Stories: Grantee Stories

Small nonprofits find new opportunities for growth amid the pandemic Over the past few years, everyone has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but younger, more grassroots organizations were especially transformed. Small organizations that were previously...

Rachel Socorro doesn't call herself a survivor of human trafficking, but a "SurThriver." In the five years since she gained her freedom from a captive marriage, Socorro herself has not only thrived, but has guided other survivors on their journey to healing...

By Chris Miller, Communications & Community Investment Officer This September, Akron Public Schools (APS) will welcome educators and administrators from all over the country to learn more about an innovative model it launched here in 2017: the College...

Local nonprofits help resettled residents through partnerships, philanthropy When the United States pulled out of a 20-year occupation of Afghanistan this summer, it triggered a humanitarian crisis that displaced more than 550,000 Afghans, nearly 1,000 of...

How the nonprofit landscape has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Akron, followed quickly by a state-issued shutdown, Portage Path Behavioral Health had to completely modify its operations overnight to ensure its...

At the Greater Akron Chamber's inaugural Inclusion Summit in September, a stark picture of disparity and inequity was painted: For every $100 white families earn, black families earn $57. Even more stark: For every $100 of wealth a white family accumulates,...

How three local leaders in education and their organizations are working together to improve outcomes Atop Akron's North Hill, in one of the school district's oldest buildings, a new and innovative education model is taking root. High school students at Akron...

When Lee Brown was homeless and sleeping in a tent, Community Support Services would often check on him and his neighbors to make sure they were safe. Working with Community Support Services ultimately helped Brown finding permanent housing. "They put their...

The small group of tables outside the Summit Lake Recreation Center bears fresh food, educational handouts and bite-sized healthy food samples, like Ms. Julie's kale chips. A sign on one grower's table reads, "SNAP cards accepted here." It signifies progress...

Colleen Shaffer settles into her favorite chair in the corner of the living room. As her home health aide runs the vacuum across the floor, excited chirps emerge from a cage. It's Colleen's blue parakeet, Baby, who she says is infatuated with noisy...