VALLEY UPDATE
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Wean Foundation offers neighborhood grants
Mahoning Valley. The scholarship will be given in perpetuity for the education of Greek women.
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he Raymond John Wean Foundation is inviting grassroots groups from Warren and Youngstown to apply for Neighborhood Success grants of $500 to $5,000 through its new streamlined application portal. The grant cycle opened in mid-January. For 2021, the Neighborhood Success Grants Program has been adapted to be responsive to the pandemic. In addition to a streamlined application process, on-demand orientation and technical assistance, a rolling timeline and expedited review process have been implemented. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 18, March 4 and March 18 and reviewed by the Resident Council who represent the diversity of Warren and Youngstown residents. Most applications will be reviewed and processed within two weeks. “ T h e C OV I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c h a s disproportionately impacted communities of color and requires an urgent, equitable response that places residents at the center of the process, and leverages the financial, human and material resources that exist in the community,” says Corrie Adams, program officer. “Our streamlined grant application process is a response to what we’re hearing from residents and organizations today.” Requests that align with resident-identified priorities and the spirit of the program will be considered for: n COVID Response – efforts related to neighborhood challenges caused or made worse by the pandemic n Program/Operations – resources to bolster organization operations or programs. Before applying, groups are encouraged to visit the Neighborhood Success page at www.rjweanfdn.org for more information. Now in its 11th year, Neighborhood Success Grants have invested $1.6 million in nearly 500 resident-led projects improving the quality of life in underresourced neighborhoods across Warren and Youngstown.
Rail commission OKs $100,000 grant to M&M
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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE MAHONING VALLEY
Youngstown Alumnae Panhellenic scholarship winner Sarah Gonda (front row, left) and Mrs. Mary Gonda. Back row (left to right): Mary Ann Keifer; Rachael Chacon, development and marketing coordinator, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley; Shari Harrell, president, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley; and Christine Grabert. See related story below.
Panhellenic scholarship available for 2021-2022
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he Youngstown Alumnae Panhellenic is offering a $500 scholarship for the 2021-2022 school year to an undergraduate student who is an active member of a National Panhellenic Conference Sorority. The applicant must be a full-time sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior woman and a resident from Mahoning, Trumbull, or Columbiana counties. The award will be based on scholarship, leadership, and sorority participation. The award will be paid directly to the university’s financial affairs office. The deadline for applications is March 31.
Applications are available at www. youngstownalumnaepanhellenic.weebly.com. The Youngstown Alumnae Panhellenic Association awarded its 2019-2020 scholarship to Jensen Kniska, a member of Delta Zeta Sorority at Youngstown State University. She was the organization’s 169th scholarship recipient. The Youngstown Alumnae Panhellenic Association provided its first scholarship in 1926. Since 1976, the scholarship’s focus has been for an active member of a National Panhellenic Conference sorority/fraternity. The Youngstown Alumnae Panhellenic Association has reached $25,000 to fund its scholarship endowment, which is held by the Community Foundation of the
he Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved a $100,000 grant to M&M Industries, Inc. to add a rail spur at its new facility in Lordstown. M&M Industries will be investing approximately $38 million at the brownfield site and will create 106 new jobs. M&M Industries, Inc. is a U.S.-based plastic pail manufacturer that was established by Glenn Morris Sr. in 1986. M&M is a manufacturer of containers for hazardous and non-hazardous solids and liquids. The containers are suitable for biohazard waste, hazardous chemicals, solid waste and solid chemicals. “On behalf of each of us at M&M I can’t begin to describe our excitement and enthusiasm for working with the extraordinary people of Ohio, playing a role in the growth of Ohio, and becoming a part of the community. We can’t wait to get started, said Glenn Morris, president and CEO.” “This is an exciting project for ORDC for multiple reasons, said Matthew Dietrich, executive director. “In partnership with Team NEO and the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, we are supporting private investment in a brownfield site in Ohio. Just a few years ago, the railroad was considering eliminating rail service on this line, so this type of investment not only helps M&M Industries but also helps to ensure continued rail service in the area for current and future businesses.” For more information on the M&M project or additional information on ORDC, contact Wende Jourdan at 614-728-9497.
About the Wean Foundation – The Raymond John Wean Foundation is dedicated to community-building in underresourced communities of Warren and Youngstown in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley. The Foundation leverages a dynamic combination of grantmaking, capacity building, convening and partnerships to provoke new thinking, strengthen communities and disrupt the status quo to achieve its vision: empowered residents creating an equitable Mahoning Valley.
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