United Way of Lake County’s Youth United Way Students Allocate $5,000 in Grants Today 

Mentor, OH (November 15, 2023) –United Way of Lake County’s (UWLC) fall Youth United Way (YUW) program culminated the morning of November 15, 2023, with the awarding of $5,000 in grants to local non-profits by the students.

The organization also ran the program this past February through April with a different set of students. The program typically runs in the early part of the year, but has been moved to the fall, explaining why two programs ran this year instead of just one. Moving forward, the program will run each fall. 

YUW is an annual youth directed initiative run by UWLC’s Emerging Leaders, who work to instill positive behaviors among Lake County’s youth to create tomorrow’s leaders. Thirteen students, grades 9 through 12, graduated from this year’s class. The students were from Harvey High School, Riverside High School, and Willoughby South High School. 

The program not only highlights the many needs residents of our community face, it also highlights available services while fostering a sense of social responsibility and encouraging active participation in meeting those needs.

According to Emerging Leaders member Lindsay Defeo, owner of Leolo Hospitality, who led the program this year, “This experience serves as a catalyst for positive change, inspiring young individuals to become advocates for community service and outreach.”

Six three-hour program sessions were held beginning September 13, 2023, through the students’ graduation on November 15, 2023.

The objective included teaching students to develop and nurture leadership skills through teamwork, problem solving, and concession. During the length of the program, students also visited local nonprofit agencies where they learned about the services they provide and the clients each serve. 

The students had the opportunity to visit with many UWLC agency partners over the course of the program. Those they visited on-site and toured included Birthright, Forbes House, the Lake County Free Clinic, Project Hope for the Homeless, and The Salvation Army. They also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Crossroads Health, the Lake County YMCA, Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers, Lifeline, NAMI Lake County, and Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance.

“We are proud to offer a program that contributes to the students’ understanding of social issues, and even more proud of the students who chose to participate. It is our hope that this dynamic group walks away with a sense of responsibility and compassion that fosters their growth as individuals and potential community leaders,” said UWLC President and CEO Dione DeMitro.

On their final day of class, the students of YUW were tasked with making the difficult decision of who to award grants to and the dollar amount each would receive as part of the program’s mission. The below funds were allocated by the students:

•    Crossroads Health, Ohio Early Intervention program $1,500
•    Forbes House, Christmas Presents for Kids at the Shelter $1,500
•    NAMI Lake County, End the Silence program $2,000

Janel Montgomery, a junior from Harvey High School shared that the biggest challenge they faced was deciding which nonprofits to award funds to due to the many needs that exist in the community. In the end all were happy and in agreement with their decision.