Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls accepting Gems of the Valley nominations
The Fund for Women and Girls is a community-led fund at the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley.
The CFMV Fund for Women and Girls is now accepting nominations for the annual Gems of the Valley awards.
Nominations are being accepted now until Sept. 20, and honorees will be recognized at a dinner on Oct. 17 held at Drake’s Landing/Avion on the Water.
As one of the mainstay events organized by the Fund for Women and Girls, Gems of the Valley aims to highlight the work done by local women to improve their communities and support women around them – work that is often overlooked and under-celebrated.
Honorees will be chosen from the nominations by the Fund for Women and Girls Guiding Circle and those selected will have the chance to talk about their work and inspirations at the dinner on October 17.
Nomination forms and tickets can be found online or at the event page. There’s no price for admission.
The 2023 class of Gems were:
- Sustainable Youngstown activist and organizer Lynn Anderson
- Thrive 10:10 operations director Meghan DeGregory
- Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. housing program manager Jennifer Evans
- Outreach Quilt and Artist Guild founder and artist Allison Smith
- Mercy Health Resource Mothers manager Dee Traylor
“Gems of the Valley is one of our ways of showing women that everything they do for those around them is valued and appreciated,” says Samie Winick, the community engagement co-chair of the Fund for Women and Girls. “This recognition isn’t just about professional accolades or celebrating extraordinary volunteer work. Those things are certainly important, but it’s just as important to celebrate all the small ways women work to make their communities and the lives of those around them better.”
As a community-led fund, each shareholder in the Fund for Women and Girls has a say in how grants from the fund are awarded. For more information on the Fund for Women and Girls or to learn how to become a shareholder, visit the CFMV website.