Entrepreneurs turn former Buckeye Elks Lodge into haven for renewal

YOUNGSTOWN — Ohio Urban Renaissance, a non-profit organization in Youngstown, is revitalizing the former Buckeye Elks Lodge to provide services for city youth.

Founders Ryan Forney, 34, and Kevin Scott, 38, want the headquarters to pay homage to the Buckeye Elks Lodge BPOE-W and meet the needs of youth today while promoting the development of inner-city Youngstown.

Since the Buckeye Elks became inactive a few years ago, the national Elks Club organization gave the pair its blessing for the project.

"A lot of what we are doing is the reason why the [Elks organization] felt so good having us take over this building because we are carrying on where they left off,” Forney said.

"We don't want to step on the Elks name. We want to take what [They] started in 1973 and we want to bring that to the present,” Scott said.

The 421 North Ave. location is currently operating with a community room, basketball court and offices. A grand opening is set for spring 2020 after renovations are complete.

Forney and Scott have co-run Ohio Urban Renaissance since 2017 using assets from both of their careers.

Scott’s entrepreneurial background and four years of experience coaching basketball at East High School help him lead the non-profit along with Forney’s career as a teacher for Youngstown City School District. Forney is currently substitute teaching.

Forney said the first time he and Scott saw a need for more youth resources was during high school varsity basketball tryouts.

"The Youngstown City School District only had one high school. They had one basketball team,” he said. “So 15 kids get [on the team] and at least 80 or more kids aren’t doing anything during basketball season. So we came up with a program, Ball Is Life, where we took kids who wanted to be on a team with their friends who didn't know anybody and we put them on teams.”

Soon the non-profit expanded their one program, Ball Is Life, into five other programs, including:

• Ohio Urban Renaissance (O.U.R.) Reach mentorship program
• Initiative for College and Academics Now (I CAN) college preparatory program
• What Is Now, What Is Next (Win Win) post-secondary initiative
• How U Survive Through Life Everyday (H.US.T.L.E.) a job readiness and workforce development program
• Encouraging Fathers & Family On Responsibilities Today (E.F.F.O.R.T.) a fatherhood initiative program.

Ohio Urban Renaissance also has seven sporting leagues: MVSN Men's Basketball League, MVSN Youth Jr Basketball League, MVSN Adult Volleyball League, Ball Is Life: High School Youth Basketball League, MVSN Women's Basketball League, MVSN Co-Ed Adult Dodgeball or Don't League and MVSN Young Men's Division Basketball League.

Scott said these leagues give kids an opportunity to do something fun and productive after school.

"[They’re] not running the streets ... not out selling drugs, not going out getting shot, not out doing all these different things that are vying for [their] attention," Scott said. "[They] will be a little bit too tired for that."

Within these programs, participants are taught skills and given resources including educational guidance, driving lessons, exercise motivation, tutoring, financial literacy and job interview preparation.

According to Scott, many times adults don't reach out to teenagers because they don’t know how.

"... We're able to build a rapport and be relevant, you know. We're wearing some of the same clothes, listen to some of the same music, we're doing the same things ... we had an ability to bridge that gap right now. That's what we focus on,” Scott said.

Ohio Urban Renaissance works with a board of six members and various local organizations such as Youngstown Community Restorative Organization (YCRO) and Christ Dwelling Place Ministry.

The non-profit has its own set of standards and guidelines that, according to Scott, align with the National Mentoring Resource Center. The organization brings on volunteers who operate within those standards.

"It's one thing to get somebody in these volunteer hours. You know, it's another thing to get [someone who] is passionate about working with kids,” Scott said.

Forney said Ohio Urban Renaissance has received numerous grants from local organizations, including a recent $10,000 grant from the Youngstown Foundation.

In Scott’s opinion, having community support “is unbelievable.”

"That is a feeling that you can't even describe. Just to have that opportunity. Just to be like, somebody believes in [us] representing them,” Scott said. “The world doesn't seem like it works like that to me.”

This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 5:08 AM with the headline "Entrepreneurs turn former Buckeye Elks Lodge into haven for renewal."