THEY’RE ALL HEART

By KATIE SEMINARA

Fund supports those in need

YOUNGSTOWN — Handel’s is used to dishing out ice cream, but this weekend it’ll be dishing out something else — heart.

With the kickoff of its new campaign, Youngstown’s All Heart, Handel’s will introduce a new ice cream flavor and encourage Valley residents to support good deeds.

Youngstown’s All Heart is a foundation created by Handel’s President Leonard Fisher and Jim Brown, Handel’s chief operating officer, to benefit those in need throughout the Mahoning Valley.

“There are so many good people in this community,” said Brown. “We should be proud of where we live, and we should do more for the community.”

Handel's Heart

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Fisher and Brown were initially inspired to start the campaign when they heard the story of Joe Kaluza back in March.

Kaluza was the KFC manager who was victim of a shooting during a staged robbery that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Such an act could have happened to anyone. But Kaluza’s being part of the food industry brought the story even closer to home and was a call to act, Fisher and Brown said.

“Handel’s is a Youngstown institution, so I said, ‘We have to help,’” said Fisher, who decided to make Kaluza the first benefactor of efforts by the foundation.

A new flavor of ice cream, appropriately called “Youngstown’s All Heart,” will be available Friday at all local Handel’s locations.

Youngstown’s All Heart is vanilla ice cream with raspberry ripple and raspberry-filled chocolate hearts.

A portion of every purchase of a pint or a quart of any flavor of ice cream will go toward Kaluza’s medical bills.

The Youngstown’s All Heart foundation is also funded by the sale of red message bracelets for $2. They are inscribed: “Do more ... be more.”

“This isn’t just about Joe, it’s about everyone in Youngstown,” said Fisher.

Some Valley businesses have already reached out to help Handel’s with the cause.

“I wanted to do more than just throw change in a bucket,” said Sandra Cika, principal of the graphic design firm Insite.

Cika is responsible for creating the brand and Web site for Youngstown’s All Heart, which she believes will launch a movement in the area.

Because of people such as Cika, throwing change into a bucket is making a difference. Gloria Roy, office manager of Youngstown’s Morgan Foods, would agree.

As of last week, area KFCs had raised more than $70,000 for Kaluza, just from donation buckets that were placed in the stores in March, said Roy.

The local KFC restaurants are selling the Youngstown’s All Heart wrist bands and still have buckets available for donating.

“I think it’s a wonderful contribution,” said Roy of the Youngstown’s All Heart campaign.

Inner Circle Pizza of Canfield is contributing as well by serving up the Youngstown’s All Heartini.

The vodka-based martini was designed to match the flavors of the ice cream, and for every one sold, a donation is made to the Kaluza fund, said Karen Naffah, owner of Inner Circle Pizza, Canfield.

“You take care of your own, and that’s what Youngstown is good for,” said Naffah. Her wait staff sports the “do more ... be more” bracelets while at work.

Even though Kaluza is not in Youngstown, he is in high spirits and knows what his community is doing for him, said Kaluza’s sister, Anna Fitzgerald.

Kaluza has been in a Cleveland Metro Hospital’s rehab unit since the beginning of June and is set to be discharged in mid-August, said Fitzgerald.

He has already tasted the Youngstown’s All Heart ice cream, said Fitzgerald, who added she thinks the efforts made by Handel’s and community members are amazing.

“They’ve given their heart,” she said.

Youngstown’s All Heart is just beginning, but aims to become an ongoing foundation to support plights similar to the ones faced by the Kaluza family.

“It’s time to show people of Youngstown have a great heart,” said Fisher.