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.
Giving Tuesday And Beyond Campaign Raises $235K for CFMV Agency Funds
MAHONING VALLEY, Ohio — More than 1,000 people donated over the final month of 2023 as part of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley’s Giving Tuesday And Beyond campaign, helping raise more than $235,000 for local nonprofits. Over the campaign, which ran from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31, all donations to agency funds housed…
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‘Building A Better Table’ Unites Community Partners to Boost Civic Engagement
The key to any thriving community is having residents that are engaged at all levels and work hard to make where they live the best it can be. But what if people don’t know where to even start doing that work? A local coalition is working to build that knowledge base and foster a new…
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New Agency Fund Helps Autism Society Prepare for the Future
Even beyond her work as the director of the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley, Robin Suzelis is familiar with the challenges of raising children with autism. That familiarity helps drive her work at the nonprofit to make sure it’s always doing everything it can to provide whatever support is needed. “There are so many…
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Dutton’s Work with Swanston Fund Left a Brighter Future for Valley Kids
When he passed away in 1919, Canfield farmer William Swanston could never have known that his name would still be associated with projects serving the Mahoning Valley’s kids more than a century later. But through the William Swanston Charitable Fund – and especially long-time board member Paul Dutton, who passed away in May – efforts…
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Agency Fund at CFMV Gives Goodwill Peace of Mind
With roots stretching back some 130 years, Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries has a long history of serving some of the most vulnerable people and getting them connected to the services they need to thrive. Beyond the retail stores – now numbering 10 across Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Counties, as well as in Mercer and Lawrence…
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Martha Ellers Endowment Fund Helps Trumbull County Historical Society Create Paid Internship
Author: Josh Medore | Photos courtesy of Ellers Family and the Trumbull County Historical Society WARREN, Ohio — Lifelong Warren resident Martha Ellers had an abiding interest in history. Preserving it, researching it, celebrating it, and understanding it. It is with this in mind that a new endowment fund has been created in her name…
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Trumbull County Coaches’ Agency Fund Supports Student-Athletes
With a history stretching back more than 50 years, the impact of the Trumbull County Coaches Association is hard to quantify just in numbers. Today, it counts more than 300 active coaches among its membership and it hosts annual ceremonies to recognize Football Player of the Year, Basketball Player of the Year Award for both…
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Community Revitalization at Oak Hill Collaborative: Prioritizing Neighborhoods and Access to Information for All
Author: Josh Medore | Photo credit: Josh Medore The path to community revitalization isn’t just through demolishing blight or changing a neighborhood’s image to attract visitors. From where Oak Hill Collaborative sits, improving technology – and the technological skills of residents – can be just as important. “Some sort of economic prosperity is vital if…
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Creating a Community for Women to Thrive – Addiction Recovery at Nikki’s House
Author: Josh Medore | Photo credit: Josh Medore When she inherited her childhood home after her father passed away, turning it into a place for women to work their way through addiction recovery wasn’t at the top of Nicole Wesley’s mind. She had been working her way through medical school and wasn’t even sure if…
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Young Philanthropist Fund Invests in the Health of Local Students with Autism
Author: Josh Medore | Photo credit: Josh Medore As the GIVES Committee of the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals looked at this year’s applications for grants from the Young Philanthropist Fund, a name stood out. Potential Development School for Students with Autism. The nonprofit school, with an elementary and high school along Market Street in Youngstown…
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