Neighborhoods

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Direction Home of Eastern Ohio has awarded $50,000 in Mahoning County Senior Levy Service Funding to the Glenwood Fresh Market. The funding will support access to healthy produce for residents of Mahoning County that are 60 years of age or older. Many thanks to Direction Home of Eastern Ohio and the Mahoning County Commissioners!

Tuesday, April 6, 2026

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley awarded YNDC a $12,500 grant for neighborhood improvement projects. This work will focus on blocks with new housing development or major renovation projects underway or planned in the near term. Neighborhood improvements will include replacing broken and failing sidewalks, removing dead and dying street trees, planting new street trees, implementing a community safety program, and other targeted improvements. Thank you to the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley for the support!

The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley has awarded $944,600 in its first grant cycle of 2026, supporting 57 nonprofits serving Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

With support from fundholders and the foundation’s discretionary funds, $365,400 was awarded through the CFMV General Grant. Meanwhile, three of CFMV’s supporting foundations accounted for more than half of the funds disbursed this grant cycle; the Western Reserve Health Foundation awarded $215,500; the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation awarded $204,500; and the William Swanston Charitable Fund awarded $117,200.

As part of the foundation’s effort to better support nonprofits as community needs increase, boards of the Community Foundation and its supporting organizations approved a one-year funding increase for 2026. The increase is equal to roughly $200,000 per quarter between all CFMV quarterly funding opportunities.

“Over the past two years, community-based organizations have seen the demand for services skyrocket while at the same time facing more challenges in acquiring the necessary funding to deliver those programs,” said Casey Krell, CFMV president. “While the Community Foundation’s dollars alone can’t bridge that gap, we believe this is an important step in making sure local nonprofits continue to provide crucial support to their communities. This is currently only a one-year increase, but the foundation is committed to finding ways to provide nonprofits with the support they need.”

Here are the first-quarter grant awards:

Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley
A Kid Again Northern Ohio Chapter: $10,000 for A Kid Again 2026.
American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley: $10,000 for Disaster Cycle Services in the Mahoning Valley.
Associated Neighborhood Centers McGuffey Centre: $2,500 for operating support.
Autism Society of Mahoning Valley: $10,000 for operating support.
Axess Family Services: $10,000 for National Service Programs of Axess Family Services.
Braceville Community Foundation: $6,900 for staff support for the Braceville African American Heritage Museum.
Direction Home of Eastern Ohio: $10,000 for the Kinship Families program.
Eastern Ohio Healthcare Collaborative: $10,000 for operating support.
Empower Family Wellness Center: $2,500 for operating support.
Eversight: $5,000 for sight-saving surgeries, vision research and surgeon education.
Fairhaven Foundation: $10,000 for its Inclusive Community Experiences program.
Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District: $10,000 for an education and outreach campaign to expand curbside recycling in Trumbull County.
Gods Warehouse Inc.: $7,500 for operating support.
Grace AME Church Of Warren Inc.: $5,000 for the TRY Fitness program.
Great Trail Council of Scouting America: $5,000 for operating support.
Grief and Loss in Motion: $5,000 for operating support.
Jubilee Gardens Inc.: $6,000 for its Summer Work and Grow and Sell programs.
Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio: $7,500 for its career readiness and workforce development curriculum.
Kool Boiz Foundation: $5,000 for the Young Men’s Empowerment Series mentoring program.
Loop Youngstown: $10,000 for operating support.
Love Your Community: $5,000 for its Beyond the Game mentoring program.
Mahoning County Land Bank: $20,000 for Mahoning County Healthy Environment and Active Living Spaces program.
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana: $2,500 for granting wishes.
National Inventors Hall Of Fame: $7,500 for scholarships to the Camp Invention program.
Nikki’s House: $10,000 for operating support.
Northeast Ohio Adoption Services: $10,000 for operating support.
Ohio Children’s Alliance: $10,000 to expand the Ohio Reach emergency fund for Mahoning Valley foster youths.
Rae’s Safe Haven Inc.: $5,000 for operating support.
RCF Family Life Center: $5,000 for its Pen Soul: Music Intervention Program for Justice Involved Youth.
The National Center for Urban Solutions: $10,000 for its virtual welding program.
Thrive 10:10: $10,000 for its Pathways programs.
Top Hat Productions: $7,500 for Tri-City Drama Club.
Trumbull Mobile Meals: $10,000 for operating support.
Ursuline Sisters Mission: $7,500 for the Ursuline Sisters Mission Scholars program.
Valley Economic Development Partners Inc.: $20,000 to recapitalize the GrowBiz CDFI Revolving Loan Fund.
Warren Philharmonic Orchestra: $7,500 for operating support.
Western Reserve Land Conservancy: $10,000 for Coalburg Lake Preserve.
Yellow Brick Place: $7,500 for operating support.
Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries: $15,000 for its work in building a Social Information Exchange Network referral system.
YBI: $7,500 for YBI Elevating Every Entrepreneur program.
Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.: $12,500 for neighborhood improvement projects.

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

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, with the support of the Healthy Community Partnership (HCP) Active Transportation Team, is proud to announce the completion of Where the Sidewalk Ends No More. Through two phases, YNDC and HCP were able to install new sidewalks and related pedestrian infrastructure in locations where gaps in safe infrastructure created barriers for residents, especially children, to walk to neighborhood amenities like Homestead Park and East High School.

The first phase included the installation of sidewalks along the north side of Homestead Park along with new curb ramps at the intersections of Homestead Avenue and E. Dewey Avenue and E. Dewey Avenue and Compton Lane. The first phase was completed in fall 2025. The second phase included the installation of new sidewalks and curb ramps along 124 Lansdowne to E. High Avenue. Additionally, a chain-link fence was installed south of 124 Lansdowne to E. High Avenue to improve safety along a ravine. The second phase was completed in spring 2026. In total, about 1,700 linear feet of sidewalk were installed, replaced, and cleaned up.

Thank you to Healthy Community Partnership, Community Foundation for the Mahoning Valley, Western Reserve Health Foundation, William Swanston Charitable Trust, along with support from 2nd Ward Councilman Jimmy Hughes and 7th Ward Councilwoman Amber White, and Stoltzfus and Sons Concrete, LLC for their support in creating vital pedestrian infrastructure in our community.

Thursday, April 9, 2026

YNDC is proud to announce the publishing of its performance report from the 1st Quarter of 2026!

The performance report highlights the work of YNDC from January to March 2026.

An electronic copy can be downloaded below. 

Shannon Zink is a Glenwood Fresh Market Associate for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. Kimberly assists in the operation of the Glenwood Fresh Market and creates a welcoming environment to achieve program service goals including: increasing access to fresh food, inspiring healthy eating, and maintaining a clean, organized and functional environment.

A not-for-profit health system in Youngstown celebrated honorees on Wednesday during its 2026 Visionary Awards.

The Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley spent time recognizing Valley residents who have made an impact in the community and embody the spirit of the foundation’s founders.

Awards were given during the inaugural Impact Dinner at Stambaugh Auditorium.

“We are honored to be presenting to the community the impact that the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley makes,” Paul Homick Jr., president of Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley, said. “We are here to honor three healthcare leaders and those that make a tremendous impact in the community.”

Honorees included:

Leadership in Health Award - Chief Academic Officer Dr. Ronald Rhodes, Mercy Health, Lorain and Youngstown

Heart of the Mission Award - Mercy Health, St. Elizabeth Youngstown and Boardman Hospitals Auxiliary

Continuing the Legacy Award - Executive Director Ian Beniston, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation 

To read the full article from WFMY, click here.

The third installment of the Youngstown Grit series, titled “Resilience,” will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. April 15 at the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County’s Main Library.

The public forum will focus on how resilience and efforts to reclaim Youngstown’s identity have prepared the community for current challenges and helped shape a path forward.

The discussion will be moderated by Tim Seman, genealogy and local history librarian at the PLYMC, and will feature Ian Beniston, executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp.; Mayor Derrick McDowell; and state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-58th.

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

Monday, April 13, 2026

YNDC Executive Director, Ian Beniston, accepted the Continuing the Legacy Award on behalf of YNDC at the Inaugural Mercy Health Foundation Impact Dinner and Visionary Awards at Stambaugh Auditorium. The Visionary Awards recognize individuals who make a profound impact in the community in the spirit and mission inspired by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary since 1911, when St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital opened its doors. The awardees provide an example of the mission to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus, of their visionary leadership in helping make the Mahoning Valley a healthier place, and of their exceptional stewardship of the resources provided by Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley. Thank you to the Mercy Health Foundation of the Mahoning Valley for the recognition! 

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

The City of Struthers and YNDC have broken ground on eight new homes. The project includes four models of homes: two one-story and two, two-story models. All homes will have at least three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open concept living, kitchen, and dining area, first floor laundry room, front porch, and two-car garage.

This project is made possible by a grant award to the City of Struthers Land Reutilization program from the Ohio Department of Development’s Welcome Home Ohio grant program. The vacant lots were assembled by the City of Struthers and Mahoning County Land Banks. Eden Haven Housing Development Group provided predevelopment support to the project. The builder is Joe Koch Construction. The sites are as follows:
1. 90 Center Street
2. 165 Sexton Street
3. 363 Sexton Street
4. 371 Sexton Street
5. 78 Prospect Street
6. 43 Narcissa Avenue
7. 16 E. Haywood Boulevard
8. 434 8th Street