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ACTION honors 3 from Valley for revitalizing neighborhoods
By Denise Dick
By DENISE DICK
Youngstown
A faith-based group that does community organizing in the Mahoning Valley should be congratulated for its work, said the president of the community-organizing foundation that trained President Barack Obama in the craft.
Dr. Ann E. Smith, president of the Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation, was the keynote speaker Thursday at the eighth annual banquet for the Alliance for Congregation Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods. The banquet, which is ACTION’s only fundraiser, was at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Social Hall.
That work deserving of congratulations includes “working together to get a new community college in place,” “working to get a grocery store in Warren” and seeing an eyesore, the former Linton Funeral Home, torn down and a memorial to the Linton family’s legacy planned in its place, Smith said before the banquet.
“ACTION is one of 60 affiliates that the Gamaliel Foundation has in 20 states, South Africa and Great Britain,” she said.
The foundation is where Obama received his training in community organizing before entering politics.
Community organizing also took a hit from then-Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during the 2008 campaign, when she said that a small-town mayor is “sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.”
Smith believes community organizing is misunderstood by some.
“Since the inception of this country, people have organized on a grass-roots level in different areas to improve the quality of their lives,” she said.
About 400 people attended the gathering where three guests of honor were recognized for their contributions to ACTION’s mission of revitalizing center-city neighborhoods.
The Rev. Eleanor Felder, pastor of Holy Bible Church of God; Atty. Patricia Rosenthal, executive director of Common Wealth, a nonprofit organization; and the Rev. Edward P. Noga, pastor of St. Patrick Church, Youngstown, received the recognition.