Speaker praises McGuffey Centre

The East Side center provides a safe haven for children, the speaker said.

By SEAN BARRON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — Many Mahoning Valley youngsters who have become productive citizens were influenced and molded in part by being part of the McGuffey Centre during their younger years, a speaker said.

The city has reaped countless benefits during the center’s 87-year history, but the facility needs money, volunteers and community participation for its after-school — and other — programs.

Those were the main topics espoused in a presentation Barbara Sykes gave Friday as part of the Associated Neighborhood Centers’ annual meeting and dinner at the McGuffey Centre, 1649 Jacobs Road on Youngstown’s East Side.

“The center nurtures our neighborhoods, and we need to be sure not to take this center for granted,” said Sykes, president and chief executive officer of Ohio United Way. “We must be sure it remains viable, workable and reliable, and be sure children have a safe landing place.”

Sykes, of Akron, shared her experiences traveling through the state and seeing both urban and rural poverty. Also part of the keynote speaker’s talk were various United Way initiatives.

Praise for the center

Sykes praised the center, which receives United Way funding, for providing a safe place for area youngsters, many of whom receive tutoring and help with their schoolwork. People throughout the area should know that the facility is safe and provides excellent services, she said.

“These types of anchors keep a community going,” she added.

Sykes noted that many children face difficult challenges, including having a hard time finding work and receiving an inadequate education. Additionally, more young people are being incarcerated at younger ages, she said.

“This center is a great alternative to being on the streets,” Sykes said.

Since getting her position in January, Sykes said, she has visited about 75 United Way agencies throughout Ohio and has seen urban and rural “pockets of poverty” that need to be addressed.

Statewide problems

Among the problems many people struggle with statewide are predatory lending practices and home foreclosures when, for example, they are faced with expensive medical bills.

Sykes cited Vinton County in southern Ohio as an example of widespread rural poverty. The county of about 13,000 has no major industries, and many residents work in surrounding counties, depriving Vinton County of a viable tax base.

Among United Way’s strategies is a new financial stability initiative, in which people are taught ways to understand and take advantage of their benefits, as well as good techniques for saving and budgeting money, Sykes noted.

Providing entertainment was Stage and Company, a Youngstown-based jazz trio.

Before her presentation, Sykes received proclamations from city officials and the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for her work on advocating for families and women’s rights, among other accomplishments.