Neighborhoods

World Relief Akron welcomes refugees into the community

syrianrefugees

Story by Lyndsey Schley

Volunteer Marissa Dove drove up to the North Hill house on a rainy morning. She volunteers with World Relief Akron, a local refugee agency, and had stopped to pick up a Bhutanese-Nepali family that had just arrived in the United States a few days prior.

The father, mother and two young boys were running late, like so many families with young kids. The youngest was crying. He had gotten sick overnight. They climbed into the SUV and Dove helped get him into the car seat. His mother rubbed his legs to comfort him as they drove downtown.

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January 20, 2017
Neighborhoods

Christmas for the Love of Children

kidswithgifts

OPEN M Ministry Spreads Christmas Cheer

Story by Aimee Juarez

 

As you may know, last week was our Christmas for the Love of Children food and gift distribution. In the days following the event, the entire staff here was beaming with Christmas spirit and joy. It seemed to touch each of us equally, but in different ways. For many of OPEN M staffers, the pure bewilderment of the parents and anticipation of each child’s excitement was the most impactful.

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December 22, 2016
Neighborhoods

Gary Wyatt shares his path of redemption, commitment and leadership

garywyattGary Wyatt,
Photo Courtesy of Leadership Akron

 

Story by Laura Ofobike – Courtesy of Leadership Akron Class ’12

 

Gary Wyatt has been on both sides of the addiction divide. Speaking to a Leadership on Main audience, the co-founder of North Hill Community House told a compelling story of personal redemption and commitment, and surprisingly to himself, leadership.

As a child, he saw his parents’ struggles with alcoholism and poverty. When he was a student and an athlete at Garfield High School, he did a “little alcohol and a little pot” now and then, he said, but never anything that got him into trouble. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school to see the world, served four years and returned to Akron in 1989.

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December 2, 2016