Community role models greet Youngstown students on first day

By SAMANTHA PHILLIPS

sphillips@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Members of the community gave a warm welcome back to East and Chaney high-school students on their first day of class Tuesday morning.

For the third year in a row, City Kids Care and DJ Chip Banks led Community Men United, an initiative where positive role models in the community greet students as they arrive to start the school year on a positive note.

The men – and women – clapped and cheered students on. Some of the students stopped to shake their hands and give those they recognized hugs.

Youngstown schools CEO Justin Jennings and Mayor Jamael Tito Brown were among the community members at the schools.

“It’s a community approach. Our scholars understand there are people outside the school who care about them,” Jennings said.

There were about 15 people at East and almost 25 at Chaney.

Mac McGee is a member of ACTION (Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods) and one of the role models who greeted students at East.

“We should show that this first day is an important day,” McGee said. “We’ll be here to support them the first day and the last day. This is about men stepping up to the plate and supporting our young people.”

Support is just as important for learning as having a desk and computer, he said.

“We want them to have someone say, ‘We’ll help you when things get rough. We’ll be there for you, and guide you and most of all, love you no matter what,’” he said.

Thomas Swanson is chaplain of the Tainos Motorcycle Club and part of the Union Baptist Church Core Team. He said Youngstown schools have made strides scholastically and through sports.

“We are there for them. They can achieve anything they want to,” he said.

City Kids Care, which started the initiative, is a nonprofit organization that organizes fundraisers, community-building events and in-depth training sessions for volunteers, according to its website.