Wean grants go to Valley nonprofits

Community Solutions Association and Help Hotline Crisis Center received the largest awards.

STAFF REPORTS

WARREN — The Raymond John Wean Foundation of Warren has disbursed grants totalling $1,494,387 to 16 nonprofit Mahoning Valley organizations, most in Trumbull and Mahoning counties.

The Wean Foundation, which disburses grant money four times a year, was created by Warren industrialist Raymond John “Jack” Wean, in 1949. It is the largest foundation in the Mahoning Valley, with assets of nearly $90 million, and gives about $4.5 million a year to nonprofit organizations.

The foundation’s mission is to enhance community well-being and vitality through grant making, convening, advocating and providing leadership with a focus on economically disadvantaged people and neighborhoods.

The June 2008 grant list is:

UBig Brothers and Big Sisters, $8,000, to expand services in the Youngstown City School District.

UCommunity Legal Aid Services, $25,000, to expand its Consumer Legal Enforcement and Rights Project into Trumbull County.

UCommunity Solutions Association, a three-year grant of $540,737 as the lead agency for a program to collaborate with Warren City Schools to build reading, language and social skills to help children get ready for kindergarten.

UFamily Services Agency, $30,000, for fundraising and public relations.

UHelp Hotline Crisis Center, a grant of $344,650 over three years to build the infrastructure of the crisis intervention and community resources center.

UInterfaith Home Maintenance, $30,000, to assist homeowners who have neither the financial nor the physical resources to maintain decent, safe, and sanitary living conditions.

UMahoning Valley Covering Kids and Families Coalition, $50,000, to increase the number of Mahoning Valley children enrolled in Ohio’s health insurance program.

UNeighborhood Ministries, $30,000, to build its organizational capacity to increase the social service its community center offers Campbell residents.

UOhio North East Health Systems, $149,000, to plan for future expansion of its comprehensive primary medical and dental care to uninsured, under-insured and under served people in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

UThe Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, $40,000, to hire a staff person to integrate the library’s new urban branches on the south and east sides into the communities they serve.

UStudents Motivated by the Arts, also known as the Youngstown State University/SMARTS program, $45,000, to increase the group’s ability to provide string-instrument and other musical programming to urban kids.

UYoungstown’s Southwest Side Neighborhood Council and the West Side Neighborhood Council, $60,000 each, to hire community organizers to complete the staffing of the neighborhood organizing initiative to develop grass roots leadership to identify issues, develop strategies, and partner with other key stakeholders to create and maintain healthy neighborhoods.

UYour Child Development Associate Connection, a program of Tru-Mah-Col, the local affiliate for early childcare educators, $25,000, to support the local training program for the entry-level professional credential for child care providers.

UValley Counseling Services, $50,000, to support its efforts to develop alternative sources of funding including by the development of a supporting foundation effort.

UYoungstown Area Goodwill Industries, $7,000, to support eye testing for children.