Stepping Up: Sodexo|Roth, Thomases Endowment, Sherman Creative, YSU

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Business Journal is asking companies and organizations to tell us how they are faring and what they are doing to help others through this pandemic crisis.

We call this series “Stepping Up.” Segments will continue to be posted during the crisis.

Submit your own story at BusinessJournalDaily.com/submit-your-story. 

Sodexo|Roth

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Employees at Sodexo|Roth raised $2,040 for Second Harvest Food Bank through a Facebook Fundraising Campaign, which the company matched with an additional $2,000.

In all, the $4,040 will allow the food bank to provide more than 24,000 meals to Mahoning Valley residents.

The fundraising match was made as part of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at ensuring children nationwide have dependable access to nutritious food.

Thomases Family Endowment

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Thomases Family Endowment of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation has awarded $120,920 in emergency funding to local organizations.

“As soon as the virus hit our region, pleas for help started coming in from local organizations struggling to keep up with the growing needs of our community,” says Lisa Long, financial resource development director for the federation. “The Thomases Family Endowment committee decided to honor Irwin Thomases’ legacy by adding a round of emergency grant funding to their usual funding cycles.”

Receiving grants from the Thomases Family Endowment are:

• Youngstown Area Jewish Federation for a matching grant, up to $50,000 for all donations made to the Emergency Relief Fund by individuals, organizations and foundations
• Youngstown Area Jewish Federation for organization-wide crisis response, including Heritage Manor Rehabilitation & Retirement Community, Levy Gardens Assisted Living, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Community Relations Council and Akiva Academy.
• United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley for emergency food assistance.
• YSU Foundation for Penguin to Penguin.
• Akron Children’s Hospital for personal protective equipment at the Youngstown campus.
• Meridian HealthCare for emergency food for housing residents.
• United Returning Citizens for Project Aide and Assist Returning Citizens.
• Beatitude House for crisis food relief.
• Henry H. Stambaugh Auditorium Association for American Red Cross Community Blood Drive Sponsorship.
• YWCA Mahoning Valley for emergency funding for housing.
• Youngstown Business Incubator for protective eyewear for frontline medical personnel.
• Family & Community Services for senior support action group.
• Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley for Resource Mothers: Emergency Needs.
• Inspiring Minds Youngstown for COVID-19 pandemic programming.
• Fairhaven Foundation for its grocery card program.

Organizations in the area that have received funding from the endowment over the past two years are invited to submit proposals if they are addressing urgent needs, such as housing, food, health care, mental health care or child care, brought on by the coronavirus outbreak.

Sherman Creative

BOARDMAN, Ohio – Sherman Creative is partnering with the Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley to deliver specially designed shirts to the health-care system’s frontline workers.

“It’s imperative for Sherman Creative to show our community how appreciative we are of their hard work and dedication to keeping us all safe & healthy during this unprecedented time.”, says Sherman Creative’s Brittany Mendez. “It was also important for us to recognize every front-line worker, not just medical staff, because maintenance, food service and other departments in the hospital system are also on the frontlines, risking it all for us.”

The shirts are funded by the foundation’s $1.5 million in grants to support Mercy Health’s 6,000 workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

“A portion of grants have supported the needs of our associates through meal delivery, equipment and these t-shirts. These shirts are great way to show employees that they and their service matter to the people of Youngstown. We are pleased to partner with Sherman Creative on this project” says Paul Homick Jr, president of Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley. 

Youngstown State 

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University has announced a second phase of grants for students affected by the coronavirus.

Available through the university’s funding as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the YSU Penguins Care Grant offers up to $2,000 to students who were enrolled in on-campus degree programs in the spring semester.

The grants are available to students who incurred additional housing, food, course material, technology, health care or child care as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Students can apply online with their YSU ID and password

“These grants are yet another source to help students financially burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Eddie Howard, YSU’s vice president for student affairs.

Howard adds that housing costs related to the coronavirus are among qualifying expenses for the grants.That would mean that YSU students who held leases in private apartment complexes adjacent to campus during Spring Semester 2020 and incurred expenses when the university switched to remote instruction in mid-March could be eligible for a frant. A separate Rent Verification Form must also be completed.

Earlier this month, YSU announced phase one distribution in which more than 3,500 students who received Federal Pell Grants during Spring Semester 2020 are eligible to apply online for the $1,000 Penguins Care Emergency Grant.

Students enrolled in online degree programs as of March 13, 2020, are not eligible for the Cares Grants. 

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.