Grants total $170,800

YOUNGSTOWN -- Beatitude House, sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters to help disadvantaged women and children in the Mahoning Valley, recently received grants totaling $170,800. The grants are from:
The William Swanston Charitable Foundation, $41,200 each year over three years. The money is earmarked for the Child Advocacy Program.
Youngstown Community Development Agency, $40,000 emergency shelter grant for July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007.
Charter One Bank, $5,000.
Youngstown Rotary Club, $2,200.
Beatitude House is a nonprofit organization that focuses on counseling to promote self-development and education of women so that they may obtain needed skills. Both women and children are empowered with training knowledge, work habits and motivation.
What's available
Beatitude House programs are:
Transitional housing program: offers two-year transitional housing for homeless women with children. There are 12 transitional housing apartments in Youngstown and seven in Warren.
Permanent supportive housing: provides housing for women with disabilities or who have children with disabilities. There are 12 permanent supportive housing sites in Youngstown.
Education and career preparation program: provides services to both homeless and low-income women including life skills training, computer literacy, GED classes, job preparation, parenting programs, financial management and other supportive services.
Child advocacy program: offers parenting classes for mothers in Beatitude House programs and educational, enrichment and counseling services for children.
During the last year, Beatitude House has served more than 48 families in the transitional housing program (48 mothers with 119 children), 177 women and 46 children through the education and career program and 12 families (12 mothers and 19 children) in permanent supportive housing.