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What's Happening

(Check back often for updates.)

The Raymond John Wean Foundation Organizes Delegation to Lobby for the Mahoning Valley

WASHINGTON - When the Brookings Institute decided to take a serious look at communities that are suffering from population loss, local leaders wanted to make sure that the Mahoning Valley’s needs and ideas were considered.

Joel Ratner, president of The Raymond John Wean Foundation, assembled a team that he believed could go to Washington in mid-March and explain to the powerful think-tank what has happened in the Mahoning Valley and to identify some of its most current needs.

The team included Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams; William D'Avignon, director, Youngstown Community Development Agency; Jennifer Roller, a program officer of The Raymond John Wean Foundation; and Presley Gillespie and Ian Beniston of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

The team drafted a lengthy report detailing key issues that have been affecting the Mahoning Valley and met with leaders from various federal agencies, including Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation.

The local delegation wanted to be sure that the Mahoning Valley’s experiences would be considered when national leaders begin discussions about how government and philanthropic organizations can join together to help cities grapple with the physical effects of “severe and sustained population loss.”

The Mahoning Valley delegation joined teams from Cleveland, Detroit and Flint, and will now be involved in future discussions and work dealing with many of the critical issues facing de-industrialized cities. Brookings officials said the four communities were chosen for participation because “they are the farthest along in thinking and implementing related to vacant land reuse.”

The Brookings Institute is expected to continue this work and has now reserved a spot at the discussion table for the Mahoning Valley. Announcements about future steps are expected in the coming weeks.

An Individual and Community Asset-Building Assessment of the Mahoning Valley

In response to an invitation from The Raymond John Wean Foundation and the Community Wealth Building Advisory Committee, CFED conducted an assessment of the needs, opportunities and institutional capacity for individual community asset-building in the Mahoning Valley, with a focus on the cities of Youngstown and Warren.

Final Report submitted by CFED to the Community Wealth Building Advisory Committee of the Mahoning Valley

The Raymond John Wean Foundation leads 'On-the-Ground' Tour of Valley

Read More, See Pictures

Many Mahoning Valley Organizations Perform Important Work

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is proud of the work of many area organizations, including those that it helps to fund.

Read about some of their programs and progress:

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation

The Neighborhood Food Pantry

The Grey to Green Festival

The Spark Program - Warren City Schools