Devotion to the Past: Sharing Lessons of the Civil Rights Movement with Area Students Penny Wells, Executive Director, Sojourn to the Past As a college student at Brown University in the 1960s, Dallas native Penny Wells organized a voter registration week in Alabama. She also participated in the March Against Fear, later known as the …

A True Inspiration: Helping Youth See Anything Is Possible Deryck Toles, Founder and CEO, Inspiring Minds The founding of Inspiring Minds is a well-known story. After suffering a career-ending injury to his professional football dreams, Warren native Deryck Toles reflected on what had helped him along his path: It was the people in his life …

A Critical Partnership: Paving the Way for Government and Philanthropy to Work Toward Common Goal Jay Williams, President and CEO, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Jay Williams no longer resides in the Mahoning Valley full time, but the former Youngstown mayor’s impact is lasting. Likewise, the community and the work he was a part of …

What We’re Here For: Finding Purpose in Serving Others Dionne Dowdy-Lacey, Co-founder and Executive Director, United Returning Citizens Whenever Dionne Dowdy-Lacey has a bad day or feels overwhelmed, she seems to run into someone she knows who was helped by United Returning Citizens (URC), the nonprofit organization she founded just over 10 years ago to …

Silver Maples and Blueberry Bushes: Sowing a Thriving Community in Boulevard Park  Mary Danus, Secretary, Boulevard Park Block Watch  Mary Danus remembers the silver maples covering every inch of Boulevard Park when she moved there 50 years ago. This section of the Pleasant Grove neighborhood in Youngstown was always known for its tall trees—an urban …

Engaged Resident: Showing Up Wherever There Is a Need Christina Anderson, Licensed Independent Social Worker Christina Anderson is the picture of an engaged resident. The licensed independent social worker lends her expertise to a number of boards and causes in the community. She’s served as the precinct committee representative for her neighborhood and is a …

Mission-aligned Partner: Connecting Opportunities Through Capital Angelo LoCastro, Youngstown/Warren Office Director, Bridgeway Capital There is a new mission-aligned partner in town: Bridgeway Capital. Founded in 1990 in Pittsburgh after the collapse of the region’s steel industry, Bridgeway Capital seeks to combat injustices and advance opportunities in places that have been devastated by disinvestment and lack …

The Power of Reinvention: Teaching a City Ward the Importance of Self-Love Honeya Price, Ward 6 Councilwoman, City of Warren; Founder, SWAG Sisters, Sisters Welcome All Generations Honeya Price believes in reinvention. Ten years ago, she was convicted of a felony in a domestic case against an ex-boyfriend and lost everything. She had to rebuild …

No Time for Excuses: Making a Neighborhood a Happy Place Darla Ballinger, President, Boston Avenue Neighbor Association In 1981, three days before Darla Ballinger was to move into a house on Boston Avenue on the south side of Youngstown with her two small children, neighbors vandalized it, painting racial slurs on the walls. At the …