Youngstown-Warren area joins Obama mentoring program

CHAMPION — The Youngstown-Warren area is joining 200 other communities in the United States with a President Barack Obama-inspired “My Brother’s Keeper” program.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and the mayors of Youngstown and Warren participated in an announcement at Kent State University at Trumbull today to talk about it.

Brown, who has promoted the idea in Ohio, said the foundation of the program is that “no matter our gender or our race, our neighborhood or our ZIP code, we all had somebody in our lives, sometimes for good, sometimes not so good, but we had people who had influence in our lives.”

Obama, as part of his legacy after he leaves the White House, “wants to keep his idea of My Brother’s Keeper alive,” Brown said.

Mentoring programs such as Inspiring Minds in Warren and Youngstown and Big Brothers Big Sisters “are so important for young people” Brown said.

Ohio has the most Brother’s Keeper programs in the nation, with ones already in Cleveland, Columbus, Mansfield, Lorain/Elyria, Akron/Canton, Dayton, Toledo and soon in Cincinnati.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com