METRO DIGEST || Free food for those in need

Free food

CAMPBELL

Volunteers from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and UnitedHealthcare will deliver free, healthy food to people in need via their mobile pantry, filled with fruits and vegetables, from 10 a.m. to noon today at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 159 Reed Ave.

As part of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and UnitedHealthcare’s partnership, they will deliver free food to an estimated 2,500 people in 11 Ohio counties at food banks and community- and faith-based organizations over the next two months.

Faux marijuana

BAZETTA

The Ohio Investigative Unit of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Bazetta Township police are investigating possible synthetic marijuana found at the Bazetta Mall, 3649 Hoagland Blackstub Road, a small store near Mosquito Lake State Park.

Police acted on tips from Bazetta residents and conducted an inspection, Bazetta police said. Investigators uncovered 100 bags of suspected synthetic marijuana and documents.

Agents issued the business a violation notice, and charges will be filed later by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Inspiring Minds gala

WARREN

The seventh annual Inspiring Minds gala will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Demetrios Community Center, 3223 Atlantic St. NE.

The Inspired Tastes International Street Fair, presented this year by BP America, is a fundraiser celebrating the growth and accomplishments of under- represented youths. The International Street Fair will feature cuisine from New Orleans, India, Germany, Egypt, Japan and more.

The event is sold out, and close to 400 individuals are expected to attend. Deryck Toles, IM founder and executive director, said he is looking for a larger venue for next year’s event.

Inspiring Minds works to engage, inspire and empower youths to reach their full potential through education and exposure to life-changing experiences.

Downtown cleanup

WARREN

The nonprofit organization Main Street Warren will have a downtown cleanup 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Volunteers can bring their brooms and gloves to the Gazebo on Historic Courthouse Square at 8:30 a.m. and then walk over to the First United Methodist Church for a free breakfast sponsored by the church.

The area will be divided into zones, and each zone will have a zone captain who will be in charge of that zone.

School-crises seminar

HERMITAGE, pa.

“Managing School Crises: From Theory to Application” will be offered at a fire and police chaplain training seminar May 6-7 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 159 Todd Ave. Hermitage Fire and Police departments are the sponsors.

The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation class is designed to prepare chaplains, clergy, mental health providers, first responders and educators for the crises that occur in schools.

Dr. Tina S. Brooks, a licensed social worker, will lead the seminar. She was on the scenes of the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., and school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

A registration form may downloaded from www.StPaulsHermitage.org. For information, call Pastor David Williamson at 724-342-2310.

Work complaints

YOUNGSTOWN

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s mobile outreach center will visit the Youngstown unit of the NAACP on Friday to accept complaints of employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 and older), disability or retaliation.

The EEOC considers retaliation the firing of a worker who complained about job discrimination, gave evidence in a job discrimination matter or filed a charge of job discrimination with the commission.

The unit prefers appointments, but officials said walk-ins are welcome. The local unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is located at 16 Wick Ave., Suite 721, in the old PNC Bank Building, downtown.

Call the local office at 330-782-9777, or email naacp-youngstown@yahoo.com.

Eddie Money concert

WARREN

Performer Eddie Money will be the headliner at a concert to benefit Warren Relay for Life on June 14 at the Warren Community Amphitheatre.

Israel Zambrano, owner of Los Gallos Mexican Restaurants; The Cellar of Struthers; and Eddie Pannutti of Pannutti Productions are sponsoring the event.

Along with Money will be The Gary Markasky Project and Warren’s own The One Forty Ones, featuring members of the Warren Police Department.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show. General-admission tickets are available at all Los Gallos locations (Austintown, Boardman, Howland, North Lima, Struthers and Bedford) or online at www.losgallosmexican.com,www.thecellarrocks.com, or www.pannuttiproductions.com.

Appliance collection

WARREN

The Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District will have a free appliance collection 9 a.m. to noon April 27 at the Geauga County Engineer’s yard, 12665 Merritt Road, Chardon.

Freon will be removed free of charge. Acceptable appliances include refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, hot-water tanks and stoves.

Participants are asked to remain in their vehicles, as workers will unload. No hazardous waste, electronic (e-waste) or televisions will be accepted.

Earth Day yoga

WARREN

For Earth Day, Monday, the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership will have a free yoga class and discussion about ways to create positive, peaceful urban environments out of public spaces and vacant land.

The class will be noon to 1:15 p.m. at the pavilion on Courthouse Square. Some yoga mats will be available.

Ursuline Day of Service

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ursuline High School Student Council and Students of Stewardship will host A Day of Service from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Students will report to Ursuline at 9 for check-in, breakfast — provided by the Rotary Club of Youngstown — and to receive their assignments.

Students will then travel to the work sites, which include Beatitude House, the Dorothy Day House, St. Patrick Parish on Oak Hill Avenue, St. Angela Merici Parish on the East Side, the Boardman Relay for Life and a Habitat for Humanity home on Rutledge Drive. Students will return to Ursuline at about 1:45 p.m. for lunch and to share their experiences. Each participant will also receive a Day of Service T-shirt.

Cemetery cleanup

Youngstown

Mount Hope Veterans Memorial Park Inc. will have a cleanup of Mount Hope Cemetery, at Liberty Road and Wardle St., from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. The group will meet at Reed’s Chapel A.M.E. Church, 1939 Jacobs Road, and then venture to the cemetery.

Any person interested in helping to keep the cemetery clean is welcome to attend. Those not physically able to clean may donate water and hot dogs for the other volunteers.