Neighborhood Success Youngstown Profiles

Youngstown Profiles

PARTNERING NEIGHBORS OF DELASON

Residents work together to clean up street

Dennis Bryer believes change is possible and that sometimes small actions can yield big and positive consequences.

It was this philosophy that prompted Bryer and some of his neighbors on Delason Avenue on the city’s south side to form a plan to clean up their street.

With a grant from The Raymond John Wean Foundation, the organization “Partnering Neighbors of Delason” bought a riding lawn mower and a push lawn mower and are determined to try to preserve their street from the decay and neglect plaguing other streets in their neighborhood.

“We’re trying to get neighbors to help neighbors,” Bryer said. Bryer said he and his neighbors will be mowing the devil’s strip, helping residents who can’t take care of their own lawns and looking after the many vacant properties on their street.

Bryer said the maintenance is just one piece of the street-wide effort. Neighbors are also beginning to look out for each other and report any suspicious activity.

He said some children from other streets have been coming onto Delason and vandalizing the vacant homes. “We may want to form a block watch or take other steps so that we get after all of this and try to keep our street nice and livable,” he said.

In the summer of 2010, he said the residents of the street will get together and have a picnic to talk about issues and what they can do to help each other. “Our big goal is to get neighbors knowing neighbors and caring for each other,” he said.

Bryer said his 5 year-old granddaughter, who lives with him, is one of his main inspirations for why he wants to clean up his neighborhood. "I want to show her what being a good neighbor is," Bryer said.

Bryer said the Partnering Neighbors of Delason may come back to The Raymond John Wean Foundation for more equipment for lawn maintenance.

“But first, we want to see what this is going to go like,” he said. “If we can get everyone to pitch in and help there are many more things that we can do. There are limbs that need to be trimmed and lots that need to be cleaned up.”

Once Delason is cleaned up, Bryer said the next plan is to move to other south side streets nearby. Bryer said he has found that change can come quickly with just a little effort. For instance, he said he grew tired of picking up empty bottles and cans and other litter that people would dump on Delason.

So, he said, he put a garbage can across the street from his house and is finding that people actually use it instead of dumping their trash on the street.

“We just have to begin,” he said.

Representatives of Christ

Neighborhood SUCCESS Profile

Center provides safe haven for youth

Justin Wagner, Representatives of Christ Director, has worked with the youth of Youngstown for the last eight years. Through his work he saw the need for a youth center in Youngstown.

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