Hispanic group receives grant

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — The Organizac on C vica y Cultural Hispana Americana, the city’s primary social service agency catering to the needs of the local Hispanic community, received a two-year $12,000 grant from Chase to improve literacy and quality of life for the city’s economically disadvantaged youth.

Mary Isa Garayua, OCCHA’s executive director, said her organization provides a safe, skill-building environment to elementary through high school pupils.

OCCHA typically draws pupils from households with low to moderate incomes. The agency’s after-school programs and summer day camp have run for 36 years. Programs include tutoring, career education and job fairs, cultural activities and field trips, and weekly workshops on peer pressure, conflict resolution, violence prevention, anger management, self-esteem, drug and alcohol prevention, and health and wellness skills.

“Mostly kids come from the Hispanic community, but everyone is welcome” in the after-school and day-camp programs, Garayua said.

Theodore Walter, Chase’s president of the Youngstown market, said in a press release the grant seeks to address the issues of poverty and social exclusion.

“We want to help students acquire the knowledge and skills they’ll need to become productive, engaged citizens,” he said.

Chase is the banking brand of JPMorgan Chase and Co.