SitemapIn 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.
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