LEADER LUNCH BREAK ARCHIVE

Lisa spotlighted The Superhero Project, a nonprofit empowering youth facing illness, disability, and life challenges. Through personalized interviews focused on the child’s interest, and custom superhero art by over 800 artists, the project has supported more than 1,800 children worldwide— boosting confidence and resilience.

Lisa emphasized the importance of trust, inclusion, and representational justice, through work created by and for children of color. She emphasized that talking about kids’ interests builds trust and helps them open up to share their stories.

She also introduced Heroes Within, a new initiative supporting LGBTQ youth with mental health challenges. Lisa encouraged attendees to get involved through volunteering, fundraising, and advocacy, noting the vital role of grants and donations.

Tania provided an overview of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and its efforts to strengthen community development in Cleveland, particularly through collaboration with community development corporations (CDCs). She highlighted the challenges faced by CDCs due to the foreclosure crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for flexible funding and technical assistance to help them operate effectively. Tania advocated for the inclusion of CDCs in the City of Cleveland’s general fund budget, stressing the importance of transparency in funding processes and the necessity for CDCs to self-advocate.

She introduced the Middle Neighborhoods Initiative, aimed at revitalizing stable neighborhoods, and encouraged community support for legislative changes to secure funding. Tania also suggested promoting the Collinwood neighborhood to foster local pride and engagement.

Bob discussed the critical role of literacy in addressing social issues such as poverty and food insecurity and emphasized that literacy is foundational for educational attainment and income levels. Bob highlighted alarming statistics regarding early learning, including the 30 million word gap between children from affluent and low-income families, and the fact that two-thirds of children in Cuyahoga County are not fully prepared for kindergarten. He discussed shared the negative impact of poor reading skills on future academic success and stressed the importance of early language exposure.

Bill recounted his journey with the Cleveland Leadership Center which began with being a Leadership Cleveland 2010 class member. His involvement extended through service on the CLC Investment Committee to help with the initial planning for an endowment fund, which lead to a position on the Board of Trustees and ultimately his role as Board Chair. He noted the extra year he served as Board Chair to provide consistency in leadership as the organization faced it’s first President & CEO transition in 14 years.

Bill highlighted the breadth of CLC’s programs and offerings. He also announced the approval of Vision 2035 and a three-year strategic plan aimed at reinforcing the organization’s core purpose, and emphasized the importance of collaboration among Northeast Ohio organizations to address community issues. He also discussed the need for succession planning and maintaining strong relationships with funders amid leadership transitions, and touched on what’s on tap for him going forward.

Sherri discussed the intersection of permanent supportive housing, mental health, and homelessness in Ohio, and highlighted that approximately 30% of chronically homeless individuals struggle with both mental health and substance use disorders. Front Steps has evolved into a behavioral health organization that prioritizes individualized, integrated services to improve recovery and quality of life. Sherri emphasized the Housing First model, which provides safe, affordable housing without preconditions, and introduced a new facility designed to offer on-site services to residents.

Marilee discussed MetroHealth Institute for H.O.P.E.’s Viasana project, which aims to address health disparities in at-risk communities, particularly in the Clark Fulton neighborhood. She highlighted the challenges of unaffordable housing and low internet access, stressing the importance of data collection and community partnerships for effective health interventions. The Viasana project, a 72-unit mixed-income affordable housing initiative developed in collaboration with NRP Group, is designed for residents earning at or below 60% of the area median income.