Here are some examples, in no particular order, of people who made a difference in the Mahoning

Here are some examples, in no particular order, of people who made a difference in the Mahoning Valley in 2007:

Tony and Mary Lariccia of Boardman have been redefining local philanthropy for years, and 2007 was no exception. The man who says he is “just a kid from Struthers” and his wife gave away more than $700,000 to various causes last year, raising their total philanthropy to around the $11 million mark. High school football stadiums, animal rescuers, churches and a public park were among those feeling the impact of their generosity in 2007.

Warren Councilman Bob “Doby” Dean, D-at large, has been behind a Coats for Kids project in his community for the last four years. The effort bears his name but Dean is quick to heap praise on the dozens of volunteers, the Cleveland Browns organization, WTAM radio and other organizations for making it all work. The project started out to provide winter coats for children but has since expanded into offering adult coats as well. Some 1,600 coats were recently distributed in a four-hour period at North Mar Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Spanish students at Youngstown Christian School raised $500 in cash, created Christmas cards in Spanish and bought candy to send to 80 children at an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. Carol Vitelli’s classes did all of that in just one week in a project that has been dubbed “Eagles In a Mission,” a reference to the school’s team name. Christmas is all about giving, Vitelli said, explaining that she wanted to give her students a chance to really understand that concept.

The Teen Institute at Girard High School made Christmas special for some 100 Girard school pupils and their families with its Gift of a Life Program. The institute provided gifts to the children and an opportunity to get a picture taken with Santa Claus. Members of the institute held various community service projects throughout the year to raise the money for the project. It was the sixth year for the program.

Senior Watch, a Mahoning County program designed to ensure the safety and well-being of the county’s 56,833 residents who are 60 and over, was announced in April. The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department brought back Kay Lavelle, a retired deputy, to oversee the program. She sent letters to chiefs of police in each jurisdiction asking if their officers would be willing to pop in to check on seniors in their area. Sheriff Randall A. Wellington said having deputies visit has provided the seniors with a feeling of safety and prevents victimization. Lavelle said the officers who visit seniors can see if they need help from service agencies and refer the needs back to her.

Kelli Hileman of Redgate Lane, Austintown, formerly of Youngstown, volunteers at a no-kill shelter in Kinsman that rescues pit bulls and, over the years, has fostered pit bulls in her home. She says she’s never been bitten by them. Her dog, Sosa, came from the shelter, which Hileman calls “a wonderful facility.”

Humane Sanctuary Inc. in Kinsman takes in cats and dogs of all breeds and does a lot of pit bull rescues, according to its Web site. It serves Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York “and beyond.”

The Rev. Kathryn Adams, director of Protestant Campus Ministry at Youngstown State University and pastor at Fairview United Methodist Church in Niles, has organized and led 15 trips to orphanages in Russia. At the orphanages, the ministry team of volunteers usually does a work project. The team also delivers a variety of items including clothing, school supplies, toiletries and toys. In addition to a trip this year, the Rev. Mrs. Adams arranged for Vladislav Makarov, a 17-year-old boy, to come to the United States to be fitted for prosthetics because he lost his legs below the knees in a train accident. Mrs. Adams said access to such care in Russia is very limited.

The Blanket Brigade, a group of sixth-graders at William S. Guy Middle School in Liberty, made “tie” blankets to be given to the Beatitude House, the YWCA’s battered-women’s shelter, Assumption Village and other agenciess. Teacher Ellen King coordinates the program, which started out as an after-school program but has now blossomed into a community service project. Only 28 children can participate at a time due to work space limitations, and King said the program has a waiting list of those who want to help.

Pupils at Hayes Middle School in Youngstown, touched by the shooting deaths of 33 people at Virginia Tech in April, sent postcards of support and encouragement to that university and then created a 3-by-4-foot banner bearing the Virginia Tech logo and signed messages of encouragement and support that was sent to the school.

John Paul DeSimone of Poland, a graduate student at Youngstown State University, spearheaded the creation of a 51-page YSU campuswide sympathy and support book that was sent to Virginia Tech. His project expanded to include a 25-member production team from various YSU departments to create the book. It was an opportunity for the YSU community to unite in solidarity with Virginia Tech families and friends, he said.

Youngstown Police Chaplaincy Corps members minister to officers and serve as a community resource. This year, 10 faith leaders, including six women, participated in a class for chaplains-in-training. Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin-Casey, YPD chaplain liaison officer, said, “The ministers provide a valuable source of networking in the community.”

The Rev. Hubert D. Clardy Jr. does double duty serving the community. He is pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Campbell and a living tribute to the legacy of his parents — the late Maretta Clardy was an associate minister and the late Hubert Clardy Sr., deacon. He also broke ground in the Youngstown Fire Department when he was named fire inspector in 1990, the first black man in that position. He is now beginning a mentoring program for youth at the church.

Second-graders at West Elementary in Youngstown played Santa Claus for troops in Iraq by filling Christmas stockings with small gifts to go to 100 members of an infantry unit serving overseas. They relied on their parents to buy the toiletries, decks of cards and other items each put into a stocking. Randy Smith, one of those stuffing a stocking, said he thought it was important to remember the soldiers serving far from home over the holidays. The children also wrote letters to those who received their gifts.

The Rev. Connie Sassanella, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Salem, celebrated her 30th anniversary as a minister this year. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, the first female bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, participated in the celebration service and credited the Rev. Ms. Sassanella with being a pioneer “who laid the groundwork” for other women aspiring to be ministers. She is a co-founder of the Banquet of Salem, a Monday dinner event that “feeds all kinds of needs.”

Regina Jordan and Deidre Watson, leaders of an exercise class, Bodies for Christ, at McGuffey Road Church of Christ in Youngstown, use Scripture and focus on the body as a holy temple. Weight loss is a welcome result. The leaders emphasize to participants that focusing on lifestyle and making positive changes will help black women who may be at risk for hypertension and diabetes. This class targets both body and soul.

Children at Struthers Elementary collected toys and food for the Rescue Mission instead of buying presents for their teachers for the 2007 holiday season. More than 2,700 items were collected.

Dean B. McClain, 75, Korean War veteran, dedicated himself to full-time volunteer service to the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic on Belmont Avenue after learning of a McDonald veteran who had lost his job, and then nearly his life because he had no idea he had veteran entitlements through the VA. McClain, of Austintown, was drafted into the Army in December 1952, and served in Korea from April 1953 to November 1954. He is involved in many veterans organization and has been the commander of several, including the United Veterans Council of Greater Youngstown, and Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 137, of which he is also a founder. He is a retired railroad worker, and owned retail jewelry stores in Austintown, Chicago, Philadelphia and Jacksonville, Fla. He and his wife, Carol, have three children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. His mission is to make sure veterans know about and understand the benefits available to them.

“I get great satisfaction working for the VA and seeing guys who really need help get it. I look at it as a payback. Life has been pretty good to me,” he said.