Barberton Community Foundation

Barberton Community Foundation today announces grants for our 2024 Health and Wellness cycle, awarding $140,000 to 13 area nonprofits. These organizations are all dedicated to supporting our residents and providing resources that improve lives.

Congratulations to our grant partners! Barberton is a better place to live and grow because of your efforts.

1. Victim Assistance Program of Summit County received $25,000 to support Barberton residents who have been personally impacted by crime, allowing them access to advocacy services including safety planning, court hearing accompaniment, needs assessments, and education on the legal process.

2. Summa Health Barberton Campus received $22,500 to support the purchase of 20 Holter cardiac monitors. These devices offer extended monitoring periods for up to a month, giving health care providers a longer and more holistic reading of a patient’s heart activity.

3. Child Guidance & Family Solutions received $15,000 to support three professional development training modules and the purchase of therapeutic supplies including sensory toys and therapeutic games for children. In 2023, CGFS offered services to 260 adolescent and adult Barberton residents through its offices.

4. Vantage Aging received $13,000 to expand their Meals on Wheels Northeast Ohio and partner with Barberton Area Community Ministries (BACM) to provide additional meal services to food insecure Barberton senior citizens.

5. Embracing Futures Inc. received $12,000 for their Orthodontic Care Program, providing complete orthodontic services for working families who have been turned down by Medicaid. This funding will support two Barberton children with severe orthodontic issues.

6. CareStar Community Services received $10,000 to provide Community Based Wraparound Services, which supports community health workers in Barberton who make in-home visits and connect families to many different community resources.

7. Humane Society of Summit County received $10,000 to support Barberton visits by MABEL Mobile Veterinary Clinic, providing low-cost spay/neuter surgeries to cats and dogs.

8. Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank received $7,500 to support 2025 Barberton District Distribution Program, supporting one of the largest food distribution programs serving the Barberton community. Through this program the Foodbank will distribute as much as 192,000 lbs. of food, the equivalent of 160,000 meals at the Salvation Army of Barberton.

9. Ben Curtis Family Foundation received $6,500 to support the Birdie Bag Program within Barberton City School District. Funding will be used to purchase the meals and snacks within each Birdie Bag. On a monthly basis, the Ben Curtis Family Foundation delivers 1,540 Birdie Bags to preschool through 8th grade students and regularly stocks the food pantry in the high school.

10. AxessPointe Community Health Centers received $5,000 to support their Mobile Meals program, to serve 55 low-income, elderly, and disabled Barberton residents.

11. Greenleaf Family Center received $5,000 to support Su***de Prevention Programming for Barberton’s middle and high school students.

12. Stewart's Caring Place: Cancer Wellness Center received $5,000 to assist their Cancer Wellness and Support Services, providing a wide range of nonclinical support services to Barberton residents on the cancer-fighting journey, including counseling, financial and legal advising, nutrition, modified movement classes, and more.

13. United Way of Summit & Medina received $3,500 for 2-1-1 Information and Referral Services. 2-1-1 is a free helpline and database that operates 24/7 to help Barberton residents navigate the maze of health and social services available in Summit County. Last year, 2-1-1 responded to 3,574 requests for help by phone, text, and email, from Barberton residents. 2-1-1 also scheduled 490 food appointments for Barberton households seeking emergency food.

Read our press release from our board meeting here: https://www.barbertoncf.org/barberton-community-foundation-approves-2024-health-and-wellness-grants-welcomes-brad-angeloff-to-board/

Do you know someone who is interested in a career in manufacturing?
Barberton City School District students and City of Barberton residents - Check out this workforce training opportunity hosted by Conxus NEO in partnership with Jobs for Ohio's Graduates.
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Introducing the first WorkAdvance training cohort for manufacturing supported by the Good Jobs Challenge in partnership with Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG). The training will be held starting on August 26, 2024, at The Reach Center (290 W Crosier St; Akron 44311). WorkAdvance is a specialized training designed to equip individuals with the skills and support they need to advance their careers in manufacturing.

Learn more here: https://conxusneo.jobs/good-jobs-challenge/

Help us welcome Brad Angeloff to Barberton Community Foundation's Board of Directors! Brad brings additional financial expertise to the Board, with a 22-year career in commercial banking, finance, and lending. Angeloff is a lifelong Barberton resident and currently works at Keybank as the VP Business Banking Relationship Manager.

We thank Brad for volunteering his time to benefit this organization. If you're interested in learning more about how board service works, read this column from our director, Josh Gordon on what it takes to be a board member! https://www.barbertoncf.org/learn-about-the-foundations-board/

Celebrating the Ray E. Leach, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund
Leach's Meats & Sweets is a beloved community business. But did you know the Leach family has a scholarship honoring Ray Sr. by supporting a student going into a trade?

Pictured here is Ray Jr. with the scholarship's 2024 recipient, Sam Trent, who is pursuing an associates degree in auto tech and high performance.

Regarding their scholarship, the family says that Ray Sr. was a self-made man who was always helping others. He believed that everyone should have the opportunity to follow their passion and do what they do best. This scholarship is designed to remember Ray Sr. in his belief of a brighter future, to further students’ talents and help them financially, no matter their passion.

Donations are always accepted! Support the Ray E. Leach Sr. Memorial Scholarship by sending a check to Barberton Community Foundation or donating online here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/bcf/restriction/Ray+E++Leach++Sr++Memorial+Scholarship+Fund

Bob Weigand has a fund with Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation to honor the memory of his wife Christine. His fund recently awarded a scholarship to Christina Maldonado.

Honoring Christine Weigand
Finding a way to honor those we've loved can be an incredibly difficult process. Bob Weigand chose to honor his wife Christine's life with a scholarship in her memory. Regarding his scholarship, Bob said, "Christine’s dream was achieved by becoming a Registered Nurse and being a caregiver for others over a 30 year career at Akron General Medical Center (now Cleveland Clinic). I hope this scholarship will help future nurses reach all of their dreams and goals."

This year, the Christine Elaine Weigand RN Memorial Scholarship awarded $2,000 to Christina Maldonado, who is a BHS graduate and completing her RN degree at Kent State University this school year. She is the fifth recipient of the scholarship.

Pictured here is Bob Weigand (center) with Christina Maldonado and her mother.

Read more about Christine, or make a donation here: https://www.barbertoncf.org/christine-elaine-weigand-rn-memorial-scholarship/.

Barberton Preschool shared some of the fun photos from the second week of their Summer Learning series! Barberton Community Foundation awarded $24,000 to support this program.

We love to see kids having fun while learning, and we can't emphasize enough how important early childhood education is for the future success of our students.

If these photos haven't convinced you of the excellence of Barberton Preschool programming, we have the numbers! Barberton Preschool is a newly rated 5-Star school, and has grown from 4 rooms to 12 over the last 7 years. Best of all? Barberton Preschool students are showing greater success on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment as they begin their first school year in kindergarten. Students who attended Barberton Preschool had an average KRA Language and Literacy score of 264.8 versus students who did not attend had an average score of 257.3.

We are because programs like the preschool's Summer Learning are only going to help these kids get ahead! Great job by the amazing teachers and staff at Barberton City School District.

Our Student Art Gallery was officially installed on our walls this week, completing our second year of displaying Barberton student work in our main meeting space. All 10 pieces are on display until November 7, when they will be auctioned at our Annual Dinner.

Pictured here is 9 year old Nala Garnett, holding her artwork along with her family.

Nala said she wanted to be an art teacher like Mrs. Norman when she grows up! Making art inspires her, and she loves using vibrant colors. When asked what she was thinking about when she drew her flowers, Nala said, "I was thinking about how happy they made me!"

This artwork makes us happy too! Congrats Nala and thank you to the Garnett family for stopping in to say hello!

Barberton City School District

We hear folks in this community say "Get involved!" So today we want to highlight a group of incredibly involved and hard working women.

In a little over two weeks Magics Ready-To-Learn is hosting a back to school event on August 3rd at BHS! The event supports kids in grades K-5 and provides every item they'll need on their school supply list!

How do they do it? They've been hosting events like pickleball tournaments, euchre tournaments, and chili cookoffs all year long - and they fundraise! You can support their efforts by sending a check or donating online to the Foundation here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/barcomfou/restriction/Magics+Ready+to+Learn

Help us give a shout out to Magics Ready to Learn because they are a tireless group of dedicated women who volunteer a ton of time to raise the funds necessary to provide these supplies.

Pictured from last year's back to school event: (L-R) Kathy Muffet Maybin, Councilwoman Tayler Marie Thompson, Kim Liddle, Councilwoman Bethany McKenney, Paula Mills Kallio, Mary Lou Woodford and Kathy Harnden!

The Foundation attended the Greater Akron Chamber breakfast this morning, where Josh Gordon and Carrie Herman were pleased to learn about legislation in the State of Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio State Senate from State Rep Bill Roemer and Ohio State Representative Andrea White for Ohio.

Groundwork Ohio's Brittany Boulton and Ohio Department of Children and Youth Legislative Director, Bryan Stout, also spoke about the impact of legislation under consideration right now that may create programs and funding in support of reducing the rising costs of childcare. We are committed to learning as many ways as possible that we can leverage our grant dollars to help the families and kids of Barberton!

We are proud to support Barberton Preschool summer school!

Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation awarded $35,000 to seven students yesterday! These talented and hard working young women are all seeking their Registured Nursing Degree. L-R are Mary Krege, Christina Maldonado, Saedie Suboticki, Molly Cunningham, Julia Davenport, and Mary Beth Kiss. Not pictured is Hayden Graffice.

Congratulations! We wish you all the best on your journey!

Hey parents with BCS kiddos in grades K-5, mark your calendars and don’t miss Magics Ready-To-Learn school supply day!

Saturday, August 3rd: 9am-12pm (please share)

Our committee is proud to be able to supply all school supplies, with the help of our local businesses and donors, for all registered Barberton City School District children entering grades K-5 at Barberton Primary School - K-2 and Barberton Intermediate School.

All school supplies that were requested from teachers will be provided, at no cost, to any student - the only item these families will need to supply is a backpack for the school year.

We are so thankful for our local businesses, supporters, and donors - without your generosity and support, we wouldn't be able to continue our amazing mission to supply our little Magics with everything they need to enter the new school year. Thank you & GO MAGICS! 💜

Many of you know Murphy, Member Experience Director at Lake Anna YMCA. Kevin recently shared a story with BCF about the personal importance of a new blood pressure machine, called HealthBOT, installed this spring at the Y.

Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation, a separate foundation administered by BCF, made a grant last year to the Y to assist with the purchase of the machine.

When it was installed, Kevin said he wanted to be the first one to use it, and lucky for him, he did! Read below Kevin's testimonial, and get your own blood pressure reading at the Lake Anna YMCA!

Kevin shared, "As soon as the kiosk was delivered and set up, I eagerly took my blood pressure, excited to be the first to use it. To my shock, the reading was a staggering 214/105. The thing was, I felt completely fine!

Thanks to the advice of my coworkers, I immediately made an appointment with my primary physician. She started me on medication, but within a month, I was admitted to the hospital with sepsis and a life-threatening infection. This was the root cause of my dangerously high blood pressure.

I underwent four surgeries in the first week of April and spent a full month in the hospital. Thankfully, I'm back to work now and almost fully recovered."

Kevin added, "I truly believe that the Health Bot was a key factor in saving my life. Had I not discovered my incredibly elevated blood pressure thanks to the kiosk, I may not have sought medical attention in time."

Kevin has worked for the Y for 23 years. He shared that this summer is one of the busiest on record for the Barberton YMCA location, and that their Summer Extravaganza programming will begin soon - bringing 300 Barberton kids a week through their doors. BCF is a proud community partner of Lake Anna YMCA, and we wish Kevin well on his journey back to full health!

We wish you all a safe and happy 4th of July! Barberton Community Foundation is closed today, and will reopen on Friday.

In this week's The Barberton Gazette, our Executive Director, Josh Gordon, shares about the Foundation's dedicated Board of Directors. Visit our website for the full article, or pick up a copy of the Gazette!

What Does the Foundation Board Do and How to Join

A question I have received lately is, “How does someone become a board member of Barberton Community Foundation?”

The process is outlined on our website (barbertoncf.org). In this space, I want to first clear up what the “job” of a board member is in the case of the Foundation.

Every board position is 100% volunteer (meaning it is unpaid), requiring 3-5 hours a month. Some board members spend more time than that (officers and committee chairs put in extra time), but the majority devote 3-5 hours of month to meeting preparation, committee and board meetings, and various volunteer activities related to the Foundation's charitable, mission-based work.

Read the full article:
https://www.barbertoncf.org/learn-about-the-foundations-board/

We want to take a moment to hype Gwennie Marie and her neighborhood efforts at Friends of College Park. On June 15, Gwennie hosted an ice cream social at College Park, and 135 neighbors turned out! Police and Fire were able to meet with the community and kids were able to climb into the fire truck. Icecream, watermelon, grapes, and strawberries were enjoyed and bags of groceries were handed out. Shout out to Barberton FOP Lodge #13 the K-9 unit, and Barberton Firefighters Local 329.

“I love my community,” Gwennie said, “I do this for us. It’s good to bring people together!”

Natalie was one of the students whose art the Foundation selected from the B-Art Show. She stopped by the Foundation last week to share a little about herself and her artwork!

Natalie will be a senior at BHS in the fall, and she's taking the Fire/EMS Four Cities Compact classes. She said she wants to be a firefighter when she graduates. Regarding her art, she said she loves the emotions in art, and she likes to convey things through her artwork. "I want others to know that other people have the same feelings and it's okay to feel certain ways," she said.

The Foundation will frame and hang her artwork as one of 10 pieces to be displayed at the Foundation's office.

Thank you Natalie for visiting! We wish you a great senior year!

Our partners including Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Victim Assistance Program of Summit County, and others are working with Summit County Domestic Relations Court to bring the Ohio Justice Bus and Free Legal Clinic to the Habitat for Humanity of Summit County ReStore on August 23.

As the kids gear up for another school year, we are here to help make sure your whole family is set for success. Join us and the Ohio Justice Bus at our Free Legal Clinic for A+ Advice on Family Law Matters. From custody questions to child support disputes, we’ve got your back(pack)!

Register by visit https://bit.ly/OJB-Registration
Or Contact Paul Henry at 330-643-7845 OR Email [email protected]
For More Information

Hey Barberton businesses! Our EDAP and DRP programs close in 5 days, and we'd like to see more applications! If you are working to improve your business, or are in a downtown building that needs repairs - reach out to us! If you don't think you'll qualify or have questions about the application - call Gill Gonzales at 330-745-5995. He can help!

Collaborate - Barberton Community Foundation Collaborate We envision an improved quality of life for Barberton residents, now and forever. Donate Now Collaborate PROGRAMS Downtown Building Rehab Program Economic Development Assistance Program PARTNERS CONTACT US DONATE Economic Development Initiatives Barberton Community Foundation has long pa...

This Friday, the City’s Change for Chage benefits Magical Theatre Company at the Barberton Moose Lodge. Change for Change events are typically held on the 4th Friday of every month, and support local nonprofits doing great work in the community. Many of these nonprofits are also the Foundation’s grant partners!
Come on out and support Magical Theatre and future Change for Change events.

This month, Change for Change will be held at the Barberton Moose #759 with proceeds raised benefitting The Magical Theatre Company. The Magical Theatre Company strives to enhance learning, growth and civic improvement through professional theatre for young audiences and families

Change for Change is sponsored by the City of Barberton and Mayor William B. Judge. Each month this fundraiser is held on behalf of a local nonprofit and is designed to raise awareness of the group as well as collect donations for their cause.

For the past 2 weeks at the Foundation, volunteers have been sitting with our scholarship award recipients to onboard them into our system. Pictured here is one of our board members, Susan Wynn, and students Kenneth Larry and Nour Soliman. Susan said she enjoyed sitting with the students, and that she wanted them to feel encouraged going into college. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for their help during this process!

Who’s going to the game? Akron RubberDucks become the Barberton Fried Chicken and Hot Rice on Friday!

Thanks to Akron Beacon Journal for reporting about our Director of Economic Development, Gil Gonzales! In the article, Gonzales said that Barberton residents have the grit that's necessary for an entrepreneur to succeed.

"What Barberton needs is to believe in itself," he said.

Gonzales is leading the Newell Street Industrial redevelopment project as well as coordinating the Foundation's Economic Development Assistance Program and Downtown Building Rehabilitation Program, which support expanding business in Barberton, in partnership with BCDC.



Read the full article here:

Got grit? Barberton does, says community foundation's economic development director Good to Know: Gil Gonzales brings economic expertise from California and Arizona to Barberton. Ohio, he says, 'more outcome focused.'

Hey Barberton businesses! Our Economic Development Assistance Program (EDAP) and Downtown Building Rehabilitation Program (DRP) are accepting applications until June 30th!

Pictured here are some of our successful funding recipients from the past year. So what's keeping you? If these criteria sound like you, submit an application today!

EDAP:
- You have a Barberton business
- You're expanding, or need equipment
- You're hiring

DRP:
- Your building or business is downtown (check the map on our website!)
- You're making improvements to your building
- If you're a renter - Get your landlords written permission

Full details and how to apply visit: https://www.barbertoncf.org/collaborate-programs/

Main Street Barberton City of Barberton Barberton Community Development Corporation - BCDC

Collaborate - Barberton Community Foundation Collaborate We envision an improved quality of life for Barberton residents, now and forever. Donate Now Collaborate PROGRAMS Downtown Building Rehab Program Economic Development Assistance Program PARTNERS CONTACT US DONATE Economic Development Initiatives Barberton Community Foundation has long pa...

You may have heard about a new federal program will give families $120 per student to buy groceries this summer. This article details who is elegible and when families can expect to see the new SUN Bucks.

The SUN Bucks program is estimated to help 840,000 Ohio students afford groceries during the summer and is the first new permanent federal nutrition program in more than 50 years.

A new federal program will give eligible students $120 to buy groceries this summer • Ohio Capital Journal Ohio is one of more than 30 states that has opted into SUN Bucks, a new federal program that will give families $120 per eligible student to buy groceries during the summer.

Barberton Community Foundation selected 10 pieces of Barberton student art from Barberton City School District B-Art Show in May. Today we were able to meet the students who created our favorite pieces! The Foundation will frame and hang the art in our office meeting room at 460 W. Paige Ave. Stop by in the next several months to see the new art! Special thanks to White Rabbit Galleries for facilitating the show and hosting our students.

Hey Friends!

In this next article in his series, Executive Director Josh Gordon talks about why the Foundation is involved in economic development work. And what does that look like anyway? We hope you read and enjoy this latest piece!

Excerpt:
"Community foundations usually support local nonprofits to improve the lives of a community's residents. That is certainly true of Barberton Community Foundation, only our mission extends support to the school district and City of Barberton, as well. All programs and initiatives we take on are designed to do the most positive for the most residents.

The hard part is in answering this question: “Where should we focus?”

Why? If you’re reading this, you know that our community is amazing! However, it isn’t perfect. (Yet!)

There are questions we wrestle with in pursuit of doing the most positive for the most residents. Here are a few:

How do we get more businesses to open and stay in Barberton? How can we help create more jobs, generating more income tax for the City? How can we make sure our neighborhoods are amazing for all residents? How can we make sure our graduates have opportunities for work and scholarships for college (if they are going)? How can we make sure every child has a chance to go to preschool and get a head start on their academic life?

These are just a few of the questions our highly accomplished – and 100% volunteer – board works on solutions for..."

Read the full article here:

Why Does the Foundation Do Economic Development? - Barberton Community Foundation The Foundation helps to fund plans, works to create strategy, and learns what businesses need for support. Others in the community do as well. We compare notes and are working on establishing an “official” strategic plan for economic development that we can measure and show accomplishments from.

Barberton Community Foundation Scholarship Highlights:

Austin Bajcar and Kaitlyn Robinson are recipients of the Leach Family Scholarship, the Foundation's largest individual scholarship award. (pictured here is Kaitlyn’s sister, Kylie, accepting the award on her behalf. Kaitlyn was competing with DECA Nationals on the day of the ceremony.)

Austin Bajcar has taken the media production career pathway classes in the Four Cities Compact Program. He will study digital media and creative writing at Kent State University. He loves telling stories and first realized this in third grade. A number of teachers have recognized his talent and given him encouragement. He is in the process of writing a novel and has a podcast, “3 Media Junkies.”

Kaitlyn Robinson graduated magna cm laude. She plans to attend The Ohio State University to study philosophy on the pre-law track, ultimately becoming a human rights lawyer. She has served on student council for four years and competed on the tennis team for at least 3 years.

We are so proud of our scholars! Help us wish them well!

Congratulations to Melanie Black Amato and Main Street Barberton team for hosting this excellent event on Saturday! If you missed the Barberton Art and Music Festival, you can get a taste of the Magic City during Main Street's Second Saturdays! https://www.mainstreetbarberton.com/

Barberton Music Festival hosted by Main Street Barberton goes until 7! Plenty of music, food and vendors! Come on out!