technology to care for more patients in need of complex stroke treatments,” Dr. John Luellen, president, Mercy Health-Lorain and -Youngstown, said.

•Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation has a $4.9 million request to help along a $10.3 million project to continue its work on improving Glenwood Avenue in Youngstown.

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

The board of directors of the Raymond John Wean Foundation has approved $300,000 to support the equitable compensation of talent for seven nonprofits previously awarded $1.5 million in Community Investment Grants. Equitable nonprofit compensation has become an increasing focus of the Wean Foundation over the past few years. “We have come to the conclusion that a critical element of nonprofit success that is often missing is fair pay,”Jennifer Roller, Wean Foundation president, said. “What we also know is the burden of low pay in the nonprofit sector falls disproportionately on women and minorities. We don’t just want nonprofits and their workers to survive; we want them to thrive.”

Grants supporting educational opportunity include:

Kent State University at Trumbull, to build up its Building Black Leaders program, which provides black, biracial and multiracial students with personal, professional and academic support. The two-year grant will enable a study-away experience for students, emergency funding and the ability to hire a student to support the program.

Youngstown City School District, Rayen Early College High School, for programming support of its Summer Bridge program for one year. The Summer Bridge program supports incoming freshmen in their academic readiness and social-emotional well-being as they transition to high school.

Grants supporting community revitalization include:

Boston Avenue Neighborhood Association (BANA), which is focused on creating safe and beautiful spaces in the Youngstown South Side neighborhood, for general operating support over two years, including support for a fellow dedicated to building capacity in marketing, fundraising and outreach.

Economic Action Group, which provides economic development and entrepreneurial assistance programming within Youngstown and Warren, for general operating support over two years.

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, which works to empower residents and promote sustainable community development in Warren, for general operating support, local organizing and the Strategic Partners fellowship over one year.

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., which focuses on improving the quality of life in Youngstown, for general operating support, organizing and the Strategic Partners fellowship over one year.

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

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and its affiliated foundations have awarded $972,402 to 39 organizations serving area residents in the final quarter of 2023. Through its general grant program, the Community Foundation awarded $302,600. The Western Reserve Health Foundation, which supports health-focused projects in Mahoning County, gave $299,802 while its Trumbull County counterpart, the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation, awarded $185,000. The William Swanston Charitable Fund, which supports Valley children, made $85,000 in grant awards. Also making a grant award was the Hospice Trust of Trumbull County, which granted $100,000 to Ohio Living Home Health and Hospice.

The $972,402 awarded is the most the Community Foundation has awarded in a single grant cycle this year. In total, the foundation and its supporting foundations distributed $2.24 million in competitive grants throughout 2023.

“We’re excited to end the year on such a high note and be able to support such a wide range of organizations delivering crucial services to the Mahoning Valley,” said Casey Krell, incoming president of the Community Foundation. “As we head into a new year, the Community Foundation looks forward to continuing this momentum and providing ongoing support to the Valley’s nonprofits.”

CFMV grant application deadlines in 2024 are Jan. 15, April 15, July 15 and Oct. 15, with a special deadline of Feb. 1 for the newly created Warren Community Impact Fund. Organizations can review all grant opportunities and start their application at CFMV.org/grant-opportunities.

A full list of the fourth-quarter grant awards is below. As part of its commitment to minimize the impact of racial inequity in the Mahoning Valley, the Community Foundation would like to draw special attention to organizations whose board, staff and executive leadership are at least 50% people of color. Such grant recipients are marked with an asterisk.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE MAHONING VALLEY

- ACLD School and Learning Center – $10,000 for an expansion project

- American Heart Association – $10,000 for the Libraries with Heart blood pressure monitoring program

- American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley – $10,000 for disaster preparedness, response and recovery

- *Andrea Mahone Foundation – $10,000 for operating support

- Autism Society of Mahoning Valley – $10,000 for Camp FRIEND

- *Boston Avenue Neighbor Association – $10,000 for operating support

- Cadence Care Network – $10,000 for respite support

- Catholic Charities Regional Agency – $10,000 for the Voice of Hope Homeless Shelter

- Clothed in Strength – $5,000 for expanding its boutique into a permanent space

- Compass Family and Community Services – $25,000 for the Compass Senior Guardianship program

- Diva Donations – $5,000 for operating support

- Down Syndrome Association of the Valley – $5,000 for health, wellness and fitness programs

- Family & Community Services – $5,000 for the Mahoning Valley Foster Grandparent program

- Family & Community Services – $20,000 for the Senior Support Action Group

- Family & Community Services – $5,000 for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program

- Hopewell Theatre – $5,000 for parking lot improvements

- Humility of Mary Housing – $10,000 to support low-income and housing-unstable residents at Emmanuel Community Care

- *Inspiring Minds – $35,000 for the Youth Enrichment Program

- Northeast Ohio Adoption Services – $10,000 for the Trust Based Relational Intervention and CORE Teen programs

- *Plant It You – $10,000 for the Mahoning Valley Food Access Initiative

- Sight for All – $8,000 for the Sight for Kids program

- SkillsUSA Ohio – $7,600 for student support and the Northeast Regional Competition

- Students Motivated by the Arts – $10,000 for programming support

- The Butler Institute of American Art – $5,000 for the Good Neighbor Arts Education outreach program

- Trumbull County Historical Society – $5,000 for planning to support the Science Fiction Museum

- *WILL RESPECT Inc. – $7,500 for the RESPECT Basketball League

- YMCA of Youngstown – $7,000 for outreach programming at Potential Development School for students with autism

- Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. – $12,500 for the Glenwood Neighbors community safety programs

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

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is on course to distribute more than $3 million in grants in 2023. That includes more than $80,000 of Resident Engagement Grants to support community-building in Warren and Youngstown neighborhoods. The board of directors of The Raymond John Wean Foundation approved a total of more than $1.5 million in Community Investment Grants to seven nonprofits in the Mahoning Valley.

The board approved an additional $300,000 to support the equitable compensation of nonprofit talent across the grantees. Equitable nonprofit compensation has become an increasing focus of the Wean Foundation over the last few years, according to president Jennifer Roller. “We have come to the conclusion that a critical element of nonprofit success that is often missing is fair pay,” said Roller. “What we also know is the burden of low pay in the nonprofit sector falls disproportionately on women and minorities. We don’t just want nonprofits and their workers to survive; we want them to thrive.” GRANTS SUPPORTING EDUCATION One of the grants is going to Kent State University-Trumbull.

The money will be used for the Building Black Leaders program, which provides Black, biracial and multiracial students with personal, professional and academic support. The two-year grant will provide emergency funding, a study away experience for students and the ability to hire a student to support the program. “Our Building Black Leaders Program aims to empower and enrich Black college students to become leaders in the classroom, community and in the lives of others,” said Tiffany Tyree, assistant director of the program at Kent State University-Trumbull. “The grant and support from the Wean Foundation will enable us to push forward with the program mission and carry out what is needed to assist our Black students in defining and achieving their own ideas of academic, personal and professional success.” Youngstown City School District’s Rayen Early College High School also received a grant.

YCSD will use the money for one year of the Summer Bridge program; it supports incoming freshmen transitioning to high school with academics and social-emotional well-being.

GRANTS SUPPORTING COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION This year, the Wean Foundation also supported the Boston Avenue Neighborhood Association (BANA), which is focused on creating safe neighborhood spaces on the south side of Youngstown. The grant will be used for general operating support over two years, including support for a fellow dedicated to building capacity in marketing, fundraising and outreach. The Wean Foundation also gave money to the Economic Action Group, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership for each organization’s general operating costs.

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

Are you ready to start looking into buying a house? Should you stay local in Ohio? How high are monthly bills and expenses for the average Ohio resident compared to other states in the U.S.? Data shows Ohio mortgage payments are the fourth-most affordable in the U.S., according to doxo Insights’ research on U.S. household bills. YOUNGSTOWN MORTGAGE PAYMENTS The average household in Youngstown pays $1,381 monthly, or $16,575 per year, on bills out of their income.

According to homebuyer.com, Youngstown is among some of the most affordable cities in the U.S. to buy a house, ranking sixteenth for towns with a population over 50,000. Neighboring cities also made the homebuyer.com list, including Akron, Toledo, Canton, Elyria and Lorain, and even Pittsburgh. Youngstown residents make average mortgage payments of around $747 per month. The national average for mortgage payments is now $1,321, before other household bills.

The average monthly bill for all services for Youngstown residents is about $1,381, compared to the national bill average of $2,046 for all services. WHAT ABOUT OTHER HOUSEHOLD BILLS? Household bills are $7,982 per year lower than the U.S. average, according to doxo Insights. Youngstown is No. 174 on the list of most expensive cities in Ohio. The cost of living in Youngstown is 32.5% lower than the national average of $2,046. The cost of living in Youngstown is 22.8% lower than the state average of $1,789. Youngstown households spend 37% of their income on household bills. Utilities are around $370 spent per month. Suppose you’re still looking to rent a place. In that case, Youngstown’s renters are paying an average of $691, compared to the national average, which is closer to $1,191.

Visit the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation for information about free one-on-one homebuyer education.

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

To watch the full interview from WFMJ, click here. 

Tuesday, January 2, 2024. 

On December 21, the Pollock Company Foundation provided a $10,000 grant for the Glenwood Neighbors Community Safety program.

The program will engage residents and business owners in the neighborhoods along Glenwood Avenue in Youngstown in a coordinated effort to prevent crime by using evidence-based practices for crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), including installing lighting and doorbell security cameras on homes, businesses, and in public spaces that are in the vicinity of hotspots of violent crime. YNDC will work with resident leaders, business owners, and the Youngstown Police Department to implement the program.

Big thank you to the Pollock Company Foundation for the support!