2022 Spring Newsletter - Barberton Community Foundation

Spring 2022

Board of Directors Jason Slater, Chair Denny Liddle, Vice Chair Jennifer Bidlingmyer, Treasurer Deb Shreiner, Secretary Jim Bauschlinger Moriah Cheatham-Williams Josh Gordon Justin Greer Brett Haverlick Lynne Holcomb Trevor Hunt Mayor William Judge Elizabeth Mayreis Jeff Ramnytz Staff Suzanne Allen, Ph.D. Executive Director Kate DeAngelis Director of Marketing Carrie Herman Director of Community Impact Ted Herncane Director of Economic Development Tiffany Peters Director of Finance Karie Sattler Office Manager

Inside Welcome from theBoard Chair - Jason Slater Foundation Needs Assessment - Suzanne Allen Welcome Tiffany Peters Esther Ryan Shoe Fund Hal Naragon’s Charity Golf Outing First Cycle Grant Announcements

The Foundation’s Economic Development Committee met at Bounce for their March 2, 2022 meeting.

Foundation Partners with Bounce Innovation Hub

As part of Barberton Community Foundation’s new economic development initiative, the Foundation is embarking on a partnership with Akron’s Bounce Innovation Hub to bring awareness of Bounce’s programs, services and facilities to Barberton residents.

Early on in his planning, Ted Herncane, director of economic development, wanted to establish an opportunity for new and small business owners.

He said, “When we developed our economic development platform for this year, entrepreneurial support services were an important component. Due to their services offered, record of success and their proximity to Barberton, Bounce is the perfect partner for us and Barberton businesses.”

Doug Weintraub, CEO of Bounce, said it makes sense to invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs.

“These partnerships create a win-win for the entrepreneur and the community. The Foundation provides scholarships to students, and now they offer similar support for businesses. We’re proud to be the Foundation’s partner in this endeavor.”

If you’re not familiar with Bounce, it is a nonprofit organization that serves northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses, and features co-working, private office and meeting and conference room space.

Founded in 2018, Bounce occupies nine floors and more than 300,000 square feet in a nearly 100-year-

old rehabbed B.F. Goodrich tire plant in Akron on South Main Street. It currently houses more than 50 businesses and organizations and offers a vibrant, safe community for anyone who uses the space.

This new partnership offers the following benefits to those living in Barberton or whose business is located in Barberton: •

The Foundation will provide a full scholarship to any Barberton resident or Barberton business that is accepted into Bounce’s MORTAR at Bounce program (a value of $295)

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The Foundation will provide a full scholarship to anyone who registers for the Aspiring Entrepreneur class (a value of $75)

Bounce is offering Barberton residents*: •

Five complimentary co-working day passes

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20 percent off a monthly co-working membership for your first month

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Membership pricing on any meeting or conference room rentals for the rest of 2022

Visit bouncehub.org/what-we-do to learn more and register for programs. To claim your five free day passes and/or sign up for a monthly membership, email thegenerator@bouncehub.org. Be sure to let them know that you are from Barberton! *The co-working space is open to the public; you do not need to be an entrepreneur or part of a Bounce program to use the space.

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Foundation Partners with Bounce Innovation Hub Aspiring Entrepreneur Program Program details:

The Aspiring Entrepreneur program is a 10-week program for anyone thinking about becoming an entrepreneur and running their own business. As part of the GROW program at Bounce, participants will leave with an action plan and a new entrepreneurial mindset.

Program includes: •

Action planning

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The first steps to business validation

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Curriculum and materials

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Business coaching

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Affordable workspace

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Networking opportunities

MORTAR at Bounce A program designed for women and minority partners.

MORTAR at Bounce is a 15-week business accelerator for established small businesses in a non-technology industry who are ready to grow and take a deeper dive into the nuances of business ownership.

The program is guided by a culturally competent curriculum. It focuses on serving minority- and woman-owned businesses, but applications are open to any entrepreneur or small business owner. Cohort-style classes encourage entrepreneurs to support each other. Program includes: •

Cohort model for driven entrepreneurs to support each other

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Access to legal support

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One-on-one mentorship to provide guidance throughout the course

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Opportunity to pitch your idea in front of potential investors, community leaders and customers

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Ongoing support system provided by MORTAR and partner organizations and business support and brand development strategies that continue after graduation

Who to contact: To learn more about Bounce, its programs and when to register visit: bouncehub.org/what-we-do or email info@bouncehub.org.

Welcome from the Board Chair As I reflect on the past couple years, it is exciting to me that we appear to be emerging from this global pandemic that has caused so much unforeseen disruption in our communities and lives.

I would like to welcome Tiffany Peters to the Foundation in her new capacity as director of finance. On behalf of the board, we are delighted to have you join us and look forward to working with you. New to the board is Justin Greer, who joins us through his role as city council president. Justin will serve on the finance, economic development and development committees.

Looking to the year ahead, I am both anxious and excited about the opportunities to continue to drive change for the City of Barberton. We have arrived at a milestone in the history of our organization, paying off the BHS bond debt, and we are now charged with the responsibility of setting a new course for future long-term impact within our city.

The years ahead will find us focused on economic development to help support the ongoing revitalization of our unique downtown and the broader community. We will be looking for ways to unlock more of the “magic,” allowing others to see in Barberton the hidden gems many of us already appreciate. We need to think about each project not just in terms of today’s impact, but how those projects will leave a lasting imprint on the growth of the community. As we begin to collaborate with various stakeholders to chart this new course, it is vital that we leverage our core values to focus our work and drive impact that is meaningful both “now and forever.”

Sincerely,

Jason Slater Jason Slater Chair of the Board of Directors

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Thank You Donors!

Foundation Needs Assessment By now, I hope you’ve seen our social media posts, as well as our ads in the Barberton Herald, asking you to complete a survey. This survey is part of a city-wide needs assessment. Together with the City of Barberton, Barberton City School District and Summa Health Barberton, we are working in partnership with an independent research firm, Measurement Resources Company, who will collect this important information. Your responses are critical, because what we learn from this will direct our respective efforts for the foreseeable future.

Twenty-five years ago, the Foundation was created and our board of directors agreed that we would undertake a monumental project and pay for a new high school in Barberton. We’ve made annual payments of over $2,500,000 since 1996 and in the fall of 2021, the Foundation made the last payment.

But the high school wasn’t the only project the Foundation has been involved with. Since 1996, we’ve awarded more than $105,000,000 in grants to nonprofits to benefit the residents of Barberton, including building the high school. We’ve provided nearly $5,000,000 in scholarships and invested over $19,000,000 in Program Related Investments.

Now is a pivotal time for us. We need information that will help inform our board and staff, information that will assist us to direct our collective energy and resources to meet the needs of the community and that will inspire innovative collaborations to make Barberton a good place to raise a family, build a career and explore the Magic City.

We want the best for Barberton and we want to provide grants, programs and scholarships that not only meet the needs of our citizens, but are focused on the future. Our hope is that we will learn much of this from our needs assessment. The information revealed by the needs assessment will only be useful if enough people participate.

If you haven’t completed the online survey which can be found on our website, please do.

This survey will ask about your thoughts on Barberton’s current priorities; what you like and dislike about Barberton; and your own experiences living and working in Barberton. The online survey is open to residents and non-residents of Barberton and will close on April 15, 2022. All respondents will remain anonymous, and each person who completes the survey will have an opportunity to be entered in a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card and a gift card for a local restaurant. Paper surveys can be made available upon request by calling the Foundation.

Thanks for helping us.

Suzanne Allen, Ph.D. Executive Director

Tiffany Peters joins Foundation Staff

A resident of Barberton, Tiffany is an Ohio “boomerang,” growing up in Portage County and then moving with her family to Florida, where she received her MBA with a concentration in finance, management, and information systems from the University of South Florida. She returned to Ohio in 2002 and settled in Barberton in 2014 where she now resides with her husband and two children.

Tiffany brings more than 20 years of financial experience and more than 15 years of nonprofit volunteerism and Barberton Community Foundation experience to the role, previously serving in financial welcomed Tiffany Peters as the leadership roles at the United Way of Summit and Medina. new Director of Finance effective March 14, 2022.

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Tiffany said she decided to accept the position at the Foundation to be close to her children and to serve her community in a larger capacity. “I am excited to be working in Barberton,” said Tiffany. “The people in Barberton have an incredible amount of pride for their city, and I am looking forward to bringing that passion to my role with the Foundation.”

How have the first two weeks been?

These past two weeks have been a lovely combination of

getting to know the excellent Foundation staff, meeting new community friends, and learning about the financial structure of the Foundation. Everyone has been very welcoming, and having the chance to peek behind the curtain, so to speak, I am impressed by the thoughtfulness and stewardship of the Foundation and its leaders.

What aspect of the Foundation has made the biggest impression on you?

Speaking from many years of financial management, I am so very pleased to see the care with which the Foundation handles its financial responsibilities. Barberton citizens should be very proud of the sophistication behind the community’s original investment and its foresight in planting this perpetual “garden” of community support.

What do you hope to have accomplished a year from now?

By this time next year, I am hopeful that I will be in a good work rhythm with a mastery of the Foundation’s finances, making thoughtful recommendations to leadership. Being a Barberton resident, and in my position as strategic partner to Suzanne, my second most critical goal over the next year is to form strong relationships within the community.

Magic City Kiwanis and Foundation Combine Esther Ryan Shoe Funds

Fun fact: In 1990, Esther Ryan was named as a “Daily Point of Light” by the George H.W. Bush Foundation, which celebrates the power of the individual to spark change and improve the world.

For many years, there were two Esther Ryan Shoe Funds. Esther originally established a partnership with the Magic City Kiwanis in the 1980s, then in 2000, Barberton Community Foundation honored her with a Lifetime Achievement award and created a second fund at the Foundation.

Since that time, both funds have worked together to support Esther’s mission to provide shoes to Barberton students.

“She started by giving away shoes from the trunk of her car, you know.” Said Bob Guilda, a longtime Magic City Kiwanis member. “Then she got the bars and churches involved in donating.

She was persistent, but she was also incredibly compassionate.”

As the fund grew through donations and the popular spaghetti dinner fundraiser, Bob Guilda and Mike Dalessandro have been quietly handling the financials behind the scenes for over 30 years.

“We did the banking part of it,” said Mike. “But it is a lot of work, and we’re not getting any younger.”

Magic City Kiwanis decided to combine their fund with the Foundation’s fund to ensure the Esther Ryan Shoe Fund continues.

“That’s really what the Foundation is made for,” said Mike. “We are thinking about the long-term. We want this fund to continue to build and to make sure kids always have shoes.”

Edna Boyle is the current Magic City Kiwanis president. She said, “Bob and Mike really had the foresight to see that when you combine the funds, you’re leveraging the Foundation’s assets as well. It was time to make a change.”

In addition to combining the funds, the mission statement of what the fund can be used for has been broadened beyond shoes to include other necessary apparel. Currently, the fund covers the purchase of more than 500 pairs of shoes for Barberton students each year. Dee Parsons and Jason Ondrus at Barberton City Schools coordinate shoe fittings in August and purchase shoes from Skechers.

“We are looking forward to the spaghetti dinner being in-person again,” said Edna. “I had the opportunity to volunteer in the drivethrough dinner last year. It was just incredible to see so many people come out and support the cause.”

Magic City Kiwanis will continue to host the annual Esther Ryan Shoe Fund Spaghetti Dinner, held in-person this year on Friday, May 13, 2022, at the Prince of Peace Parish where Barberton Firefighters cook and serve spaghetti. Dinners are $8 for adults and $5 for children under 10 years.

Hal Naragon Memorial Golf Outing

Register Now for Hal Naragon’s Charity Golf Outing

Please join us on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at Chippewa Golf Club for the second annual Hal Naragon Charity Golf Outing.

Proceeds of the golf outing aid the Hal Naragon Memorial Scholarship Fund which provides scholarships to three Barberton High School seniors annually. Donations can be made payable to the Barberton Community Foundation to support the golf outing or directly to the scholarship. Contact Chad Bradley at HalNaragonCharities@gmail.com with questions.

Sponsorships and registrations may be purchased online at barbertoncf.org or call us at 330-745-5995. Registration ends on Friday, April 22.

Harold “Hal” Naragon was a well-respected member of the Barberton community and admired for his kind and gracious nature by everyone who knew him. Hal tried out for the Cleveland

Indians while still attending Barberton High School. His career as a catcher in the Indian’s organization lasted several years, including a two-year stint in the Marine Corps where Hal played for the Quantico baseball team.

He returned to the Indians for the historic 1954 season. In the years that followed, Hal played for the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins, then became a bullpen coach for the Twins and Detroit Tigers. He retired from baseball in 1969, having been on three American League Championship teams, including the 1968 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers.

Hal spent the next 17 years serving the local sports community as the proprietor of Barberton Sporting Goods. The high school varsity baseball field was named in his honor in 2004, and the City of Barberton inducted him into the Walk-of-Fame in 2015. Hal Naragon passed away on August 31, 2019, at the age of 90.

Newest Grant Partners: Education and Workforce & Economic Development

Barberton Community Foundation is pleased to announce our first grant cycle of 2022, awarding $119,220.86 to thirteen area nonprofits serving Barberton. This cycle focused on education, and workforce and economic development programming.

Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio

Tri-County JOG

Tri-County JOG was awarded $26,500 for their program, Municipality Workforce Development for Barberton Youth, which will provide municipality employment opportunities for Barberton High School juniors and seniors.

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The Foundation supported JA programming through Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio with a $5,000 grant to provide support for JA’s K-12 programming, which focuses on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness.

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United Way of Summit & Medina

United Way of Summit & Medina received $5,000 for their Financial Empowerment Center’s services for Barberton residents. The Center estimates they will serve 75 residents through free financial empowerment programming, including financial coaching, tax preparation and banking assistance.

Red Oak Behavioral Health

Red Oak Behavioral Health received $13,000 for summer programming in partnership with Lake Anna YMCA.

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International Soap Box Derby

The International Soap Box Derby received $4,000 to continue their SBD Mini Car STEM program with Barberton City School elementary students and to provide materials for middle school students’ gravity racing challenge.

National Inventors Hall of Fame

Camp Invention, a popular summer program organized by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, received $10,000 to provide financial support to Barberton students who would like to attend the camp.

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Child Guidance & Family Solutions

Child Guidance & Family Solutions received $10,000 for their Toddlers and Preschoolers Succeeding program (TAPS) which improves kindergarten readiness and reduces preschool expulsion rates in four Barberton preschools annually. TAPS helps preschools focus on children’s social-emotional needs by providing trauma-informed approaches, classroom management techniques and embedded social-emotional models.

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Barberton City Schools •

The High School Theatre Department received $20,000 to upgrade the theatre sound and lighting boards. Upgrades will benefit both the school and community groups who use the theater.

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Barberton Primary School received $7,452.25 for building a Magical Reading Nook for students to read under the stairs in a cozy environment.

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Barberton City Schools eSports received $5,671.70 to purchase two additional computers for student players. The program has a waiting list for players and is fundraising for team jerseys.

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The Foundation awarded $4,800 to the new Barberton Intermediate for t-shirts for the staff and students to support community and pride.

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The schools received $2,796.92 for Learning under the Lights, which is a springtime reading and math event.

SCORE Akron

The Akron-Barberton Community Workforce Development program, managed by SCORE Akron, received $5,000 to assist with their mentoring and educational workshops for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

For more information, visit www.barbertoncf.org | Call 330.745.5995 Find us on Facebook @BarbertonCommunity Foundation =

460 W. Paige Ave. | Barberton, OH 44203

Downtown Assessment Resource Team (D.A.R.T) Visiting in April Join Us! Tuesday, April 26 6:00-8:00 pm Active Adult Center at Lake Anna YMCA

Identify the benefits of revitalizing downtown Barberton. Join us for a community visioning session with Heritage Ohio’s Downtown Assessment Resource Team (D.A.R.T). This event is free and open to the public.

D.A.R.T. visits are for any community in Ohio which would like assistance in developing or enhancing a downtown revitalization program.

The Foundation is pleased to facilitate this public conversation in partnership with ArtsNow, City of Barberton, Downtown Barberton Merchant’s Association, Ignite Brewery, NDS and Summit County Executive, Ilene Shapiro.

The mission of Barberton Community Foundation is to strengthen the Barberton community for current and future generations by providing leadership, fostering collaboration, and creating a legacy of giving to do good.

For more information and event updates, visit www.barbertoncf.org 330.745.5995 | 460 W. Paige Ave. | Barberton, OH 44203 Find us on Facebook @BarbertonCommunity Foundation

We envision an improved quality of life for Barberton residents, now and forever.