Community Service

The Bay Men’s Club has awarded $1,000 scholarships to three very deserving Bay High students: Kaylee Buehler, Morgan Fischer and Levi Wunder.

The scholarships are awarded based on need, character, scholastic achievement and leadership qualities.

Buehler will be attending Kent State University studying nursing (her father passed away from lymphoma when she was 10 which motivated her to become a nurse). She was editor in chief of The Bay Tribune, class officer, member of the National Honor Society, YPF, swim and volleyball teams. She works at Arrabiata's and as a lifeguard at Bay Family Aquatic Center.

Nationally, 2020 was a record year for new boat and paddle craft sales. So this year, the significance of National Safe Boating Week, May 22 through May 28, increased with all these new boaters on the water. According to the National Safe Boating Council, the observance of this week is the annual kick-off of the Safe Boating Campaign, a global awareness effort that encourages boaters to make the most of their boating adventure by being responsible.

In Bay Village, the Bay Boat Club celebrated the start of the boating season on May 22. The proceedings started with Mayor Paul Koomar reading a proclamation declaring support for the goals of the Safe Boating Campaign. Koomar urged us all to practice safe boating habits and to wear a life jacket at all times while boating. He also encouraged all boaters to have their boats inspected to federal safety standards. To back up Mayor Koomar's suggestion, Bay Boat Club had vessel inspectors from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary – Bill Ferry, Jack Benton and Greg Little, Division Commander – examine members' boats.

Bay Village Community Council representatives met via Zoom on May 18 to share news and notes about their civic organizations. Many groups also announced plans for summer activities.

The Bay Village American Legion and the VFW awarded this year's Military Scholarship Award to Hayden Coffman. Hayden has an impressive scholastic record, with a 4.123 GPA over his high school career. He was a member of the Marching Band, the Symphonic Band and still found time to do some acting. Hayden served as the captain of the Bay High boys soccer team and was selected to the All-Conference and All-District Teams. As a junior he was chosen to be our Buckeye Boys State Representative. Hayden has accepted an appointment to The United States Military Academy at West Point.  He plans to use his Military Scholarship monies to defray fees and expenses not covered by West Point.

The Bay Village Kiwanis Club continues to hold its meetings virtually. Bay Days will return June 30 to July 3. Kiwanis is sponsoring two boys baseball teams and two girls softball teams this summer. The club continues to work on BAYarts' deck, stage and other projects. The BHS Key Club's Walk for Water on May 1 raised $12,000 to dig a fresh water well in South Africa.

The Bay Village Foundation welcomed new trustees: Jeffry Elliott, Luke Elsass, Sean O'Reilly and Matt Peters. Three scholarships were given to BHS students and the foundation allocated nine grants to local nonprofits, totalling just under $24,000.

Lakewood Elks Lodge #1350 generously donated the use of its facility at 24350 Center Ridge Road in Westlake to Connecting for Kids for a recent Bowling Fundraiser which raised $27,000 for the Westlake-based nonprofit. In all, 80 bowlers participated in the two-week event, which was held from Friday, April 30, through Saturday, May 8.

“For over a hundred years Lakewood Elks Lodge 1350 has been helping the West shore communities and local nonprofits like Connecting for Kids. We were happy to donate the use of our bowling alley for the event and look forward to supporting the organization in the future,” said Brian Gartland, Exalted Ruler, Lakewood Elks Lodge #1350.

Many neighbors in the area of Forest Park and Berkeley Estates in Westlake – Michael DiLauro, Judy Fabec, Katy Boscia, Mary Step and the Strawbridges – did their part in picking up litter.

This was our first event to commemorate Earth Day 2021. As you can see, we gathered quite a pile of trash in and around our neighborhood.

A Clevelander by birth and a Westlake resident since 2001, Ron Zenkewicz has a gift for turning obstacles into opportunity. Born in 1942, Ron grew up in Cleveland’s Slavic Village, near Fleet and Broadway. He graduated from Cathedral Latin High School near University Circle.

After graduation, Ron sold shoes and managed stores for Thom McAn with thoughts of joining his father, a lifelong US Steel worker, in the mill. The arrival of a draft notice derailed those plans. Ron opted for a four-year stint in the Air Force, hoping to become an air-traffic controller. Incoming tests landed him, instead, as a non-Morse intercept operator, capturing Russian and Chinese military communications. Stationed initially outside London, Ron was eventually sent to Pakistan until his discharge in 1967.

With quarantine mandating time away from the classroom and usual activities, many children have struggled over the past year. Connecting for Kids aims to help local families find resources for a child who may have regressed socially, emotionally, academically or physically during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The free Cuyahoga County Resource Box is packed with information about local adapted summer camps, social skills programs, tutors, therapists and other services in Cuyahoga and surrounding counties for families of children ages birth to 12 years who are concerned about their child.

Please meet Gloria Flint. Age: 89. Life status: Newly retired.

It took a global pandemic. It took the whole world slowing down last spring for Gloria Flint to retire, at age 88, after working 20+ years for the city of Westlake and decades earlier in education and government. Anyone who has visited Westlake Community Services has likely met Gloria working at the busy reception desk. Known for her quick wit, distinctive accent and impeccable style – manicured nails, elegant white hair, an iPhone and a vanity plate on her car – Gloria exudes the vitality of a woman half her age.

As her beloved accent suggests, Gloria was born in New York City – the Bronx to be exact. After marrying and moving to Long Island, Gloria completed her bachelor’s in education from Queens College. From there, she taught elementary school in New York and Houston, while raising her four children. While in Texas, she earned her master’s degree in administration & supervision at the University of Houston. She later accepted a position with Houston’s Chapter 2 program, which oversaw public funding for private schools, eventually becoming its director.

Springtime! A time of melting snow and ... emergence of tons of trash that had been hidden by that snow. Easy to fix on your lawn but have a look along the highways and byways. Horrible and disgusting! It's especially bad after this year of sequestration due to Covid-19. But we can help fix it. That's right, you and I can help!

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has an army of volunteers to help keep the highways clean through the Adopt-A-Highway program. I'd seen the adoption signs along the highways; I didn't think there were enough adoptions to make a difference until I read that, of the 396,000 bags of trash collected by ODOT in 2018, 16,455 were attributed to Adopt-A-Highway volunteers.

The Adopt-A-Highway program allows volunteers to adopt a two-mile section or interchange along a state, federal or interstate route. ODOT provides safety training, trash bags, disposable safety vests and two signs (stating who adopted the highway) to be used at the beginning of each side of adopted stretch. The only cost to the group is their time.

Many non-profit organizations depend upon the time and service of volunteers. Westlake Meals on Wheels is no exception. The organization has benefited from the help of North Olmsted High School SITES students for several years. The SITES (Social Involvement Through Education and Service) program allows high school seniors to participate in service organizations in their community for five hours per week as part of their academic program.  

This semester, Westlake Meals on Wheels has had three SITES students assisting in the daily operations four days per week. Noah Cuevas, Nathan Wenger and Aiden Scruggs have been able to volunteer, even through the pandemic. They assist with meal preparation, packaging items for the recipients, and loading coolers for Meals on Wheels drivers as part of the curbside process implemented as a result of Covid-19.

Lakewood Elks Lodge #1350, located at 24350 Center Ridge Road in Westlake, recently awarded its $6,000 Beacon and Gratitude grants obtained through the Elks National Foundation Inc. to Connecting for Kids to fund the local nonprofit’s Ask Us program. This program serves Northeast Ohio families who have questions or concerns about their child aged 12 or younger. Ask Us is staffed by three family resource specialists who work one-on-one with families, answering questions, finding resources and providing information.

“The Lakewood Elks Lodge #1350 is proud to help Connecting for Kids by awarding the organization both our Beacon and Gratitude grants. Using these funds, Connecting for Kids will continue its work of helping Northeast Ohio children and families in need during this challenging time. We look forward to continuing our relationship and assisting Connecting for Kids in the future,” said Exalted Ruler Robert F. Geiger PER.

The inaugural “Bounty Day” food distribution event was a resounding success for the Westlake Community Services Department. Volunteers from Grace Baptist Church in Westlake pitched in to load up more than two dozen cars curbside during the Feb. 11 event.

Staff and volunteers received a helping hand from Erin Dickens of St. Joseph Academy who spent some time shadowing them during the Bounty Day event, keeping track of which of the registered participants had and had not received their food. She also stopped by City Hall for a photo with Mayor Dennis Clough.

As always, the Community Services Department was ever-grateful for the generous donations from the community which make these types of events possible!

Bay Village resident Janet Kelley is a Canada Goose wrangler for Ohio Geese Control, a company that has been humanely managing goose populations in public parks, beaches and marinas since 2004. Janet works with her partner, Cowboy, a 10-year-old border collie. They have been working together for several years.  

Janet started with Ohio Geese Control after retiring from a career directing a chronic condition management program that staffed and managed on-site clinics for large corporate clients. Janet has a Master of Science in Nursing degree.

Janet and Cowboy police a route that takes about five hours to complete. Cowboy’s job is to worry the geese, and bother them until they give up and go someplace else. Cowboy never hurts the geese – it is humane goose management. Janet’s job is to take Cowboy where he needs to go. Cowboy used to work five days a week – the key to controlling geese is consistent harassment. Cowboy is semi-retired now, and he and Janet only work every other weekend. Other dogs cover the route during the work-week and on the alternate weekend.

Westlake's Youth Advisory Board and Community Services staff worked together to create homemade valentines and assemble gift bags for 100 unsuspecting senior residents.

The bags were filled with chocolates, cookies, hot cocoa and an old-fashioned blank valentine and pen to encourage the lucky recipients to "pay it forward." The bags also contained masks and personalized notes written by Community Services staff describing "3 things we love about you."

Multiple recipients sent "Thank You" notes to the staff and Youth Board members, expressing their gratitude for what was a much-needed spirit lift for many.

While the world was scrambling for cleaning supplies, three local Sea Scout ninth-grade girls decided to take the initiative and develop a solution. These scouts decided to use science to solve the problem of store shelves empty of disinfectants. Each girl searched for two recipes that contained materials that most people have easy access to or grown in their backyard.

“We wanted to use ingredients that everyone would be able to use so they could successfully replicate our results,” said Heidi Moody. The girls then experimented to see the most effective solution. They swabbed their refrigerator door handles without a cleaner as a control, and then each handle with a different recipe that they developed. After placing the swabbings on agar in Petri dishes, the girls took the sealed plates to a laboratory to see if bacteria would grow. The results were exciting. While some recipes didn’t work very well, some show promising results.

Now that our beloved elderly are being vaccinated, according to my dear friend, Dr. Charleen Jaeb, resident of Generations Senior Living of Strongsville, they would love a visit!

Charleen and I met in college as “non-traditional” students many moons ago. Charleen continued her education, completing both an MBA and law degree to pursue her career as a college professor at various colleges in Cleveland. Charleen received multiple awards throughout her career. Most recently she won the Women’s Club “Woman of the Year” in Middleburg Heights.

Upon retirement from teaching, she accepted the position of Bus Tour Guide for Lake Front Bus Lines, where she wrote articles for the Bus Tours Magazine. Her favorite articles were “20 Tips for Bus Tour Planners.”

The Bay Village Community Council is proud to announce the 2021 Citizen of the Year, Nancy Trainer, and Project of the Year, the Bradley Park Playground upgrade.

The BVCC received a number of outstanding nominations this cycle and the selection committee considered each one carefully before arriving at a unanimous decision. A celebration will be held in the near future. Details will be provided when the arrangements have been made.

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR: NANCY TRAINER

Nancy moved with her family to Bay at age 3 and attended Bay Schools through graduation. She went to Bowling Green State University and worked at the U.S. Treasury Office. She learned the benefits of volunteerism at an early age, and has spent her life, particularly after retirement, in service to the community.

“My earliest memories of volunteering were trimming bushes with my siblings while my father cut the grass at Baycrafters’ Station house, a task the Metroparks later took over,” Nancy recalled. “My mother was on Baycrafters’ board, then later became heavily involved in veterans organizations – both parents served in WWII. I assisted with her organizations until retiring from my job, then volunteered within our community and quickly learned every group needs assistance.”

Hannah, Layla, Paul, and Joe are members of the Explorer Club sponsored by Bay Sea Scouts. They are entering their project in the U.S. Army-funded eCyberMission Challenge competition.

For our Explorer Club STEM project this year, our team decided to study pollution from tire microplastics. We were amazed to learn that car and truck tires in the U.S. generate about 1.8 million tons of microplastics a year, this is according to a study in October 2017 by Pieter J. Kole, Open University of the Netherlands.

While many of these microplastics, absorbed by the surrounding soil and stream sediments, don't reach Lake Erie, approximately 20 percent do in Bay Village, where many storm drains flow directly into the lake. SUVs and the coming electric vehicles, which are heavier because of their batteries, create even more microplastics. To make matters worse, on the West Coast, a study by the scientists at the University of Washington discovered that a chemical, 6PPD-Quinone, added to tires to lengthen their life, kill off over half the Coho salmon in urban streams in the Puget Sound.

The Westlake Teachers Association (WTA) donated a box full of toothbrushes and toothpaste to the City of Westlake food pantry. The materials were paid for with a community involvement grant from the Northeast Ohio Education Association (NEOEA).

Westlake teachers Karen Kane and Krissy Ingham delivered the generous donation to the Westlake Community Services Center on Friday, Jan. 29.

To help residents experiencing food insecurity due to the continuing pandemic, the City of Westlake Food Pantry is hosting "Bounty Day," a one-day food distribution event on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 9-11 a.m.

We will be providing cereal, macaroni & cheese, pasta noodles, pasta sauce, peanut butter, rice, and dinner sides to those in need of help, according to family size.

This will be a drive-through event similar to the Curbside Food Pickup program the Westlake Community Services Department ran during the spring and summer months. Participants must be Westlake residents and are required to pre-register on the City's website, www.cityofwestlake.org, no later than Friday, Feb. 5. The registration form offers a privacy option where no personal information is required.

If you or someone you know is in need of additional help, contact our Outreach Coordinator at 440 899-3544 to see if you qualify for the city’s monthly food program and holiday food distributions.

Many Westlake families had a happy holiday season thanks to several members of the Westlake Fire Department who helped deliver bags of presents and food baskets to their doorsteps in December.

More than 80 families received gift bags as part of our Adopt A Family/Adult Program, helping to put smiles on nearly 300 faces. Dozens of prepacked food baskets were distributed as well – a welcome sight to many in need of some help to get through the holidays.

Despite 2020's challenges, the Kiwanis Club of Bay Village still was able to contribute to our mission of improving the lives of kids worldwide.

On Dec. 10, 2020, Bay Village Kiwanis presented Leslie Selig, director of the city's Community Services Department, with a check for $2,000 for the Caring & Sharing Program. Many residents have been affected by the pandemic, job losses and difficulties with utilities. This program helps many families through difficult times.

Donations to the city have been slow, and any donation to this program at any time throughout the year will be used to help families in need. Please support this program and your local Kiwanis club. Find the Bay Village Kiwanis at bayvillage-oh.kiwanisone.org and contact Leslie at lselig@cityofbayvillage.com or 440-899-3409.

Ryan Hengelsberg, Scouts BSA Troop 41 of Bay Village, recently completed his Eagle Scout service project for VFW Post 9693. The Post meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Bay Village Police Department’s Community Room.

Ryan has volunteered to set up tables and chairs for their meetings over the past four years. Members had been looking for ways to increase awareness of the Post. Ryan worked with Post Commanders, Fred Green and Geoff Belanger, to design a granite marker for the building entrance. The deep black marker is inscribed with the VFW’s Cross of Malta Seal in full color. The marker was created with the assistance of the Lang Monument Company of Canton. The company was established in 1894 by E.D. Lang, purchased by Fred W. Allison in 1945, and has stayed in the family ever since.

Bay family packs blessings in a bag

The Wander family of Bay Village came up with a creative way to bless those less fortunate during this pandemic and economic downturn. They started collecting and utilizing old backpacks and filling them with mittens and everything nice to comfort the less fortunate on our cold Cleveland nights!

Kristen and her daughter Emily, along with their faithful dog Bodhi, pack them each weekend so that Kristen can distribute them to the homeless people she encounters on her lunch hour when working downtown.

Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough recognized the Senior and Community Services Department’s Senior Transportation Team on Friday, Dec. 11, for continuing to provide "steadfast, reliable" service throughout the Covid-19 situation.

The 10-driver team has taken great care to ensure the safest environment possible for senior residents who rely on the transportation services these drivers provide to get to their essential medical appointments and receive critical supplies.

The friendly conversation and sense of connection these employees offer homebound seniors goes a long way to help combat social isolation. In addition to transportation services, the team has been making friendly phone calls to seniors and delivering food and supplies.

Normally at this time of year the Bay Village Garden Club would be busy preparing for our annual "Greening" workshops. We'd be sweeping up glitter from hundreds of bows we made and counting and recounting all the accessories for our Greening projects. But, as we all know, this is not a normal year. Although we were forced to cancel Greening many of our members are still very busy with holiday projects.

Each year the Cleveland Botanical Garden presents its holiday spectacular, "Glow." This year's theme is "Home for the Holidays." Instead of decorating a tree our club's assignment was to design a welcoming front door. The title of our display is "A Place at the Table."

Hoping to add a little joy to the infirmed, their families, caregivers and staff, Bob Votruba and his dog, Bogart, visited the Hospice of the Western Reserve on Thanksgiving Eve. Many of the staff stood in the windows of the Ames Family Hospice House, expressing their appreciation from inside.

“It was a nice way to help the staff know that they are appreciated“ said Frank Kukula, Facilities Manager Team Leader.

This time of year is especially hard for everyone and with COVID-19, it has added additional challenges for everyone who care so much for our loved ones. A big debt of gratitude is owed to these angels of comfort.

Cleveland Angels is a nonprofit whose mission is to “walk alongside children in the foster care system, as well as their caretakers, by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship.” Gretchen Dupps, a longtime Bay Village resident, is the founder of the Cleveland chapter and executive director.

Before agreeing to start and lead Cleveland Angels, Gretchen felt called to help support children in the foster care system because as a child her parents had been foster parents, so she has first-hand knowledge and insight into the best ways these families can be supported. When the opportunity arose a couple of years ago to begin the Cleveland chapter of the national Angels organization, she jumped on it. She, along with many tireless volunteers, has made it the success it is today.

Many of us have heard of services available for those aging out of foster care, but what about services for those with special needs aging out of high school who are losing their social life connections? When Pam Denzler’s nephew, Thomas, was graduating from high school in 2012, she wondered the same thing.

Without finding a local resource, Pam, an occupational therapist by trade, founded A Place 2B ME, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help those with disabilities explore what they enjoy, connect with others and participate in activities of their choosing.

Pam, who lives in Westlake, founded A Place 2B ME with 40 years of occupational therapy (OT) experience, including health care, nursing homes and group homes. 

One of the services most needed to enable Bay Village older adults to stay in their home is snow removal. In response to this need, Bay Village Community Services has developed the Snow Angels program, in which volunteers are matched with a qualifying senior who requested assistance. A Snow Angel coordinator pairs the volunteer with a neighbor for the winter season.

Becoming a Snow Angel is a great way to:

• Get involved in our wonderful Bay Village community;
• Get to know your elderly neighbors;
• Get fresh air & exercise this winter.

For those who need a Snow Angel:

• You must fill out an application and show proof of residency and income. To qualify, household income is not to exceed $30,000 per year.
• You will be assigned a volunteer or group of volunteers who will shovel your driveway and sidewalk when 2 inches of snow or more have fallen.
• You will be notified by the Snow Angels coordinator if you have qualified and have been paired with a Snow Angel.

To volunteer as a Snow Angel or receive an application, please contact Jennifer Ruese at 440-835-6565, or jruese@cityofbayvillage.com.

The final months of the year are an opportune time for reflection and appreciation. While 2020 is a year that most would rather just forget, one can always find hope in the good deeds of others. Whether it’s a neighbor, member of a civic organization or fellow parishioner, those that give of themselves to help others deserve a moment of recognition.

The Bay Village Community Council has just opened the nomination period for the annual Bay Village Citizen of the Year and Project of the Year awards, to honor those who have made a difference in the community.

The Community Council will accept nominations until Friday, Jan. 22, and the selection committee will meet shortly afterward to choose this year’s winner.

There’s nothing sweeter than feeling like the most important person in the room! And that’s how Pete Mitchell makes you feel. “It’s all about the relationships,” says Pete.  “I tell myself to this day, ‘Slow down, enjoy people and don’t rush through things.’” 

I met Pete in passing years ago. I wanted to know more about the man, one of two brothers behind the ice cream. During our conversation, Pete reflected on his journey to growing this community staple. “When my brother, Mike, and I first opened our ice cream shop in Westlake 21 years ago, we just thought it would be a fun, small business to be creative with,” says Pete.

What surprised Pete was that it was so much more. “Ice cream is such a nostalgic product that people can develop memories around.”  As many of us can attest, it’s associated with celebrating a dance recital, a school play, or a big win against a football rival. “We did not see that coming when we got started, but it’s a very rewarding part of what we do.” says Pete.

The COVID pandemic has changed our lives in so many ways, and with the holidays fast approaching, it is important to reach out to those in our community who are suffering from financial insecurity as a result of the pandemic.

If you are a Bay Village resident who is or was laid off from your job and needs help this holiday season, Bay Village Community Services can help by providing:

• Gift cards for groceries
• Gift cards to purchase gifts for family members
• Personal care and cleaning items

We also can provide up to $250 to help with utility bills, medical bills, rent or mortgage through our Emergency Funds program.

For more information, contact Leslie Selig, director of Community Services, at 440-899-3409 or lselig@cityofbayvillage.com.

The Holiday Caring & Sharing Program, a Bay Village tradition for more than 10 years, is seeking donations to benefit the community in the coming year. There are two ways to contribute to this program:

• Cash donations for emergency funds for residents in financial need. The City will pay up to $250 to a resident in financial crisis for:
• Utility bills
• Rent/mortgage
• Medical expenses

•  Gift cards for groceries, gas, drug stores or Target/Walmart/Amazon are also appreciated

Donations may be dropped off or mailed to the Bay Village Senior Center, 300 Bryson Lane. Holiday Caring & Sharing is sponsored by the Bay Village Department of Community Services.

Families of boys and girls, grades K-5, are invited to attend a Virtual Open House hosted by Bay Village Cub Scout units!  Register to attend an online presentation of the Cub Scouting program in Bay Village on Friday, Oct. 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m.. Local units will provide information on their activities and meeting schedules. Learn more about the program at lecbsa.org/join-scouting. Access to the online meeting will be provided to all who register at this link: tinyurl.com/BVCubs2020.

After a long delay due to restrictions on indoor gatherings, the Bay Village Community Council finally presented Richard Gash with his Citizen of the Year award at an outdoor reception Sept. 24 at the Bay Boat Club. Mayor Paul Koomar read a proclamation in honor of Gash, a 48-year resident and leader of the Bay Sea Scouts.
 
Several Scouts – Norah and Zak Hamil and Jennie Koomar – gave presentations about the dedication Gash shows for his students. The Bay Village Garden Club prepared a nautical-themed floral arrangement for the honoree.

Are we ever too old to stop learning? Bob Piccirilli says “no!!” In fact, Bob is still “thrilled by the chase” of learning something new.

An avid learner, Bob earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Clarkson University and completed his post-doctoral work at Duke University. After retiring in 2009 from a rewarding 33-year career with PPG, Bob wanted to continue his learning and make a difference. “I’m a task-oriented person. I knew I could never sit at home alone and watch TV, and I can’t golf in the winter,” says Bob.

Bob’s wife, Barb, suggested that he volunteer for the Bay Schools’ Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). Bob found this group fascinating. “Each year the school board would give us a useful project requiring us to do extensive research, collect data and present our findings to the board.” Bob volunteered on the CAC for three years and served as chairman for one year.

Oct. 1 brings in the new Kiwanis year and Westlake Kiwanis installed Kevin Walker as their president for 2020-2021 year. Doing the installation was Robert Clancy, former Division 14 Lt. Governor. Kevin takes over for outgoing President Ray Budoi.

Walker laid out his agenda for the coming Kiwanis year, hoping to connect with the local community and to continue to serve the children of Westlake. Please consider joining the Westlake Kiwanis to help serve the youth of Westlake.

St. Ladislas Knights of Columbus Council 16373 received multiple recognitions at Ohio’s Knights of Columbus and Supreme Convention earlier this year, among them the No. 1 ranking of Ohio’s Knights of Columbus councils.

"These awards are the result of a growing group of men who are truly putting their faith in action,” says Bud Tetzlaff, Council 16373 financial secretary. "In only our fifth year, and one of the smallest councils in Ohio, to earn Five Star Council and Number One in the State of Ohio is very, very special. Five Star Council was earned by less than 1% of over 17,000 councils worldwide."

The Community West Foundation board of directors approved $564,000 in third-quarter grants to nonprofit agencies that provide basic needs services to the community. The receiving organizations include:

• Building Hope in the City
• Cleveland Housing Network for the Water Champion Program
• Community Service Alliance
• Cornerstone of Hope
• Edna House for Women
• Front Steps 
• Joseph’s Home
• Koinonia Homes
• Malachi Center
• NAMI Greater Cleveland
• Scranton Road Ministries
• Second Harvest Food Bank
• The Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition (MHAAC)
• True Freedom Ministries
• Ursuline Piazza
• Youth Challenge

The mission of Community West Foundation is to advance the health and well being of our community. The staff and board of directors are guided by the words in Matthew 25:35-40: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and  you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

For more information, contact Community West Foundation at 440-360-7370 or visit communitywestfoundation.org.