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Cutting blight, helping JFS in the same swath
The Vindicator ( Youngstown)
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Councilwoman Cheryl Saff old, who represents Warren’s 6th Ward, shows property at Highland Avenue and Oak Street Southwest that needs attention.
Councilwoman Saffold organizes effort to benefit Warren
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Though city residents and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office are doing their best to keep the grass cut on vacant city properties, Councilwoman Cheryl Saffold felt more needed to be done.
She especially noticed that the problem was severe in the 6th Ward, the southwest side of the city she represents on council.
She talked about the problem with several people, including Mayor Michael O’Brien. They met with the Trumbull County Depart- ment of Job and Family Services to put together a plan that involved several local organizations and JFS clients.
The plan, to be implemented this week, involves JFS clients cutting grass as part of their assistance program and nonprofit organizations providing the equipment and transportation.
Bill Turner, work-force administrator for Trumbull County’s JFS, said the loss of the Summer Youth employment program this summer as a result of decreased federal and state funding reduced the amount of work and funding for community cleanup this year.
It’s the first time in 30 years that Turner’s agency has not had a summer youth program, Turner said.
Last summer’s youth-employment program gave jobs to about 350 income- eligible youths age 15 to 24. It paid them $7.30 per hour, 30 hours per week, from June 14 to Aug. 6.
Fortunately, the department has another program, called WEP, or Work Experience Program, which gives employment to JFS clients. It employs individuals receiving JFS assistance such as food stamps.
The goal of WEP is to give meaningful work experience to clients to help them move from assistance to a paying job.
For the WEP program to be used for grass cutting, however, some assistance with transportation and equipment was required, Turner said.
That’s where Pastor Chris Gilger of the Warren Family Mission and Matt Martin of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership stepped in.
The Family Mission and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership agreed to provide the grass-cutting equipment, and the Family Mission pledged to provide the transportation.
The Warren Health Department will provide a list of properties needing attention, and Lowe’s of Warren will provide gloves, bags and other supplies, Saffold said.
“It’s an excellent concept,” Turner said of government, nonprofit and for-profit organizations working together.
“We’re providing the workers, and they’re providing the equipment and transportation,” Turner said.
Clients participating in the WEP program in the past typically worked in municipal parks or for nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army, Turner said.
“It’s a nice win-win,” said Frank Flaminio, JFS One-Stop superviser. “It is addressing a community problem with a community resource.”