Holiday Lights

The Holiday Lights Campaign honors organizations that light up the valley all year long.

There are three categories that are considered for this campaign: Non-profits, public agencies, and private companies that do good work.

Eighteen organizations are chosen and receive individual signs on WRTA buses and are featured on TV, press and on social media.

The 2023 Holiday Light Winners

• Action Mahoning Valley Mobile Truck
• AMYA Marie Foundation
• Dorothy Day House
• Healthy Hearts & Paws
• National Alliance for Mental Illness
• MOAB House
• Persayus Way Project
• Senior Support Action Group
• Angels for Animals
• Sleep in Heavenly Peace
• Thrive Mahoning Valley
• Veteran’s Outreach

Learn more about these organizations

• Action Mahoning Valley Mobile Market

• AMYA Marie Foundation

Jaismin Morris is the Executive Director of the Amya Marie Foundation and a native of Youngstown, Ohio. Ms. Morris is also the CEO of The Bounce House Palace, a party rental company, servicing the Tri-County area. She founded the Amya Marie Foundation in hopes of inspiring siblings/children who lost a loved one to gun violence. After witnessing the traumatic death of her 15-year-old daughter at a Sweet 16 party in April 2023, Ms. Morris took on a new journey of healing and setting achievable short-term goals. In the months after losing Amya, Ms. Morris has been in steady communication with several children affected by gun violence and started a successful support group —, even taking 6 children on a luxurious vacation to Tampa.

• Dorothy Day House

The Dorothy Day House of Hospitality in Youngstown was founded in 2009 to serve individuals who are homeless and low to no-income in our community. Inspired by Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement, our House provides services to our guests that embody the values of hospitality, compassion, dignity, and personalism. Our services include an evening meal service three nights a week; access to showers; a monthly distribution of personal hygiene products; a garden; and justice roundtables. The Dorothy Day House of Hospitality is entirely volunteer-led; nobody in our non-profit organization is compensated monetarily for the valuable services that are provided. We also rely on the generosity of local foundations and individual donors to fund the services provided. For more information, you can visit our website at: www.youngstowncatholicworker.com, or visit our Facebook page.

This past year, we expanded our meal service from two nights a week to three nights a week. On average, we serve about 75 guests each evening with our meal service, which has been an increase in the numbers served from earlier this year. We have worked diligently this year to expand our volunteer base and to build community partnerships. The founder and former long-time director of the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, Sr. AnnMcManamon, was recognized as the local recipient of the Simeon Booker Award for Courage by Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past in October of 2023.

• Healthy Hearts & Paws

The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project (HHPP) is a volunteer-based, 501(c)(3) organization located in Brookfield, Ohio, that is committed to saving the lives of heartworm-positive and medical-needs dogs and cats by doing whatever it takes.Our MissionTo promote animal welfare through education and by providing care and temporary placement for heartworm-positive and emergency medical-needs dogs to give each dog a second chance at a positive outcome

• National Alliance for Mental Illness

NAMI Mahoning Valley is the local affiliate of NAMI Ohio and the national NAMI organization (National Alliance on Mental Illness) which is active in all 50 states as well as internationally. Our mission is to provide support, advocacy, and education to the people of the Mahoning Valley dealing with mental illness. We are active in both Mahoning and Trumbull counties with our main functions being support groups, education classes, awareness-raising, and wellness support. We are a 501c3 organization that is proud to be funded in part by the Mahoning and Trumbull Mental Health & Recovery Boards. All the services we provide in the community are free of charge to those participating and it is the generosity of the people of the Mahoning Valley in our fundraising efforts that make this possible. Our seven employees, dedicated volunteers, and the vision of our Board drawn from our own Mahoning and Trumbull counties come together to create an active organization that has a wide range of program offerings and an impressive social media presence in the Valley with nearly 6,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, and Eventbrite. Our annual Mental Health Awareness Walk draws hundreds of participants each year, helps to raise awareness of mental illness, and improves overall mental health. We strive to provide innovative support for mental health recovery through our Wellness Initiative which includes Yoga, art sessions, and nutrition classes. Operating in the Valley as NAMI Mahoning Valley since 2004, we hope to continue providing services for people in the Mahoning Valley dealing with mental illness long into the future.

• MOAB House

The Moab House’s mission is to provide safe, loving, and productive transitional housing to former foster youth ages 18-21 who have aged out of the foster care system. Our goal is to prepare our Moab House Young Adults (MYAs) by teaching them independent living skills in the areas of Financial Planning and Management, Household Planning and Management, Food Planning and Management, and Relationship Building delivered through our live-in houseparents as well as professional mentors and volunteers.

• Persayus Way Project

The Persayus Way project is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve and honor the young lives lost due to gun violence. We also have a community outreach department and a violence prevention department. Our work within the community consists of raising funds to build a community park. We also recently received a grant from the Raymond Wean Foundation for our youth program. In 2023 The Persayus Way, a leading community-driven initiative, is thrilled to unveil its highly anticipated youth program, designed to provide a transformative experience for students aged 14 to 17. With a strong commitment to nurturing skills, fostering personal growth, and creating meaningful opportunities, this initiative marks a significant step towards building a brighter future for the youth. The Persayus Way’s youth program is not just about landscaping; it’s about cultivating potential and shaping tomorrow’s leaders. Through a dynamic blend of practical activities and mentorship, participants will engage in activities such as grass cutting, weed whacking, flower planting, and working on mulch and stone projects. This hands-on experience will not only equip them with valuable skills but also instill a sense of responsibility, teamwork, and pride in their work.

• Senior Support Action Group

The Senior Support Action Group (SSAG) provides services to homebound seniors and other medically homebound individuals. SSAG’s primary goal is to provide seniors 55+ with the resources needed to live a healthy life at home through food box delivery, transportation to medical appointments, and a phone pals program. SSAG incorporates both the social determinants of health and health equity. The Food Box program is designed specifically for households and individuals living at or below 200% of the federal poverty income guidelines. This income guideline was set strategically to target those who had “fallen through the cracks.” The goal is to reach those who might bring in too much income to be eligible for other federal programs, but still are struggling with covering basic needs. Through this, we aim to increase health equity amongst low-income individuals. The boxes increase health equity through their contents of nutritious produce (broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, etc.).Similarly, our transportation program aims to increase health equity amongst seniors who cannot get to medical appointments due to a lack of funds to acquire a car or public transportation. We’ve had several success stories. For example, we once had a client had needed a colonoscopy for months and had to cancel 4 prior appointments due to the lack of transportation. When her case worker reached out to us, we were able to find a volunteer within the day who would go on to take her to her appointment. This woman’s lack of transportation does not make her any less worthy of adequate health care. Our goal is to be the bridge that allows individuals to receive the healthcare that they would not have otherwise received. Our volunteers wait for the appointment to be over, transporting the client home afterward. The SSAG team has done research to ensure that services are not duplicated. Medical transportation is provided through a few other organizations but the need far outweighs the current capacity. The Phone Pals program has proven to be a great need and a life-saving one at times. We had a volunteer who called a client weekly. She was unable to reach the client and was concerned as this was not normal practice. The volunteer alerted SSAG and SSAG called for a wellness check. The client was alive but had been on the floor for three days. Without her phone pal checking in on her, the outcome may have been much more tragic. This program not only helps with the loneliness epidemic but also with the health and safety of seniors in the valley. Each of our programs is volunteer-based, which allows individuals to serve within their own communities. The excess resources and funding provided during the pandemic made it possible to identify many individuals who otherwise have “fallen through the cracks” due to agencies lacking the resources for homebound seniors.

• Angels for Animals

We are the ultimate animal-saving facility serving the region. We feature a full-service vet clinic, a high-volume spay/neuter surgery area, end-of-life services with a private entrance and rooms, a beautiful memorial showroom, and our own on-site crematories. All of these services support our shelter with fully vetted adoptable dogs and cats. Angel’s mission is to end the needless death and suffering of companion animals. We strive to get every stray and abandoned pet into a permanent loving home. Angel for Animals holds many fundraisers to help raise the three million dollars needed annually to fund our project. Our gigantic garage sale is held at the Canfield Fairgrounds and raised $ 192,000 a year which helps to pay for one of our full-time veterinarians. This year’s sale is on April 19, 20, and 21 2024. We also give tours of our awesome Angel Wing every Saturday at 1:00 p.m.Our facility is totally funded by individuals. There is no government funding. We exist for, by, and with the community.

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The SHP Youngstown-OH Chapter is comprised of a dedicated team of volunteers; our mission is simple, “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!” We build and deliver beds for children between the ages of 3-17 across the Mahoning Valley that do not have beds of their own. During build days, we measure, cut, sand, and assemble the components that make up the beds, including headboards/footboards, side rails, safety rails, and slats. When we deliver beds, we bring the components from build day, plus a mattress, a set of sheets, a comforter, and a pillow; when we leave the delivery home, the beds are fully assembled and the children can climb right in and go to sleep. We’ve delivered over 600 beds since our chapter began in 2018. 142 of those beds were delivered so far in 2023, making this our most successful delivery year to date. We attribute this year’s success to the growth of our selfless volunteer team, who brings our mission to life by dedicating countless hours to ensure that we fulfill our mission and get kids off the floor. Without the support of our volunteers and our local community, what we do wouldn’t be possible, so we thank each person and organization who has ever donated to our cause, whether it was through direct funding, new twin-size bedding or pillows, or most importantly, time and energy. You can learn more about our organization atshpbeds.org and you can stay up to date with any upcoming build and delivery days by following our chapter on Facebook or Instagram @SHPYoungstown

• Thrive Mahoning Valley

Thrive Mahoning Valley works to create a more welcoming and equitable community while striving to connect new and current residents to economic, social, and educational opportunities. Our vision is for the Mahoning Valley to be recognized as a community that is welcoming to all. By cultivating a culture of inclusion & equity, and setting the table for regional economic growth, we believe we can bring together the communities of the Mahoning Valley to Thrive for generations to come. Thrive Mahoning Valley currently operates a bilingual resource guide on our website. Last fall we initiated, and now host monthly convenings of the Mahoning Valley Immigration Coalition. We worked together to identify key needs in our community with the goal of welcoming newcomers and connecting them to opportunities and resources. We are the local affiliate organization of Welcoming America and working to see our valley become “Certified Welcoming.”This is a formal designation for cities and counties that have created policies and programs reflecting their values and commitment to immigrant inclusion. This innovative program assesses city and county governments on their efforts to include and welcome immigrants in all areas of civic, social, and economic life in their communities. With a Certified Welcoming designation, communities distinguish their local efforts, build a competitive advantage, and gain access to opportunities to share their welcoming practices on a regional, national, and global stage. Over the past year, our almost all-volunteer team has worked alongside partners and community leaders to advocate for repopulation efforts, while providing access to resources for all those in need, ensuring everyone, whether new or longstanding residents of this valley, feels welcome. With our Bikes for Students program, we have provided gently used bicycles to international students at YSU. We also planned and executed eleven events in September during our flagship celebration of Welcoming Week, culminating with the first-ever collaboratively planned HOLAFest to Downtown Youngstown on September 23. As we move into 2024, we plan to introduce several new and exciting programs to welcome newcomers to the Mahoning Valley

• Veteran’s Outreach