SHENANGO VALLEY Urban League plans awards dinner

FARRELL, Pa. -- The importance of young people in a community will be the focus of the Shenango Valley Urban League's 36th Annual Awards Dinner slated for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Oak Tree Country Club.
"Visions for the Future: Building Generations of Excellence and Integrity" is the dinner theme, and the program will feature three local professional leaders as guest speakers. Their focus will be the importance of education, integrity and community involvement in the lives of today's youth.
The speakers will be: Dr. Francene E. Haymon, professor/counselor at Slippery Rock State University; the Rev. Ralph T. Newell, founder and pastor of Jesus' Church -- Faith Christian Center Ministries in Farrell; and the Rev. Larry Haynes, executive director of the Shenango Valley Foundation.
The program also will feature presentations by young people from the community and a silent art auction featuring works from local high school students.
About the speakers
Among other things, Haymon's duties at Slippery Rock include providing counseling services to students and consultation services to the administration and faculty. She serves on the university's Affirmative Action, College Equal Opportunity, Human Relations and Presidential Search committees.
The Rev. Mr. Newell, in addition to his pastoral duties, is an inmate counselor at the Mercer County Jail and has served as president of numerous ministerial associations. He is vice president of Shenango Valley Initiative, a community activist group.
The Rev. Mr. Haynes, senior pastor at Grace Chapel Community Church, serves as a consultant in developing strategic planning for nonprofit agencies. He was recognized in 2002 as the Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year.
For more information on the banquet, call the Urban League at (724) 981-5310.