East Side cleanup effort equipped to prosper

Photo

Kathryn Hawks Haney

The structure took 12 Trumbull Career & Technical Center students about a week to finish.

By Sean Barron

YOUNGSTOWN — If you drive past Kathryn Hawks Haney’s home on the city’s East Side, you likely will notice a small, gray toolshed standing in stark contrast to a backdrop of midwinter bare trees and snow.

It also might be difficult to imagine that in a matter of months, the desolate-looking 13-foot-tall structure will become a tool to help transform the neighborhood.

“We’re ready for our second year,” said Hawks Haney, referring to efforts she helped start last year to clean and spruce up the portion of South Truesdale Avenue she “adopted” between Rigby and Shehy streets.

Hawks Haney also runs Give the Children a Chance Inc. from her home at 133 S. Truesdale. She spoke recently about what she hopes to achieve starting this spring for the betterment of her neighborhood, as well as how the 80-square-foot shed will factor in.

The 15-year-old organization provides scholarships to youngsters, offers reading and computer- training classes, has age-appropriate materials on disaster preparedness and works with young people’s parents.

Give the Children a Chance also plans to collaborate with numerous city and county agencies regarding this summer’s neighborhood-restoration projects, Hawks Haney noted.

Efforts are to include gardening, removing litter, cleaning sewers and encouraging neighborhood cooperation, Hawks Haney said, adding that she also wants to see several uninhabitable homes in the area taken down.

“We hope this encourages other [neighborhoods] to do the same,” said the former Youngstown school board member. “Our dream is growing.”

As part of the first of their two carpentry classes, 12 adult students at the Trumbull Career & Technical Center in Warren built the shed, then used two trucks and a backhoe to bring it to Haney’s residence last month, explained George Carney, TCTC’s industrial-training coordinator.

The structure, about 90 percent of which was built with recycled materials, took about a week to complete, he said.

Carney recalled hearing that Hawks Haney’s group needed a place to store various tools for the revitalization efforts. The shed also fit into the required coursework and training for the students, he added.

Carney said the students will return this spring to add shelves and level the toolshed.

“We just saw a need,” he explained, adding that some TCTC students also assist several charity organizations and perform work for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Carney also praised West-Bay & Sons of Cortland for donating time and materials for the project.

For more information about Give the Children a Chance, contact Hawks Haney at (330) 740-0250.