Menu
It’s that time of year again and as the summer winds down and Ohio families start preparing for an exciting new school year, the team at G.O. Community Development Corporation along with our friends at Paramount Advantage and Z107.9 have DOUBLED OUR EFFORTS to provide children with the tools they need to succeed. On August 10th, 2019, @ 12pm we will be giving away backpacks filled with essential school supplies (while supplies last).
Many children across Ohio look forward to back-to-school shopping, where they can pick out fun and colorful supplies like folders, pencils, crayons, and even a new backpack—to start the new year fresh. Unfortunately, this can put a serious strain on many families and teachers across Ohio.
Along with a generous contribution by Paramount Advantage and Z107.9, who funded the backpacks and supplies, the staff of G.O. CDC mean to fill the gap and serve those families in need and make sure everyone starts the 2019-2020 school on the right foot.
One in every five school-age child lives in poverty, making it difficult for parents to afford these supplies. When you factor in that teachers themselves spend, on average, $578 of their own salary to fund school supplies for their classrooms each year.
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — The Commons at Towne Square Mall was filled with young people and their mentors on Sunday, as youthOPPORTUNITIES Ashtabula honored some its brightest and best participants.
YouthOPPORTUNITIES helps young people achieve their goals in education and find jobs and countless other services.
This is youthOPPORTUNITIES second year delivering services to local youth.Youth Coordinator Shaelynn Ballard welcomed students and their guests to the ceremony, who gathered to celebrate accomplishments made throughout the 2017-2018 school year.
The accomplishments included obtaining GED or a high school diploma, perfect attendance, completing skills training, program completion, completing post secondary train and military enlistment.
“This ceremony recognized over 150 students who participated in youthOPPORTUNITIES programs during the 2017-2018 school year,” Ballard said.
“We had a reception with refreshments afterwards.”She said Outstanding Student of 2018 was Sarah Wise and the student speakers included Doug Brummit, Brianna Bradley and Sarah Wise.
Guest speakers included Ashtabula County Commissioners Kathryn Whittington and JP Ducro.
Keynote speaker was CTAG Coordinator for the Ashtabula City School District and the Ashtabula County Educational Services Center Sally Bradley, she said.
“We have 603 youth participating in youthOPPORTUNITIES,” Ballard said.
“We help them develop job skills, find employment, earn GED or high school diplomas, learn to drive and all kinds of self improvement activities.
We even help homeless youth and help them get off drugs.
Our goal is to decrease the barriers they face.”She said there were 12 people on staff at youthOPPORTUNITIES and all were willing to help enrolled kids “anywhere at any time.”
“We got a lot of help finding the youth employment at businesses like Lake City Plating and Chromaflow,” she said.
“Local businesses have helped a lot of these young people achieve success.”Jeff Seth, opportunities supervisor of the youthOPPORTUNITIES program and the Ashtabula County Technical and Career Center, said it was great to have an opportunity to recognize participants for their achievements.
“We try very hard to be an all-services program,” he said.“We help them make the needed connections to achieve their goals.”Sally Bradley said the recognition the youth received was well deserved.
“YouthOPPORTUNITIES is a great opportunity for Ashtabula County to get skills and achieve goals,” she said.
“It’s a much needed resource for these young people to attain success.”Montana Proctor, a participant from Ashtabula, said she received recognition for recently being hired at Zehrco Plastics.
“I’ve been in the program for four years and I’ve taken many courses,” she said.
“It’s a really good program. They help with practically anything you can think of. They can give you work experience, a GED, financial help, legal help and support. I got my youthOPPORTUNITIES assistance through A-Tech.”
Ryan Hargrove, of Ashtabula, said he received an award for graduating form Lakeside and being self-employed.
“It’s an amazing program,” he said.
“I got help for Driver’s Education and they paid for it. They’re great people, too. When I first went in to find out about the program they introduced me to all the caseworkers.”
Darvin Watkins, of Ashtabula, said he’s been in the program two years.
“I wasn’t recognized on Sunday, but I attended the ceremony,” he said.
YouthOPPORTUNITIES always wishes you the best and tries to help you achieve your goals.”
ASHTABULA — Members of the GO Ministries’s congregation and others joined together to celebrate two days at once on Sunday — of the 23rd anniversary of GO Ministries and of Pastor John Salters’ new Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies.
“We founded GO Ministries 23 years ago,” said Salters. “Now we have a soup kitchen, a recreation center and gym, a clothing bank and other outreach activities. We work with Birthcare, Helping Independent Parents (HIP), NarAnon and other groups. We also have an annual free Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party where we give out free toys and gifts, plus food giveaways at various times throughout the year.”
He said also the Cleveland Food Bank brings food to GO Ministries twice a month. He said GO Ministries works with the local Community Development Corporation (CDC) regularly. He said there are also regular church services on Sunday, and the Ministries will soon see a daycare center called “Thrive.”
“I also just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Maranatha Christian College in Cleveland, so we thought it would be nice to celebrate that with our anniversary. We had a dinner and some speakers and it turned out to be a very fine event.”
He said GO Ministries started in the old Ashtabula Hotel, then moved to the party center on E. Prospect near JD’s Pizza, then the sewing factory, then at its current location at 3703 Station Ave.
“Now I’m going to go for my Master’s degree,” he said. “That will be in Christian Counseling studies. I enjoyed going to college and learned a lot. I’ll be happy to see our childcare place getting started soon.”
He said his wife Mae, who passed away in 2014, was instrumental in getting GO Ministries going. He said he also appreciated the work of his five children in helping make GO Ministries a viable community resource.
‘We’ve had some tough times along the way but God has blessed us,” he said. “A lot of community-minded area churches have helped us, especially with helping feed the community.”
Lenora Boysaw, of Ashtabula, is a member of the congregation and a Ministries volunteer. She said the GO Ministries grows every year.
“Pastor Salters is growing the Ministries,” she said. “Thanks to his ideas and leadership it gets bigger and better every year. The GO Ministries has helped people with a lot of things and will continue to help them as long as he’s here.”
Martha Richardson, of Painesville, said the anniversary was a “beautiful thing.”
“Pastor Salters’ work has been a blessing to the community,” she said. “He loves to help others.”
Denise Green, of Ashtabula, said she’s been with GO Ministries for almost 10 years now.
“We think what Pastor Salters has done for the community is awesome,” she said.
ASHTABULA — The lives of hundreds of people are enriched each week thanks to the efforts of a sturdy group of volunteers that staff G.O. Community Development Corporation on Station Avenue in Ashtabula.
Donations and grants funds the programs ranging from meals for the needy, recreation for youth and free shoes and clothes for those down on their luck, said G.O. CDC Board President Drew Thomas.
“We get probably 100 people that come every day,” Thomas said.
He said meals are fed daily Monday to Friday and a variety of educational and recreational programs occur throughout a month.
A small group of volunteers cook and serve meals and provide clothes and shoes for those in need.
In the summer computer classes are held to educate area youth, said Frances Norman, a volunteer, who also opens the shoe, clothing and toiletries program several days a week.
“We are always looking for people to volunteer,” Thomas said.
He said more information or ways to donate can be found at the organization’s website at go-cdc.org.
