MAHONING RIVER | Garden program

The Mahoning River Corridor People’s Garden Program, a group funded by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, is accepting grant applications for the establishment of gardens and related community educational resources in Mahoning River Corridor communities. Here are the criteria:

All projects must be new garden spaces, and can be vegetable gardens, recreational gardens or wildlife gardens.

Projects will be chosen based on innovative design, community impact, project sustainability and the project’s potential for community environmental education.

Approximately 12 grants will be awarded this year. Groups located in Lowellville, Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Girard, McDonald, Niles, Warren and Newton Falls are eligible to apply.

A representative for each grant applicant must attend one of four training workshops at these times and locations:

Wednesday: 6 p.m., Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership offices, 170 N. Park Ave., Warren.

Saturday: 3:30 p.m., Main Library, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, 305 Wick Ave., Youngstown.

Feb. 19: 6 p.m., Newport Library, 3730 Market St., Youngstown.

Feb. 21: 6:30 p.m., Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership offices.

Deadline to apply: 5 p.m. March 15.

Miscellaneous: The application can be down- loaded in PDF format at www.yndc.org. Paper copies of the application are available at the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. office, 201 E. Commerce St., Youngstown. For information, contact Liberty Merrill, program coordinator, by calling 330-480-0423 or emailing lmerrill@yndc.org.