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The North Olmsted Junior Women’s Club has been serving the city and surrounding communities in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties for over 75 years.

The club was founded and orchestrated by Gerald Rankin in 1943, with their first meeting occurring on Aug. 8 of that year at a former golf club, Par Three Club House, according to Renee Kolesar, current president of the Junior Women’s Club.

Over its course of 75 years, the non-profit club has welcomed a number of women from Lorain and Cuyahoga counties to serve their fellow communities and be involved in order for each to grow, the 69-year-old Kolesar said.

“This diverse group of women is involved in many service projects, including the (current) Tim Tebow “Night to Shine” special prom, constructing Easter baskets/holiday gifts for hundreds of senior adults and children, support for high school after prom, (North Olmsted City Schools’) Education Foundation, Oxcart Food Pantry, Providence House, Twice Blessed Store, The Gathering Place and Trinity Church meals for the needy,” Kolesar said.

“As strong supporters of continuing education and lifelong learning, the Junior Women also provide scholarships each year to high school students and adult women for higher education expenses.”

Kolesar resides in the city and has been a member of the club for 15 years. This is her first time serving as the club’s president. She said the club currently has 41 members of all ages, though they must be 21 or older to join.

Members do not have to be North Olmsted residents.

“Most women join to support the community through volunteer work, meet new people and find new friendships,” Kolesar said. “I joined after my youngest child went to college since I had been very active volunteering in the school system while my children were in school.”

Kolesar said her favorite thing about being part of this club for so many years is the people she’s met.

She added she also loves the work they do to support charities and help people in need.

“We get so much good feedback from the groups we have supported,” she said. “It’s wonderful to know we have made a positive impact in our community. We recently received a proclamation from the Ohio Senate for our community service.

“(For example,) I personally felt so good when I was able to help someone shopping at the Twice Blessed Store (of Cleveland), when I drop off Easter baskets the group had assembled at the nursing home or when I make that phone call to tell a woman she had been chosen to receive a scholarship. We aren’t a big group and we don’t raise huge amounts of money, but I know that we have added happiness to people’s lives.”

Kolesar said while federal, state and local governments help those in need, there have been cutbacks in many government programs.

“Charitable community groups like (North Olmsted Junior Women’s Club) are a needed resource that can provide something extra for our citizens who are at a difficult point in their lives,” she said.

Karen Hirsh, 52, of North Olmsted, has been a member of the club for about two years.

Hirsh said she joined after moving to the area from Hudson once her youngest child began college at Kent State University.

She said was looking for a way to meet people in an area she was unfamiliar with.

“I was not aware of organizations or volunteer opportunities in the Hudson area like this,” Hirsh said. “It’s a great way to meet new people when you’re new to the area.”

Hirsh said one of her favorite things about the club is the volunteer opportunities.

“Sometimes as an individual, it can be difficult to find opportunities, but we have a committee in charge of this every year who do research and find opportunities,” she said. “It’s great to be with a group of people who volunteer. We do so much good in the community, from volunteering, to raising money for scholarships, to making monetary donations to other organizations. It’s a lot of work, but so worthwhile and rewarding.”

Molly Cotofan, 40, of North Olmsted, has been with the club for five years.

She and husband John Cotofan had moved to the city from Fairview Park in 2014 with their two children. She said she knew close to no one after coming to the area and found an advertisement to attend a Junior Women’s Club meeting.

After going to her first meeting to see what it was like, she ended up joining that night.

“It is such a welcoming group of women who give their time and energy to try to really make a difference in North Olmsted and surrounding communities,” Cotofan said. “The group allows me to grow as a person through creating new friendships and giving me an outlet in which to serve our community.”

Cotofan said in her five years as a member, she has many things she truly enjoys. One of her favorites is the Adult Women’s Scholarship the club offers.

The club raises money throughout the year and donates it to worthy causes, but she loves that they annually give out this scholarship.

“The scholarship goes to a non-traditional woman who is either already enrolled in a higher education program or wants to enter one,” Cotofan said. “We receive great applications and it is always a joy to hand this scholarship out.”

Cotofan said the group also has raised money to contribute to their local Kiwanis Club, for playground equipment for their schools, constructing Easter baskets for senior citizens who reside at the Joshua Tree and they have donated to North Olmsted’s School Garden.

“(The Junior Women’s Club) gives women the support they need to make positive changes in North Olmsted and surrounding communities,” Cotofan said. “We can identify issues and concerns on a smaller, local level and take steps to make an impact. North Olmsted is fortunate to have an organization such as (the club) to serve as bedrock for our community.”

Kolesar said the group raises money through three separate events in the year: a basket raffle in the early spring, usually held at Two Bucks in North Olmsted; a plant sale sponsored by Dean’s Greenhouse in Westlake; and selling Clague Playhouse tickets normally in late November.

She added the club recently donated $2,100 to the following organizations: A Night To Shine, Oxcart Food Pantry of North Olmsted, North Olmsted Senior Center, Cogswell Hall of Cleveland, North Olmsted Kiwanis, North Olmsted School Gardens, Dress for Success and the Ronald McDonald House.

When not serving communities, the group gets together for social activities outside of the club to enjoy themselves and celebrate their friendship, Kolesar said.

The club meets the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the North Olmsted Senior Center, 28114 Lorain Road

Saint Luke’s Foundation’s board of trustees approved about $4.4 million in grants to 25 organizations in the foundation’s third round of grants for 2018, the board announced Wednesday, Jan. 9.

The investments align with the foundation’s mission to achieve health equity by addressing social determinants of health such as educational attainment, financial stability, healthy eating and active living, safe and affordable housing, social connections and the strengthening of the neighborhoods surrounding the former Saint Luke’s hospital, according to a news release.

“We are so pleased with the overwhelming interest from organizations and critical partners spearheading efforts to address social determinants of health,” said Anne C. Goodman, Saint Luke’s Foundation president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “It is invigorating to see that there is growing recognition across the community that health is more than just the absence of disease and that there are myriad and complex factors that impact our ability to ensure health equity”.

According to the release, the grants are as follows:

• A one-year, $85,000 grant to City Year for “Whole School Whole Child” at Harvey Rice Wraparound and John Adams College and Career Academy
  A one-year, $150,000 grant to Esperanza for family engagement in education
• A one-year, $90,000 grant to Passages Connecting Fathers and Sons Inc. for Jobs for Dads and Moms
• A one-year, $60,000 grant to Towards Employment for general operating support
• A two-year, $92,000 grant to Enterprise Community Partners Inc. for lead-poisoning prevention
• A one-year, $50,000 grant to Family Promise for general operating support
• A two-year, $200,000 grant to Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity for Greater Buckeye Housing Rehab
• A five-year, $1 million grant to Legal Aid Society of Cleveland for The Campaign for Legal Aid
• A one-year, $90,000 grant to West Side Catholic for Center Zacchaeus Housing Solutions
• A one-year, $136,661.88 grant to Cuyahoga Metro Housing Authority for The Police Assisted Referral Program
• A two-year, $100,000 grant to ideastream for the “Homes” Project, lifting resident voices in partnership with Justin Glanville
• A two-year, $300,000 grant to Neighborhood Connections for Neighbor Up in Greater Buckeye and Mount Pleasant
• A one-year, $75,000 grant to Open Doors Academy for the Family Advocacy Program
• A five-year, $600,000 grant to Providence House for “Giving Hope for the PHuture” support for the Providence House East Side expansion, Buckeye Road
• A one-year, $126,000 grant to University Settlement for the Strengthening Families Program
• A one-year, $76,000 grant to West Side Community House for Wrap for Success
• A one-year, $50,000 grant to Cleveland Botanical Garden for Green Corps: Impacting Youth
• A one-year, $100,000 grant to Food Trust for the Food Access Raises Everyone (FARE) Project
• A one-year, $350,000 grant to Western Reserve Land Conservancy for Thriving Communities Institute Saint Luke’s Neighborhood Revitalization
• A two-year, $350,000 grant to Center for Community Solutions for general operating support
• A one-year, $25,000 grant to City Club of Cleveland for strategically aligned programming support
• A one-year, $55,000 grant to Business Volunteers Unlimited for Unlimited Capacity Building Services for Nonprofits
• A one-year, $100,000 grant to Care Alliance for general operating support
• A one-year, $125,000 grant to Neighborhood Family Practice for general operating support
• A two-year, $40,000 grant to Philanthropy Ohio for general operating support

Author: News 5 Staff, Homa Bash

CLEVELAND – The mother accused of killing her 5-year-old old son and burying his body in the backyard faced a judge for the first time Friday.

Jordan Rodriguez disappeared nearly three months ago but until this week, no one seemed to notice.

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Now, 34-year-old Larissa Rodriguez will be spending Christmas behind bars, charged with murder.

The medical examiner positively identified Jordan’s body on Friday and said the boy was buried in bags in the ground. Cause of death has not yet been determined.

Larissa was stone-faced as she faced a murder charge. Bond was set at $1 million. Her attorney argued that wasn’t fair.

“Since the state doesn’t have any indication really of what happened, we don’t even know if murder is the correct charge,” the attorney said.

Larissa has no prior criminal history.

The mother of nine has been held in police custody since Monday. The boy’s remains were found in her backyard Tuesday.

The prosecutor’s office is claiming she failed to get medical attention for her special needs son until his condition worsened.

“Even though it was readily apparent he needed medical attention,” the prosecutor said.

Records show Jordan died on Sept. 22. He had not been reported missing.

Larissa is expected to be back in court next Friday.

Most of her other children will be spending the holidays in foster care. She is currently pregnant with her 10th child.

There are many resources available for families in need of help across Cleveland.

One of them is the Providence House, a nonprofit emergency crisis nursery on the city’s west side.

The Providence House takes in children from newborn to 10-years-old while they work with parents who have come in voluntarily. It is a free service. The goal is to help before abuse or neglect can begin — and to keep families together, instead of children ending up in foster care.

“If they knew they could just get connected to different resources in the community, and ask for that help, would things have turned out differently?” said Kayla Naticchioni with Providence House.

How did Jordan’s disappearance go unnoticed for nearly three months? It is one of the many unanswered questions in this case.

According to the Cuyahoga County missing persons database, there are currently 253 people missing in the county. Thirty four of those people are listed as “unidentified remains.”

According to Cleveland Police’s database, there are roughly 100 missing persons cases open.

There is also the tragic case of a 4-year-old boy whose bones were discovered in a bag on Longmead Ave. in September. Investigators have not been able to find anyone reported missing matching his description in state or national databases.

AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The FirstEnergy Foundation has presented surprise Gifts of the Season of $1,000 each to 40 non-profit agencies working to make lives better in Ohio communities where FirstEnergy has utilities or power plants.

“We’re pleased to provide this surprise support to so many agencies throughout Ohio, particularly during the holidays, when the services they provide to the least fortunate are often most vital,” said Dee Lowery, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. “The winners were chosen secretly by FirstEnergy employees, who identified organizations in their areas that do extraordinary work to make our communities better. Our goal was to focus on programs that enhance children’s services, or provide additional support for organizations facing a critical need during the holiday season.”

Recipients in Ohio Edison’s service area are:

• El Centro, Lorain – Provides mental health and other social services to Hispanic families.
• Hattie Larlham, Mantua – Enhances quality of life for people with disabilities and their families.
• Hearts for Music, Mantua – Provides those with special needs the opportunity to create and perform music.
• Inspiring Minds, Warren – Engages and inspires youth to expand their potential through education and life-changing experiences.
• Nehemiah Partners of Sandusky, Sandusky – Empowers and educates children to reach their God-given potential through Christian programming.
• Nord Center, Lorain – Provides culturally competent and evidence-based behavioral healthcare services.
• North End Community Improvement Collaborative, Mansfield – Connects residents of north Mansfield with local services and advances economic development.
• On-The-Rise, Springfield – Serves at-risk youth suffering from family, social educational or behavioral issues.
• Renaissance Performing Arts Association, Mansfield – Presents and produces live performances and symphonic music to enhance quality of life.
• Rocking Horse Community Health Center, Springfield – Offers facilities where residents can improve their physical, emotional and mental health.
• The Purple Cat, Youngstown – Provides day programming alternatives for adults with special needs.
• Turning Point, Marion – Provides counselling, shelter and other support to victims of domestic abuse.

Recipients in The Illuminating Company’s Service area are:

• The Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation, Cleveland – Offers programming and resources for professional development leadership, coaching and mentoring.
• Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County, Ashtabula – Provides food and gifts to the poor, homebound and disabled this holiday season.
• Geauga Faith Rescue Mission, Chardon – Offers services for the homeless of Geauga County.
• Karamu House, Cleveland – The nation’s oldest African-American performing arts theater offers academic programming and economic development opportunities.
• Open Doors Academy, Cleveland – Offers educational support systems for at-risk middle and high school students to break the cycle of poverty.
• Greater Cleveland Youth for Christ, Cleveland – Embraces youth of all backgrounds who may be engaging in at-risk behaviors to help them make better life choices.
• Ronald McDonald House, Cleveland – Allows families to stay together during their children’s health care, which promotes better outcomes and better healing.
• Senior Transportation Connection, Cleveland – Serves those with mobility or other age-related difficulties with transportation across Cuyahoga County.
• DDC Clinic – Center for Special Needs Children, Middlefield – Supports those with special needs with medical research and affordable care.
• The Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum, Ashtabula – Celebrates Ashtabula County’s civil rights history through programs and curated exhibits that are accessible for all.
• Providence House, Cleveland – Builds safer communities by addressing the cycle of abuse and strengthening neighborhoods and families.
• Prevent Blindness, Northeast Ohio Chapter, Cleveland – Offers early detection of possible vision problems through screening and provides education to the community to prevent blindness.

Recipients in Toledo Edison’s service area are:

• Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg – Provides compassionate end-of-life care for terminally ill patients.
• Cherry Street Mission Ministries, Toledo – Provides meals, shelter and spiritual programs for the poor and homeless.
• Four County Family Center, Four County ADAMH’s Board, Toledo – Provides counselling, home care, outreach, advocacy and prevention education for families in the four-county area.
• Lott Industries, Toledo – Serves individuals with developmental disabilities with educational and vocational training services.
• Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, Toledo – Obtains and distributes food to the needy in eight northwestern Ohio counties.
• Prevent Blindness Northwest Ohio, Toledo – Provides vision screenings, eye health and safety programs and other services to help prevent blindness.
• Bittersweet Farms, Whitehouse – Works to positively impact the lives of those with autism and those whose lives they touch.
• Camp Courageous, Whitehouse – Provides outdoor educational experiences, education, advocacy and support to enrich the lives of people with developmental disabilities.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio, Toledo – Enriches the lives of children with medical issues by providing comfort, care and support for their families.
• YMCA of Greater Toledo, Toledo – Builds strong communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility programs.
• Hayes Presidential Library & Museum, Fremont – Enriches lives through historical preservation of the President Rutherford B. Hayes home and museum.
• SeaGate Foodbank, Toledo – Provides food and other services free-of-charge to those in need.

Recipients near the W.H. Sammis Plant in Stratton, Ohio, include:

• YWCA Steubenville, Steubenville – Offers programs for women that promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
• Ohio Valley Health Center, Steubenville – Provides health care services to all in the region, regardless of their ability to pay.
• A Caring Place Child Advocacy Center, Wintersville – Serves abused and neglected children and their families with prevention programs and medical care, free of charge.
• ALIVE Shelter, Steubenville – Offers emergency shelter, a 24-hour hotline and other services to those victimized by domestic violence and their children.

These gifts are part of the FirstEnergy Foundation’s “Gifts of the Season” campaign, which includes a total of 132 $1,000gifts given to 132 non-profits across the company’s six-state service area and in communities where the company does business.

Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison are subsidiaries of FirstEnergy Corp. The W.H. Sammis Plant is owned by FirstEnergy Generation, LLC., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy.

The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and provides support to non-profit, tax-exempt health and human services agencies; educational organizations; cultural and arts programs and institutions; and civic groups in areas served by FirstEnergy’s 10 electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business.

Author: Patrick Maks

CLEVELAND — Kevin Zeitler wasn’t even halfway into the Browns’ season opener against Pittsburgh when he suffered a thumb injury so significant that the right guard needed surgery hours after the game.

But Zeitler, who came to Cleveland last spring in free agency after four seasons with the Bengals, played the next week in Baltimore and has yet to miss a snap this season.

Widely viewed as one of the NFL’s best right guards, he joined the Browns as a building block amid a comprehensive reshaping. So there was no way, Zeitler said, he was going to miss a play.

“We’re in the facility every day working hard, you don’t want to let anyone down,” he said. “You want to be out there playing with your teammates and doing whatever you can to help your team win. You don’t think about, you kind of just like ‘OK, let’s go, let’s do it.’”

For that, Zeitler was voted by his teammates to receive the 2017 Ed Block Courage Award, which is given annually to a member of each of the 32 NFL teams who exemplifies the qualities of Ed Block, the former head athletic trainer of the Baltimore Colts, based on courage, compassion, commitment and community.

Zeitler shrugged off the honor and pointed to teammates such as left guard Joel Bitonio, who has bounced back from a 2016 foot surgery.

“I was surprised. I guess in my mind, yes, I hurt my thumb and needed surgery and all that but there’s so many other guys who have gone through things that I would consider worse,” he said. “I’m honored but I was surprised.”

Zeitler, who has started 71 of 72 games in Cincinnati, has started all 12 games for the Browns this season and been an important veteran presence on a team that lost Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas to a season-ending triceps injury earlier this year.

“Kevin is an exceptional leader on our team through the example he provides his teammates of consistently doing things the right way with his consummate professionalism, steady demeanor and dedication to his craft,” coach Hue Jackson said. “Kevin will and has done everything in his power to be on the field battling alongside his teammates, and we are fortunate to have someone of his caliber represent the Browns both on and off the field.”

To be sure, Zeitler, a former first-round pick out of Wisconsin, said playing through his thumb injury was a new and challenging experience.

“I’ve never needed surgery before in my life. I’ve never not been able to use my hand before and, obviously as an offensive lineman, hands are a pretty big deal,” he said.

“I think the biggest thing was I didn’t have too much time to think about it, we had to get it done and then it was game day right away again. I think kind of not thinking about it helped and you just go out there and make it work.”

Zeitler was presented the award at the Providence House Annual Deck the House Benefit Auction at FirstEnergy Stadium, where Annie and Joe Thomas served as honorary co-chairs for the event. Providence House, which fights to end child abuse and neglect by protecting at-risk children, empowering families in crisis and building safe communities for every child, has been the Cleveland Browns Courage House for Children since 1999.

“The Providence House is a great organization I’ve been involved with for a long time here, they do a great job of offering resources to babies and others in certain situations where a mother’s been taken away from her baby or vice versa and it provides excellent resources,” Thomas said.

The Providence House cares for roughly 400 children from the Greater Cleveland area, is privately funded and, as such, Tuesday night’s fundraiser is key in supporting the organization’s mission.

“Tonight’s event Deck the House is our No. 1 fundraiser, we’re entirely privately funded so it’s huge. But what’s really cool for us is how our mission and the focus of the Cleveland Browns come together,” said Providence House CEO & President Natalie Leek-Nelson.

“Year over year, we come together and watch it get bigger and better every year … Everyone rallying around our community’s kids is incredible and tonight is a huge fundraiser for us, but I also think it’s a huge message to the community that our organization and this team are here for our kids.”

Author: WKYC Staff

CLEVELAND — The community is joining together again to lend a hand toward a good cause.

WTAM 1100 is hosting a “Stuff the Truck” charity drive for Providence House Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

CLICK HERE to see the Providence House wish list.

Donations can be made at WTAM’s studios at 6200 Oak Tree Blvd. in Independence.

According to their Web site, Providence House protects at-risk children and supports families through crisis, strengthening communities to end child abuse and neglect.

Author: Marc Bona, cleveland.com