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By Linda Linonis
AUSTINTOWN
Church Women United observed its fifth annual Human Rights Celebration in December at Grace Lutheran Church, 162 S. Raccoon Road, with some 70 people in attendance.
The Rev. Dwayne Heard, pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Youngstown, and Shirley Megown, president of CWU, presented Human Rights Awards to Dawn Burton, Penny Wells and Sonya A. Williams.
Program chairwoman was the Rev. Robin Woodberry of New Bethel Baptist Church in Youngstown and vice president of CWU.
Burton, who was born in Cleveland, relocated to Youngstown with her family in 1970. She attended Youngstown City Schools and earned an associate degree in applied science and technology from Youngstown State University.
She worked for the Mahoning County prosecutors office, then took a job as bailiff with the city of Youngstown for Judge Elizabeth Kobb.
In 2008, Burton graduated from Ashford University with distinction with a bachelor’s degree in social criminal justice. For the past 11 years, she has served as a volunteer on the board of Mahoning County Development Disabilities and is now president.
Burton has two children, Andrea and Andre Lavar Burton. Her son was diagnosed with Smith Lemli Opitiz Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. He had grand mal seizures as a child. Andre attended Leonard Kirtz School until his graduation in 2000. He now attends Bev Masco Workshop for day habilitation.
Wells graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American Civilization in 1966 from Brown University, Providence, R.I. After college, Wells was a tutor for the pre-freshman program at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. She also was a VISTA worker (Volunteers in Service to America) in West Virginia, where she worked with the Community Action Program and the Appalachian Volunteers. She taught history in Boude Storey Junior High School in Dallas and also was a teacher/tutor in the Ohio State Young Scholars program.
From 1969-2007, Wells was a teacher in the Youngstown city schools. She taught seventh- and eighth-grade social studies, which included honors classes at Princeton and Volney Rogers Junior High Schools; initiated a recycling program that generated money to buy trees for the school; had students research the city parks in Youngstown; taught in Chaney High School’s Positive Connections, an evening alternative program for students who were not succeeding in the regular school setting; and taught citizenship proficiency classes.
Wells and a local historian are working with Youngstown students to research the Underground Railroad in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Bill Wells, have two sons and five grandchildren.
Williams is a student- intervention and outreach coordinator with Youngs-town Early College at Youngstown State University.
A graduate of YSU with a bachelor’s degree in English, her professional career involves teaching and working with at-risk students in Youngstown City Schools to prepare them for post- secondary educational opportunities.
Williams is involved with Youngstown City Schools Urban Congress, a group of educators and community and business leaders who support the growth development and change in the city schools.
She and her husband, Jay, who is mayor of Youngstown, established the Community Foundation of Youngstown Inc. This nonprofit foundation receives the net proceeds from the annual Mayor’s Community Celebration and provides grants to organizations that serve women, children and families in need. Williams is an associate minister at Calvary Ministries International. She and her husband have a son.
Past Human Rights Celebration honorees were Erma Davis, 2006; the Rev. James Ray, 2007; Staughton and Alice Lynd and the Rev. Lonnie and Florence Simon, 2008; Martha Katz, Ray Nakley and Roz Sims, 2009.
Offering a welcome were the Rev. Paul Toelke, pastor of Grace Lutheran; Nancy Simon, president of Grace Women; and Megown.
The worship service featured the theme “Living the Challenge: Differently Enabled, Uniquely Called.” Participants were the Rev. Mrs. Woodberry, Jackie Burley, the Rev. Gwendolyn Johnson, Jeanne Cotters Monroe, Megown and the Rev. Mr. Toelke.
Musicians were Carol French, Janet Hartman and Jodi G. Richardson.
Upcoming CWU events include: interfaith tea at 1 p.m. Feb. 1 at First Presbyterian Church, 201 Wick Ave., Youngstown; World Day of Prayer on March 3 and 4 at various sites; and May Friendship Day at 9:30 a.m. May 6 at Greater Friendship Baptist Church, 646 Lakewood Ave., Youngstown.
The next CWU board meeting will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 19 at Mill Creek Community Center in Youngstown.