Foundation Awards $138k in Grants, Continues Support for Economic Development of Barberton

by Kate Deangelis | Mar 26, 2024 | Downtown Barberton, Grants

Foundation Awards $138k in Grants, Continues Support for Economic Development of Barberton

(March 21, 2024 Barberton, Ohio) – Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met at the Foundation’s office for a regular meeting on March 21, 2024 to approve $138,847.68 in grant funding to 13 nonprofit partners, affirmed a land swap deal to enhance the marketability of the Newell Street Industrial property, and provided second-year funding to the successful Main Street Barberton project.

“Between our various ongoing projects for economic development designed to improve our commercial building stock, and our continued grant investments in early childhood education resources and services, we are so excited to continue building momentum in the Barberton community,” said Josh Gordon, Executive Director of Barberton Community Foundation.

Guest Sheila McGhee, Director of Barberton Preschool, spoke at the beginning of the meeting as the “mission moment.” Barberton Preschool has grown significantly since its beginning in 2017 with 60 students. Today, 240 students attend Barberton Preschool, and these students test higher and are more prepared for kindergarten than their peers who do not attend Barberton Preschool.

Highlighted committee reports include the Foundation’s economic development. The Foundation is currently accepting applications for a Director of Economic Development, with an anticipated start date in May.

Updates for Newell Street Industrial Park

Work continues on the Newell Street Industrial Complex, also known as the old Rockwell site. The Board authorized Executive Director Josh Gordon to enter into an agreement with Barberton City Schools and the City of Barberton regarding a portion of land owned by the District on Norton Ave. The Foundation and the Schools agreed to a swap of the property, allowing for a road for industrial access off Norton, and keeping heavier traffic off Newell Street, where the Middle School utilizes their drop off and pick up locations.

Supporting Downtown Businesses through Main Street Barberton

The Board approved $50,000 in operating funding for Main Street Barberton. This funding is part of a three-year commitment and partnership with the City of Barberton to fund the startup of Main Street Barberton. The organization is working to revitalize downtown by promoting current businesses, hosting events to bring visitors to experience the Magic City, and serving as a key strategist for new development.

Continuing the Foundation’s partnership with Main Street Barberton, the organization will launch a new sign design program beginning April 1, 2024, and the application period closes May 15, 2024. Businesses’ signs that are out of compliance will now have an opportunity to update their signage through a 50% matching grant program in partnership with BCDC.

First Cycle Grants Awarded

The main business of the meeting was to approve requests from the first grant cycle of the year. The Foundation awarded $138,847.68 to 13 nonprofits focused on Education and Workforce & Economic Development programs.

Barberton City School District was awarded four different grants totaling $46,847.68. Those grants include:

$24,000 to Barberton Preschool’s Summer Learning Program, offering a 3-week learning experience in July to better prepare students for their kindergarten year. The program prioritizes Barberton resident children entering kindergarten in the fall. Through the Foundation’s support, this program is free to attend, and transportation will be provided. For more information, contact the Preschool.
$9,846.68 to support services provided to families in AMHA housing from Barberton City School District. For this program, the District will match funds from the Foundation to increase (from 2 days to 4 days per week) on-site after-school tutoring for resident students at AMHA homes, provide bimonthly parent meetings, transportation to open houses and conferences, as well as student transportation for Upward Bound programs. Special note: we recognize Phil Hodanbosi for writing this grant on behalf of the District.
$9,000 for Improving Attendance at Barberton Primary and Intermediate Schools. Funding for this program is used for parent education, postcards, and student incentives. Chronic absenteeism is a hidden problem in schools because students can miss days for many different reasons. In the 2022-2023 school year, 284 primary students missed 18 or more days and 230 intermediate students missed 18 or more days. When students miss school, they miss important foundational skills and lessons which can never be made up. The district is hoping to close the attendance gap.
$4,000 to Barberton Middle School for STEM Supplies. In 2023, the School District expanded its STEM offerings to all 6-8 grade students. The District purchased $120,000 of equipment in technology-based career areas so students can explore areas that fit their interests and skills. This funding provides support for the cost of consumables used throughout the year in these labs. Examples include wood, glue guns and glue, and small hand tools for the energy lab, suturing materials for the nursing lab, and electrical wiring materials for the home maintenance lab.

Limitless Ambition received $20,000 for their program Purposely Chosen Teen Programming in Barberton City Schools. Limitless Ambition works with young women to overcome boundaries to their success. This program will work with 50 girls ages 13-18 throughout the school year, highlighting social-emotional learning, demonstrating leadership, and providing strong role models to help these girls build confidence, dream big, and achieve their goals.

National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inc. received $15,000 for 2024 Camp Invention in Barberton. Camp Invention is a summer enrichment program for Barberton Primary and Intermediate students (grades K-6) with curricula focused on developing creativity, inventive thinking, and problem-solving skills through hands-on STEM content. Funding supports 185 Barberton students by underwriting costs for children to attend based on financial need.

Child Guidance & Family Solutions received $10,000 for their program Toddlers & Preschoolers Succeeding (TAPS) in Barberton. TAPS provides on-site training for preschool and childcare staff on how best to respond to challenging classroom behaviors and improve kindergarten readiness. The organization anticipates serving 262 preschoolers with this funding.

Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio received $10,000 to support its Troops in Low-Income Communities program. This grant supports operating expenses, memberships, uniforms, and supplies for 20 girls in grades K-8 to engage in 20-week after-school STEM-based programming through the Girl Scouts.

Great Trail Council of Boy Scouts of America was awarded $10,000 to support The Exploring Program for middle and high school students. The Exploring Program is a workforce development program focusing on 12 career path exploration opportunities through a partnership with Barberton community partners (local businesses, organizations, and occupational professionals) during the school day.

United Way of Summit & Medina received $10,000 for support of their Financial Empowerment Center. The Center estimates serving 200 residents through free financial empowerment programming, including one-on-one financial coaching, tax preparation and banking assistance.

Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio received $7,000 for its program called Inspiring Barberton Students through JA Programming. Program funding directly supports financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness programming for K-12th grade students in Barberton. These programs are designed to teach students how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs that make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to a workplace.

Service Corps of Retired Executives Association – SCORE Akron received $5,000 for community and workforce development programs. We know small businesses are essential to the economic health of our community, but finding support can be hard. Services through SCORE include mentoring and workshop programs for Barberton entrepreneurs interested in starting their own business or expanding their existing business.

Project Learn of Summit County was awarded $5,000 for providing GED classes at the Barberton Public Library and estimates they will support 25 Barberton residents studying for the GED exam. Project Learn provides literacy and lifelong learning services that help adults achieve their goals as family members, workers, community members and lifelong learners. Since 1981, it has provided free classes to more than 27,400 adults throughout Summit County.

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About Barberton Community Foundation

Established in 1996, Barberton Community Foundation has awarded over 8,500 grants and scholarships totaling more than $109 million since its inception. The Foundation strives to improve, now and forever, the quality of life for Barberton residents by providing leadership on vital issues, fostering collaboration, and creating a legacy of giving to do good. The Foundation strengthens the community for current and future generations by proactively directing its grant dollars to the community’s greatest needs. To read more about Barberton Community Foundation visit www.barbertoncf.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/barbertoncommunityfoundation.

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Welcome from the Director

by Kate Deangelis | Feb 20, 2024 | Announcements, From the Director

Welcome From the Director

A close up photo of Josh Gordon in a gray suit.

Josh Gordon, Executive Director

I write this having recently completed my first week serving as the Foundation’s Executive Director. This position comes with many responsibilities – and opportunities. Rather than listing them all for you, I’d like to publicly extend the commitment I’ve already made to our Board of Directors.

To the city, school district, nonprofit community of Barberton, fund holders, donors, grant partners, business community, and residents of Barberton: my door is open to you!

My experiences in business, government, and nonprofit leadership have taught me that trust is earned through transparency and a sincere willingness to listen and learn. I have always believed in being persistently curious and asking questions (without a fear of looking silly)! I encourage everyone to share their curiosities with me.

I am interested in learning what you’re curious about when it comes to the Foundation. What have you heard about us but would like to verify? What are you curious about, but never asked? What is your question about how the Foundation works? Ask away! Please email me at jgordon@barbertoncf.org. Or, if you see me around town at a Magics’ Basketball games, Kave getting a cup of coffee, leaving a movie at Lake 8, getting a bite to eat at Remarkable Diner – or anywhere – stop and say hi and tell me what you’d like to know. If I don’t have an answer on the spot, I’ll get one and follow up with you.

Something I learned about the Foundation in my first week as Executive Director is that I am fortunate to be surrounded by so many people who care deeply about building our community. The kindness and warmth of the team, the Board, the Friends of the Foundation group, officials from the City and school district, have all made me feel welcome and supported.

Their kindness is appreciated, as we have a lot of important work to do together.

This year will continue our focus in economic development, building on the work that has begun in that area. The Foundation has many projects either actively underway or under consideration right now.

We also have work to do in how we share what we do with the community. I believe that the more everyone understands about how the Foundation gets money, how we grow the money we have, and how we give it away to charitable organizations and important projects, the more impact our resources will have.

We are all about impact here at BCF. The question we ask ourselves is: What can we do to have the most positive impact for the most people in Barberton?

Whether you have questions or ideas, I’d love to hear them.

Sincerely,

Josh Gordon

Executive Director

Foundation announces 2023 Arts and Community Grants

by Kate Deangelis | Nov 21, 2023 | Grants

Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met at Summa Health – Barberton Campus on Thursday, November 17, 2023, for a regular meeting of the board. The focus of the meeting was approving the last grant cycle of 2023, featuring arts and community programs. The Foundation approved funding $93,375 to five area organizations including the Barberton City School District and the City of Barberton Parks and Recreation.

Barberton City School District received funding for two programs totaling $33,375. Bringing Barberton History to Life received $19,375. Barberton 3^rd-grade students receive local history lessons as part of their social studies class. The school is working to update their curriculum with a new book on Barberton history and aligning it with Ohio’s Learning Standards. Students also receive a bus tour of the city and a tour of O.C. Barber’s Piggery as part of their class.

The school’s second program, called Refining Music Skills, received $14,000. The program requests support for funding skilled performance musicians to work with student percussion instrumentalists and advanced ensemble students at Barberton Middle School and Barberton High School. Their goal is to provide additional expert instruction to music students to improve skills and performance at band competitions and to inspire middle school students to continue with the orchestra once they enter high school.

The City of Barberton’s Parks and Recreation department received $15,000 to provide support toward the city’s programming, festivals and events including: “Day at the Park” youth programs, the senior fair and senior van trips, movie nights in the park and summer concert series.

Magical Theatre Company received $25,000 for their program called PACT (Performing Arts Can Teach). PACT provides meaningful live theatre experiences for Barberton students in grades 1,3,5,7,9, and 12. Students in these grades will take field trips to Magical Theatre Company performances. The program provides Teacher-Student Study Guides that tie into their current curriculum. Additionally, all grades in Barberton Primary and Barberton Intermediate will have professional theatre experiences at their school via touring productions.

Habitat for Humanity received $10,000 toward their 2024 Neighborhood Reborn event, which works to clean up, revitalize and transform a neighborhood in Barberton over the course of two days. This program expects to work with 45 residents, who will see direct impact on their neighborhood through tangible home and yard improvements as well as increased civic pride, improved public amenities, and an improved neighborhood perception of safety.

Barberton Diamond Sports received $10,000 to overhaul one of their baseball/softball fields and to assist in scholarships for players to alleviate expenses for families. Barberton Diamond Sports offers spring and fall baseball and softball seasons with 7 baseball teams, 4 softball teams and 4 tee ball teams, serving Barberton youth 5-14 years old and their families.

Main Street Barberton Launches

by Kate Deangelis | Jan 6, 2023 | Announcements, Downtown Barberton

New Barberton Nonprofit ‘Main Street Barberton’ Focused on Bringing More Activity and Prosperity to Downtown Barberton

Main Street Barberton Officially Launches After Nearly A Year of Research and Planning, Headed by Board Chairman Denny Liddle and Backed by the City of Barberton, Barberton Community Foundation, and More.

A new nonprofit organization, called Main Street Barberton,
has begun its official operations in the Magic City.
The goal of Main Street Barberton is to create new economic growth and development opportunities in the City of Barberton’s downtown district by rehabilitating and revitalizing the
downtown Barberton area.

While much progress has been made in downtown Barberton in recent years, a core group of citizens and financial backers came together to speed up progress while including more community members in the process.

“I have studied some of the great downtown areas in Ohio, like Wadsworth, Medina, Kent and Tiffin, and they all have one thing in common – they are part of the Main Street program offered
by Heritage Ohio,” said Main Street Barberton Board President Denny Liddle. “They have a well-proven approach to solving not a couple of issues that plague many downtowns, but an
approach that’s designed to address all of the interrelated issues that prevent a downtown from bringing shoppers, residents, businesses, and activity. I’m very excited for this organization to
get going!”

The Main Street project began as an idea at the Barberton Community Foundation, and then interest grew beyond the Foundation – financially backing the $5,000 initial investment in the project came from the Barberton Community Foundation, Arts Now, the City of Barberton, Downtown Barberton Merchant’s Association, Ignite Brewing Company, Neighborhood
Development Services, and Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro.

“I have seen the great work that Heritage Ohio has done throughout the state, and the successful impact of their program in a variety of downtowns,” said Executive Director of the
Barberton Community Foundation Suzanne Allen. “I can’t wait to see this program take root in the Magic City!”

Creating Main Street Barberton
Heritage Ohio is the state of Ohio’s “official historic preservation and Main Street organization,” working to leverage historic buildings and architecture, neighborhoods, and commercial
districts through sustainable economic development programs.

Heritage Ohio’s flagship “Main Street” program begins with a visit from “D.A.R.T.,” its Downtown Assessment Resource Team. The D.A.R.T. team visits for 2 days and meets with community
stakeholders, spends time in the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, and conducts focus groups with residents to unearth what community members have as a vision for an ideal
downtown.

Once the vision is collected, Heritage Ohio combines what has been learned with its own independent research, then publishes a report back to the community.

A stakeholder group of nearly 25 community leaders was then formed. The group met monthly, and evolved into a steering committee that carried out the recommendations from the D.A.R.T. report.

Most important amongst the recommendations from the report is this – a focused organization must be established in order to achieve the vision for the downtown that the community has.
Hence, Main Street Barberton was born!

The steering committee’s last duty was to establish a board of directors.

From there, the board of directors established four committees with different roles and responsibilities. The board, which meets monthly beginning in January 2023, has adopted a Code of Regulations and is beginning to map out committee work plans for the next 12 to 24 months.

Additionally, Articles of Incorporation have been filed with the Ohio Secretary of State, and the Certificate of Approval has been granted by the state.

Main Street Barberton Board of Directors
Denny Liddle – Board President
Tim Eberhardt – Board Vice President
Ann Hutchison – Treasurer / Secretary
Jim Bauschlinger (committee chair, Economic Development)
Ted Herncane (committee chair, Design)
Deb Shreiner (committee co-chair, Organization and Promotion)
Josh Gordon (committee co-chair, Organization and Promotion)
Mayor Bill Judge
Jason Ondrus
Dorothy Somerville

Each committee chair is seeking interested community members to join their committee and work on projects from marketing and promoting downtown to cleaning up buildings and improving the spaces in the downtown area.

While the committees will be hard at work, the board also has plans to hire an executive director for Main Street Barberton, launching a talent search to fill the role later in 2023.

The organization’s primary funding for its first three years of operation will come from the Barberton Community Foundation and the City of Barberton.

“This Main Street program is another example of why we are so fortunate to have a passionate community here in Barberton,” Allen said. “Many communities need the type of focused work
that Main Street Barberton will be able to accomplish, but Barberton is able to make it happen thanks to the strength of its many organizations and how well they work together.”

Get Involved
If you are interested in learning more, or wish to serve on a committee, please contact the Barberton Community Foundation.

About Main Street Barberton
Main Street Barberton is a nonprofit organization in the City of Barberton focused on rehabilitating and revitalizing the downtown area through economic development and growth
activities. Established in 2022, the organization aims to provide the citizens of Barberton – and residents all over the state of Ohio – a unique and magical downtown experience.

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Partners Discuss Barberton Community Needs Assessment Report

by Kate Deangelis | Jul 13, 2022 | Economic Development

Partners Discuss Needs Assessment Report

At the start of the year, four agencies – Barberton Community Foundation, the City of Barberton, Barberton City School District and Summa Health System – commissioned a community needs assessment for Barberton. Now, they are set to release the report’s executive summary to the public in the coming weeks.

Barberton Community Foundation introduced the needs assessment as an important piece in future planning. “As a collective, we wanted to know Barberton’s top needs at the community and individual levels,” said Dr. Suzanne Allen, executive director of Barberton Community Foundation. “The Foundation is assessing our strategic goals for the next several years, and we need reliable data to help us make informed decisions.”

Measurement Resources Company (MRC), an organizational development and research firm headquartered in Powell, Ohio, was selected to conduct a city-wide survey, engage focus groups and deliver data-driven results to questions designed to identify needs, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities within the city.

“MRC partners with nonprofit organizations and government agencies in leading community-level data collection efforts, and then synthesizes and analyzes that data,” said Sheri Chaney Jones, president, MRC. “We used a mixed methods approach for this community needs assessment so that we could engage and incorporate the voices of more than 1,100 individuals throughout the Barberton community. By providing community members a mechanism to offer confidential and structured feedback about their perceptions of Barberton, the community helped to identify the greatest challenges that Barberton faces, as well as its top opportunities and attributes.”

Barberton residents and workers identified their top strengths and values as “high appreciation” for parks and natural resources; a sense of shared history and culture; a high degree of pro-social attitudes emphasizing community, support and a high valuation of family; a stable population with large numbers of mid-life and work-age adults; strong K-12 school system with perceived high attendance; and a perception that healthcare services are useful for children and mothers along with recent improvements in mental health treatment resources.

Identified challenges were condensed into four top categories such as improvements to road conditions and sidewalks; a need for increased financial stability; greater collaboration and trust between residents, current or prospective business owners and city leadership; and greater diversity and inclusion for people of color, single mothers and individuals of different ages and abilities with respect to Barberton’s social dynamics and recreational opportunities.

The data was collected from February 15 to April 30, 2022 and was targeted toward people who live and/or work in Barberton. More than 1,100 surveys were completed using both online and paper survey formats. Twelve focus groups met representing local business owners, community members of minority race and/or ethnicity groups, low-income households, social services providers, Fire/EMS personnel, parents of children with disabilities, older adults and others. Secondary data from additional sources like the American Community Survey, County Health Rankings and the U.S. Census supplemented MRC’s methodology.

Mayor Bill Judge, City of Barberton, said that the top needs did not come as a surprise, and thanked MRC for the report. “I’m grateful to have a third party review our biggest needs as a city,” he said. “It comes as no surprise to residents that road conditions and infrastructure are top concerns, and we already have plans underway as we continue to work to address these concerns.” Mayor Judge concluded that the strengths found in the study reflect what makes Barberton unique. “The people of Barberton really believe in and value this community. Barberton pride is real. Seeing that reflected in the survey gives me hope we can overcome our challenges.”

Dr. Michael Hughes, president of the Summa Health System – Barberton Campus, said it is encouraging to see the strengths of the community reflected in the study. “There are many qualities that make our city great, and the needs assessment is an important tool to help us better understand how to continue to grow our community,” he said. “At Summa, we are very focused on providing not only outstanding healthcare, but also opportunities for meaningful employment on our Barberton campus and across the organization.”

Since the beginning of his tenure as president of the campus, Dr. Hughes has prioritized keeping the Barberton campus engaged and active within the community. “It’s part of our commitment to being a good community partner,” he said. “From the individual level, where each of our employees is encouraged to volunteer in the community, to the organizational level where we are at the table supporting City initiatives, we are focused on collaboration and building on the many attributes that attract people who want to live, work and raise a family here.” He hopes his approach will contribute to a growing population that puts roots in Barberton.

Barberton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Ramnytz shared the sentiments of many regarding the partnership of four Barberton entities, saying, “The needs assessment is a very important baseline to gauge how our citizens feel about our community. Barberton is a very special place. I’ve never seen in any other place a greater collaborative and supportive nature between the city, the schools, the local hospital, the Foundation, the business community and our citizens.”

He added, “In the Barberton City Schools, we have many opportunities for our children and families. We have amazing staff members, programming, support systems, and connections with businesses that provide good paying career pathways. Our hope, as always, is for our students and families to take advantage of what we have to offer.”

Barberton Community Foundation, the City of Barberton, Barberton City School District and Summa Health System will take this survey results into consideration for each organization’s strategic planning.