Wean Foundation Celebrates Partners' Accomplishments

WARREN, Ohio -- The Raymond John Wean Foundation last night convened its strategic partners in the Mahoning Valley – the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership -- to celebrate their collaborative work and share the  vision of the partnership with board members, staff and employees.

“Together with our strategic partners, we are working to catalyze change, leverage advocacy opportunities, encourage, support and nurture resident engagement and collectively build capacity to provide voice to residents and leaders throughout the Valley,” said Jennifer Roller, president of The Raymond John Wean Foundation. “To date, that has translated to successful projects across neighborhoods and communities throughout the Valley.”

Each of the strategic partners receives funding from the foundation to support its programs. The partners' work is also aimed at building the capacity of community organizations and encouraging collaborative efforts and impact, Roller said.

“The support of The Raymond John Wean Foundation has been critical to the emergence of sustainable, resident-driven change in the Mahoning Valley,” said Heather McMahon, MVOC executive director. “We simply could not work at the capacity we do without the continued partnership we have with the foundation.”

The most recent grant of $400,000 to MVOC  supports its commitment to identifying and developing grassroots leaders, cultivating healthy neighborhoods and building the capacity necessary to create sustainable change in the coming year. YNDC was awarded $350,000 for its work next year  to reinvest in Youngstown neighborhoods. TNP, which received $200,000 for next year as well, is working to empower residents and promote sustainable community development through projects and programs that increase the quality of life in Warren neighborhoods.

Since 1949, when industrialist Raymond John Wean created the foundation that bears his name, it has awarded more than $100 million in grants to a broad variety of nonprofit organizations.

Pictured: The headquarters in Warren of the Raymond James Wean Foundation Foundation.

SOURCE: Wean Foundation

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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