Stories: Grantee Stories

The Law and Leadership Institute (LLI) works with bright and talented high school students to close the educational opportunity gap. The nonprofit prepares and educates young people who hope to get a career in the legal profession by creating a supportive...

Ending of emergency benefits, inflation place squeeze on healthy food access On a sunny April afternoon, dozens of cars line up in single file at Summit Lake Community Center in South Akron. Volunteers adorned in orange fill the trunks of the vehicles with...

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...