Also among today’s business updates: Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board; Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership; Lit’l Macs Food Store; Creating Healthy Communities; Healthy Community Partnership; Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition; and Gibson Insurance Agency.
BOARDMAN — This year’s Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC’s Operation Santa will benefit the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.
For each new Chevrolet, Buick or GMC vehicle sold in December, the dealership will donate $50 to the United Way. Also, Sweeney will match any customer donation made to the United Way, up to $10,000, during the campaign.
Contributions will be accepted at the dealership or online here. Click the drop-down menu under “Choose a Campaign” and select “Operation Santa” to be eligible for the donation match.
“This is one of our favorite annual events, and it’s a credit to our loyal, community-minded customer base that we’ve been able to help so many worthwhile nonprofit organizations each year,” Alexa Sweeney Blackann, Sweeney’s president, said in a news release.
Sweeney has run the Operation Santa promotion since 2013 and has raised $200,000 for local charities, the release states.
New scholarship program launched for Black students
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board launched a new scholarship program to increase minority representation in the social work and mental health fields.
The Youngstown Chapter of the Links Incorporated Mental Health Studies Scholarship will distribute $5,000 each year to Black students pursuing a degree in social work at Youngstown State University, with full-time students receiving $1,000 and part-time students receiving $500. Eligible students must have a 2.5 GPA, be a traditional or nontraditional student, be of African-American descent, attend or plan to attend YSU, reside in Mahoning County and complete the application process.
“We are thrilled to launch this new scholarship program with the support of the Youngstown Ohio Chapter of Links Incorporated,” Duane Piccirilli, executive director of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board, said in a news release. “There is a great need to develop a workforce for our agencies that represents the people we serve, and this is an important step we can take to address it.”
For more information and to apply, click here. Applications for the scholarships will be open through April 24, 2022. The first round of scholarships will be awarded in May 2022.
Mural at Warren store promotes healthy eating, active living
WARREN — Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership unveiled a new mural at Lit’l Macs Food Store, 1763 Parkman Road NW, on Friday to “promote the importance of healthy eating and active living.”
Funding for the mural came from Creating Healthy Communities and Healthy Community Partnership. Alexander Savakis, a Warren native who is a lettering artist and illustrator, was awarded $6,000 to complete the project.
The mural is dedicated to everyone involved in the food justice movement — growers, vendors, farmers, organizers, practitioners, policy influencers, community leaders, churches, schools and families, a news release states.
“Bringing visibility into the community by installation of this mural will help to promote the importance of healthy eating and active living,” Kris Kriebel, Creating Healthy Communities’ program coordinator, said in the release. “The artistic design paints a positive message for the community to pursue their own health outcomes.”
Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition marks 10th anniversary
CANFIELD — The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition celebrated its 10-year anniversary Thursday at Waypoint 4180.
The event featured dinner, networking and special guests, including Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, and executives from the Ohio Manufacturers Association.
The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition is a workforce development collaboration among 50 local manufacturing company members in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties, as well as education and training partners and community and economic development partners.
Rebecca Ricchiuti of Gibson Insurance awarded designation
GIRARD — Rebecca A. Ricchiuti, personal risk manager at Gibson Insurance Agency, has been awarded the designation of Certified Professional Insurance Agent.
The CPIA designation is granted by the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society.
It represents professionalism and a commitment to continued sales and training in the insurance industry, a news release states.
— Do you have an announcement about your business or organization you’d like to share? Email news@mahoningmatters.com.