Americorps members removing blight from Youngstown neighborhoods

YOUNGSTOWN

Consecutive homes at 19, 25 and 31 Rutledge Drive are symbolic of the degrees of blight that continue to plague many city neighborhoods, but the three vacant residences’ improved looks also tell a story of collective commitment, desire, determination and hope.

“There were tires galore, trash and the usual stuff you find in abandoned houses,” said Jeff Black, 50, who took a brief break from cleaning the outside of 25 Rutledge. Black was born and raised in the East Side neighborhood.

He was one of 10 AmeriCorps members who spent part of Friday morning cleaning and removing debris from the homes as part of a Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. effort to fight blight citywide.

The YNDC recently selected the 10, all of whom are Youngstown residents with an interest in bettering the neighborhoods. They recently began serving the first year of the three-year effort, noted Ian J. Beniston, YNDC’s executive director.

At the same time as the cleanup, Beniston, community activists and a few city officials had a news conference to outline the effort’s strategies and goals.

The team started earlier this month on a variety of related projects on vacant properties throughout the East and South sides. The effort in the Lincoln Knolls area was part of their first neighborhood-scale endeavor that will see them focusing on securing, cleaning and rehabilitating vacant homes and lots, Beniston explained.

Read more about this community effort in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.