ACTION discusses employment, education and quality of life at tonight's meeting

YOUNGSTOWN

An alliance of church congregations outlined what has been done and what should be done to help the Mahoning Valley.

The Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, or ACTION, invited the public to a meeting tonight at St. Patrick Church on Oakhill Avenue.

About 200 people attended to hear speakers that included city and schools officials, politicians and pitches for entities such as WRTA public transportation and Youngstown Schools Early College.

ACTION is a “multi-faith-based organization that identifies a wide range of social injustices and inequalities,” said Patrick Kerrigan of St. Patrick’s.

“We organize stakeholders and interested citizens to take action,” he continued. “The purpose of ACTION is action.”

Issues that speakers touched on included employment, education and the quality of life in the Valley.

James Hall of St. Michael Church in Canfield congratulated Eastern Gateway Community College for being named one of the top five community colleges in Ohio.

EGCC Executive Vice President Jim Baber said the college would accept ACTION’s call to find undereducated, unskilled people in the community and prepare them for jobs.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.