Since 2020, News 5 has been committed to sharing the stories of the people working hard to make Northeast Ohio "A Better Land." We’ve covered over 100 agents for change. In this first post recognizing the awesome sum of their contributions, we're recognizing 50 individuals and groups. We will highlight more of these individuals in future lists.
1. Nicole Ward
From the tragedy of losing her husband, Paul Ward II, Nicole Ward, mother of Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, created the Make Them Know Your Name Foundation with her sons Denzel and Paul Ward III—dedicated to helping prevent heart-related fatalities.
RELATED: Nicole Ward, mother of Denzel Ward, works with her sons to save lives after a loss of their own
2. Yvonne Pointer
Yvonne Pointer is an advocate, community activist, public speaker and author. She also founded Positive Plus, a support group for women who have lost children through violence.
RELATED:Cleveland woman turns grief of losing her daughter into campaign to give back to others
3. Antwoine Washington
Antwoine Washington is making a difference with his art. Washington is one of many artists who have covered utility boxes on Cleveland’s East Side with art.
4. Liz Ferro
Since 2009, Liz Ferro has dedicated her time to empowering and uplifting girls who have experienced abuse. She does this through her nonprofit “Girls with Sole," which teaches that the hardest things in life can be overcome.
RELATED:Nonprofit 'Girls with Sole' empowers and uplifts NE Ohio girls who have experienced abuse
5. Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance
The Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance has made efforts to curb street violence by offering youth in Cleveland outreach workers, mediation, gang intervention, violence prevention and family services.
RELATED: Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance works to turn lives of at-risk children around
6. Yolanda Ramos
Yolanda Ramos created SEEDS: Support, Empower, Engage, Develop and Sustain, a 36-week course that empowers women by giving them the tools and techniques for better self-care.
RELATED: Cleveland chef cooks up recipe to empower women
7. Star Ingram
We highlighted Star Ingram, a woman who became a first-time homeowner after being homeless. Star and her three children have a home to call their own thanks to the City Mission’s homeownership program New Horizons.
8. Carol Malone
Carol Malone began her podcast Neighbor Up Spotlight after sitting on the grant-making committee on Neighborhood Connections and hearing interesting proposals. The podcast introduces people who are creating positive change in their communities.
RELATED: Podcast highlights efforts to build a better land in Northeast Ohio(video)
9. Sheila Locatelli
Sheila Locatelli started Women of Hope, a faith-based nonprofit that helps women transition from the military, incarceration, domestic violence and trauma, after realizing that women needed the reminder that there a better way.
10. Yvonka Hall
Yvonka Hall used her organization, Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, to provide meals for families lacking transportation or physically unable to leave their homes.
RELATED: Woman assembles team to distribute 70,000 meals for Cleveland families in need
11. Twelve Literary Arts
Twelve Literary Arts is a non-profit that helps to boost the confidence of young artists of color through performance poetry, allowing them to “share their truth and share their story.” It is "giving people a voice who didn't think they had one in their communities," said Youth Programs Coordinator Mary Barrett.
RELATED: Presidential inauguration puts poetry and Cleveland youth program in the spotlight
12. Dr. Alicia Malone
Akron native Dr. Alicia Malone founded Bondage Breakers to give recently released prisoners the tools they need to re-acclimate to the world around them.
RELATED: Akron woman helps ex-offenders start over from square one despite stigma
13. 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland
100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland created Walk a Mile with a Child to take children from the Greater Cleveland area through some of Northeast Ohio’s most beautiful parks while learning about life and the environment.
RELATED: Walk a Mile with a Child giving guidance to young boys in Cleveland
14. Delaney Jones
Case Western Reserve University graduate Delaney Jones created Know Your Neighbors, an outreach program to integrate students with the communities surrounding the campus.
15. Spark Theatre 4 Youth
Spark Theatre 4 Youth program teaches students about theater. When the pandemic hit, their classes turned virtual and became free for Elyria students thanks to a pandemic grant provided by the city.
RELATED: Youth theater program provides free services for Elyria students thanks to pandemic grant
16. Tony Correa
Tony Correa founded the B. Riley Sober House, specifically geared towards the LGBTQ community as a safe space and a refuge for those dealing with mental health, homelessness and addiction. It can connect them with help like case management and peer support services.
17. Sweet Dreams for Kids
More than two dozen teens from Orrville High School took a break from planting trees in their conservation of parks class to build beds for children in Wayne County through the program Sweet Dreams for Kids.
RELATED: Orrville students launch program to make beds for children who don't have one
18. John Dijulius
John Dijulius created the nonprofit Believe in Dreams to fulfill the aspirations of economically disadvantaged youth who have survived life-changing trauma.
RELATED: Family creates nonprofit to help others overcome hardships
19. The Woodhill Community Co-op
The ultimate goal of the Woodhill Community Co-op is to open a community laundry mat in the Woodhill neighborhood to solve a very present issue - lack of access to a washer and dryer. The co-op provides residents with transportation, laundry detergent and funds to wash clothes at a nearby laundry mat.
RELATED: A group of Clevelanders works to get community-owned laundromat built
20. Susie Barragate
Susie Barragate is the CEO and president of Vocational Guidance Services, an organization that connects individuals with disabilities and employers.
21. Rosa Beltre
Rosa Beltre is the executive director of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. It’s a federal coalition that advocates for survivors of sexual assault.
22. Hank Davis
After serving 12 years in prison for gang-related crimes, Hank Davis founded ICONS, a youth advocacy, mentoring and life coaching organization in 2002.
RELATED: 'An idle mind is a devil's playground': A Cleveland man's mission to keep CMSD students on track
23. Yolanda Green
Yolanda Green founded Mommy and Me Too to be a safe haven for drug-addicted mothers and their children on their journey to recovery and healing. The seven homes she manages provide a safe place for long-term recovery.
RELATED: Mommy and Me Too helps Cleveland mothers recover from addiction in a safe place with their children
24. Jan Thorpe
To address the issue of homelessness in Cleveland, Jan Thorpe created Inner Visions of Cleveland to discover people with a vision and passion for changing the community and then provide them with support.
RELATED: How a Shaker Heights woman created a new way to address poverty in Cleveland
25. DeLores Pressley
DeLores Pressley created She Elevates, a four-week summer academy for girls 8 to 14 that teaches them how to be “girl bosses,” giving girls the confidence that can shape their entire life, creating a program to teach a variety of business and life skills while fostering the entrepreneurial spirit.
RELATED: Virtual summer academy 'She Elevates' teaching girls aged 8-14 how to be their own bosses
26. Michael Oatman
Michael Oatman created Oatman’s Hand Made Films to give women of color the chance to tap into their creativity by calling the shots behind the camera.
RELATED:Lights, camera, adversity: New film co-op breaking down barriers in movie making
27. Paula Price
Paula Price started “100 Youth That Care” in 2019. It is a nonprofit organization where youth can help people in their community by spreading love and kindness.
28. Maiharriese Wooden
Maiharriese Wooden created Blessing Boxes, an anonymous food pantry that addresses food insecurity in her community. The boxes are set up all around Stark County, and they’re filled with non-perishable food items, household items, and personal hygiene products for people to take free of charge.
29. Doc Harrill
Doc Harrill launched the Refresh Collective to make it easier for young people to express their emotions through writing, recording and performing music.
30. Sharon Johnson
Sharon Johnson, founder of “Never Give Up, Never Quit,” a faith-based nonprofit, has been committing random acts of kindness for over 30 years across Northeast Ohio. Her team of volunteers goes to community shelters, food pantries and low-income areas to hand out bus passes, grocery store gift cards, health food and snacks.
RELATED: How one woman with a van is changing lives in Northeast Ohio
31. Betty Smith
Betty Smith co-founded the En-Rich-Ment program at 72 in the midst of her retirement to help underprivileged children in Stark County between the ages of 5-18 get the hands-on experience in the arts they often crave—for free.
RELATED: Retired social worker provides students with free training in the fine arts
32. James Ringfield
James Ringfield created Believers Achieve Dreams summer camp to provide kids in Northeast Ohio the opportunity to let loose, live their best lives and just be a kid.
RELATED: 'Believers Achieve Dreams' gives kids in Cleveland a chance to be kids through new experiences
33. Joel Daniel Harris
Joel Daniel Harris is the Executive Director of TomTod Ideas, the non-profit behind “Camp What If,” a week-long summer program that challenges kids in 6th to 8th grades to think about ways to improve their communities.
RELATED: Akron summer camp puts middle schoolers in the middle of solving community problem
34. Sister Mary Eileen Boyle
Sister Mary Eileen Boyle started Esperanza Threads, located in Gordon Square on Cleveland’s West Side, to train the underemployed on how to sew and thrive in the Cleveland garment industry.
RELATED: Nonprofit Esperanza Threads helping refugees and immigrants stitch together their American dream
35. David Ramsey
David Ramsey, founder of Deep Roots Experience Art Gallery in the Fairfax neighborhood, showcases the work of artists of color while his four-week summer program teaches young artists how to refine their skills in order to make a profit.
RELATED: Cleveland 'Deep Root Experience' teaches kids about art, how to make a profit
36. Alisha Jones
After losing her daughter Courtney to leukemia-lymphoma cancer, Alisha Jones created the Courtney Jones Care and Cure Foundation to help other families affected by pediatric cancer.
RELATED: A daughter's last wish and a mother's promise bring support to children affected by pediatric cancer
37. Calvin Love
Army veteran Calvin Love created the Little Giants fitness center, the only gym in the state that targets children between 6-17 to help them achieve their fitness goals while combating childhood obesity.
RELATED: Army veteran combats childhood obesity by creating a gym for youth
38. Jerry Mitchell
Childhood trauma and a dad that left out of nowhere motivated Jerry Mitchell's creation of The Joshua and Caleb Leadership Center, a faith-based organization providing support and hope to at-risk youth without father figures.
RELATED: Cleveland pastor is making sure children without father figures are not left behind
39. Mary Berigan
Mary Berigan is the co-founder of the Blessing House, a nonprofit in Lorain County. It is a crisis care facility providing a safe and loving space for children who need to be separated from their parents.
RELATED: Children in crisis find love, safety, and a second chance at Elyria nonprofit
40. El Jay'Em
El Jay'Em founded Speakezie-Go Hard after losing her childhood friend to gun violence. The organization hosts gatherings to help people target their trauma and heal from it through poetry, rap, visual arts and other forms of art therapy.
41. Meltrice Sharp and LaRese Purnell
Meltrice Sharp and LaRese Purnell created CLE Consulting to help the Black community understand their money and boost their wealth.
RELATED: Dress for Success Cleveland: Dynamic duo works to teach financial literacy
42. Yolanda Armstrong
The Friendly Inn Settlement was founded in 1874 by the Women’s Temperance Union League to provide social services for families in need. The organization's impact is still felt today under the leadership of its president and CEO, Yolanda Armstrong.
RELATED: The Friendly Inn continues to be a helping hand for families nearly 150 years later
43. LaTasha Watts
LaTasha Watts exited the foster care system at the age of 18, jobless and homeless. Now, she is the founder of The Purple Project, a nonprofit that assists kids who are in the foster care system and those who have transitioned out of foster care with services like housing, food, shelter and clothing.
RELATED: She spent her life in foster care. Now she's helping others who 'age out' of the system
44. Joseph Gates
Joseph Gates, or “Mr. G” as he’s known around West Park Academy, went from cleaning the building as the custodian to building up the confidence and self-esteem of students there through his after-school program “ROAD,” short for “Reaching Out and Dancing.”
RELATED: School custodian starts after-school dance program that helps students thrive
45. Britiny Hubbard
Britiny Hubbard is the program coordinator for Summer Sprout, a program that supports and promotes community gardens by providing soil testing, seeds, starter plants, soil amendments, tilling services, raised bed materials, educational outreach, and support to participating gardens.
RELATED: Summer Sprout gardening program turns urban planters from rookies to green thumbs
46. Ilana Hoffer Skoff
Executive Director Ilana Hoffer Skoff co-founded the nonprofit Milestones Autism Resources after her own daughter was diagnosed with autism. The organization has compiled a mountain of resources and referrals to help families learn and navigate life on the spectrum.
RELATED: Northeast Ohio-based non-profit helps families navigate autism nationwide
47. Kathy Strancar
There is a safe haven in Lake County that's rebuilding lives that were broken by trauma and abuse. Forbes House, the only domestic violence shelter in Lake County, provides shelter, legal advocacy, support groups, prevention and outreach, and aftercare for clients who move on from the shelter.
RELATED: Forbes House is a safe haven for victims of domestic violence
48. Arthur K. Panfil
Arthur K. Panfil, through the non-profit he started, “Cast it Forward,” provides cost-free walleye excursions for those who might not otherwise get the chance.
RELATED: 'Cast it Forward' provides fishing opportunities for those who might not otherwise have the chance
49. Brian Schaffran
Brian Schaffran is the “head coach” of the nonprofit Motogo, a program being offered at several Northeast Ohio schools. Its mission is to teach kids and young adults vital problem-solving skills through motorcycles and foster confidence and self-reliance in the process.
RELATED: Reimagined shop class teaches vital STEM, life skills through hands-on learning
50. Ashley McDonald
Ashley McDonald is taking her pain from losing her son, Houston, and providing hope for parents who unexpectedly find themselves in a neonatal intensive care unit. Her nonprofit, Houston's Lift Off, provides care packages for families staying in Canton’s Aultman Hospital's NICU.
RELATED: Northeast Ohio mom turns heartache from loss into lasting mission to help NICU families
This story is part of A Better Land, an ongoing series that investigates Northeast Ohio's deep-seated systemic problems. Additionally, it puts a spotlight on the community heroes fighting for positive change in Cleveland and throughout the region. If you have an idea for A Better Land story, tell us here.
