Stories That Make Us
Read real stories of how nonprofits, community residents, donors and fund holders are each making an impact on the local community through their work in the Mahoning Valley.
Background and Inspiration for the Malvina Bojda Oberman Scholarship
The Malvina Bojda Oberman Scholarship Fund was created to honor the life and legacy of Malvina and the values she passed down through generations. The following personal story explains the inspiration behind the scholarship and its lasting purpose. Malvina Magdalena Bojda was born in 1896 in Sarzyna, Southeastern Poland, the oldest of 6 children. In…
Thrive 10:10 Flourishes with CFMV Partnership
Meghan DeGregory’s relationship with the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley began with a phone call. Less than a year before that, the executive director of Thrive 10:10 had a sense the organization was on the edge of expanding its work beyond Ruth’s Boutique and its Getting Ahead pilot program. So, on a wing and…
Carrying the Torch: The Trumbull County Veterans Memorial Fund
In the heart of downtown Warren, where High Street meets Mahoning Avenue, the Trumbull County Veterans’ Memorial stands as a solemn tribute to those who served. Since its dedication on Veterans Day, November 11, 2008, the memorial has become more than a monument – it is a gathering place for remembrance, a teaching space for…
Joshua Macejko
Why did you choose your field of study? From an early age, Joshua Macejko knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Inspired by a personal family experience — watching a grandparent regain independence after joint replacement surgeries — he developed a passion for orthopedics and the life-changing difference that compassionate, skilled care can…
Life of Giving Back Connects Scott Schulick to CFMV
Giving back has always been a pillar of Scott Schulick’s values. It began at home and church, where there was always encouragement to be thankful for those who gave to you and to spread that by giving what you can to others. It was a part of everyday life throughout his childhood and teenage years,…
CFMV Helps City of Warren Invest $600K in ARPA Funds
Pictured: The Warren City Health District received funding for its Wellness On Wheels mobile clinic through the Warren Community Impact Fund. WARREN, Ohio – A unique partnership between the City of Warren and the Community Foundation, combining the city’s federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act with the Foundation’s expertise in grantmaking, has invested…
Thrive Mahoning Valley Collaborates to Build a Welcoming Valley
From the moment seven years ago that Thrive Mahoning Valley started supporting people from Puerto Rico who had been displaced by Hurricanes Maria and Irma, the work Thrive has done has had a primary guiding principle. Even as the organization expanded its mission, moved into its own office, added staff and built new programs and…
Health Foundations Leverage Collaboration to Build Change in the Valley
When two long-established health foundations joined forces with the Community Foundation, it marked the beginning of a new era of collaboration, expanding our ability to improve health outcomes and meet the evolving needs of local residents. The two health foundations – Western Reserve Health Foundation serving Mahoning County and Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation doing the…
Aiden Cole
Among CFMV’s 2024 scholarship recipients is Jackson-Milton High School valedictorian Aiden Cole, who is enrolled in Dartmouth College’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics program. He received the Purple Heart Gary Gutelius Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to veterans who have received the Purple Heart or their descendants; Cole’s great-grandfather received the honor. We recently posed a…
Abigail Stephens
Several scholarship funds at the Community Foundation make renewal scholarships, meaning students can potentially receive additional support beyond their first year’s award. Abigail Stephens, studying environmental and conservation biology at Kent State University, was among the recipients of the Veronica Willo Scholarship, which made renewal awards totaling $4,500 in 2024. We recently asked Abigail a…