Summit County Children Services (SCCS) has announced that 50 local youth who leave foster care at age 18 will each receive a package of bus passes valued at $100 from Akron METRO Regional Transportation Authority, thanks to a partnership between METRO and the local Akron chapter of a service organization called Altrusa International, Inc., which specializes in meeting community needs.

A federal Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) grant of $2,500 recently awarded to METRO required a local matching grant. Altrusa member Paula Reese of Fairlawn, a Summit County Children Services volunteer and active member of the Summit County Youth Emancipation Task Force (formed to help youth emancipating from agency custody) secured the required matching funds from the Akron chapter of Altrusa, the Altrusa International Foundation and her former employer, Exxon Mobil, based on her volunteer involvement with the agency.

Altered Book Project, on display at Summit Artspace from June 17 through July 30, was the brainchild of Kent artist Claudia Berlinski. Altered books can be defined as books that have been recycled and repurposed creating works of art by gluing, painting, collaging, rubber stamping, cutting, tearing or embellishing. They represent expressions of self, experiments in creativity and personal journals.

“I first learned about altered books when researching collage techniques for a workshop I was teaching,” Berlinski said. “Not only did I want to recycle a book, I wanted to see if I could find one with content that could play a part in the concept of the artwork.”

Berlinski, a senior lecturer at The University of Akron’s Myers School of Art, recognized that many people have intimate relationships with books, whether it’s with the story, the look, the smell of an old edition or even the weight in their hands. Because of this she knew numerous artists would be anxious to create a special piece from a special book. Participating artists are: Bradley Hart, Cheryl Shepherd, Daniel Coffield, Emily Vigil, Ingrid Westberg, John Reddington, Mark Keffer, Tom Webb, Beth Lindenberger, Charles Beneke, Christopher Hoot, Donna Webb, Hui-Chu Ying, James Lenavitt, Kate Budd and M.M. Palmer.

Harvest Home women gather to make handbags for residency program

When Tracy Brown gets together with other women for the Lydia's Purse program, it brings her back to the days when she used to sew with her grandmother.

Brown, a resident of the Harvest Home women's shelter, meets with volunteers and others weekly to pore over patterns, thread and sewing machines to create handbags for the residency program, which is the women and children's division of Haven of Rest Ministries. And during this time, the line between homeless resident, volunteer and staff blur into a truly communal experience.

“We get to know each other; everybody’s not alone,” said Brown.

Neighbors who know one another better tend to build safer overall neighborhoods, according to the city of Akron, which encourages each area to promote their own event for the fifth annual Neighbors Day. The celebration takes place May 28, Memorial Day weekend, and centers around residents getting to know their neighbors better.

This year's theme is Living Together Better: 5 Years of Strengthening Neighborhoods. Once residents decide their preferred activity,  city officials encourage organizers to choose a location, adding they may want to host it on their porch, front yard or driveway. Neighbors Day Akron is designed to help residents get to know one another, especially those in closest proximity.

During an orientation earlier this month, 26 teams entered the newest Akron Film filmmaking contest: Missed Connections. Each team drew a Craigslist Missed Connections post from a hat. Each of these selected posts were actually from Craigslist users seeking individuals they met or noticed during a chance encounter in public. Each team was challenged to use that post as the basis for a five-minute movie, which they had two weeks to make.

Eleven teams completed the task, and the results will be shown in a free, public wrap-up event on April 28 at 6 p.m. at the Akron Art Museum. An independent panel of judges will determine the winner, and an audience vote will determine the runner-up, both of which will be announced later that evening. The winning team will receive $250, and their film will be screened again as part of the Akron Film Festival, taking place from Oct. 6 to 9 at the Akron Art Museum.

More information can be found at www.akronfilm.com.

Akron residents who have unused or expired prescription drugs will have the opportunity to safely dispose of them April 30. As part of Operation Medicine Cabinet, those who need to dispose of prescription drugs may visit the Metro Regional Transit Center in downtown Akron, as well as the Bath, Copley and Twinsburg police departments from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to participate in the confidential program.

No personal information will be collected, and residents are encouraged to remove all labels from the pill bottles, according to organizers.

With Mother’s and Father’s Day imminent, Crafty Mart returns with the Mom & Pop Shoppe, a market of handmade arts and crafts, April 30 at Musica in downtown Akron. The Mom & Pop Shoppe, which takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will save shoppers a trek to the mall while offering unique gift choices for mom, dad, grandparents or an upcoming graduate.

The one-day event features distinct gifts made by Akron-area residents. The handcrafted items include everything from aprons, bouquets, bowls and buttons to candies and cards.

The Akron Civic Theatre will become a 1920s speakeasy on May 13. Puttin’ on the Ritz, a themed 1920s party fundraiser, will feature moonshiners, gangsters, a casino gaming hall and attendees dressed for the occasion.

The party begins at 6:30 p.m. May 13 with appetizers and "hooch" as guests are entertained by the music of Helen Welch. Verb Ballets will perform a dance on the Grand Staircase, and the Keystone Cops plan to “bust the joint open."

At 8 p.m., Al Capone and his gang will escort everyone into the auditorium for a silent movie accompanied by the Civic's Wurlitzer organ. After a live auction, the stage will transform into a casino gaming hall, with entertainment by Jack Shawnz. Desserts and coffee will round out the night.

Modern healthcare is admittedly effective in combating sickness and disease. But is there merit to a painting or a piece of classical music to assist in a patient’s healing?

The Summa Health System thinks so. The organization founded the HealingArt program, in which visual, performing and literary arts assist the traditional methods of medicine, surgery and rehab to provide a well-rounded healing experience.

Physicians and researchers believe in the healing potential of the arts, said Brenda Cummins, director of community engagement for the Summa Foundation, who adds that visual art and music can alter the body’s cells and brainwaves, improving the immune system and blood flow. At its simplest, the arts can improve a person’s attitude and perception of the world, she said.

For more than 50 years, women with a vision have shaped the Akron Symphony Orchestra through the Akron Symphony Guild. Before it was the Akron Symphony Guild, it was the Akron Women’s Symphony Guild. Before that it was the GAMA (Greater Akron Musical Association) Women’s Committee.

Formed in 1952 to support a fledgling Akron Symphony Orchestra, the organization’s first project was a Viennese Ball to raise much-needed money as the new orchestra did not have any endowments. Almost 60 years later, the guild continues to support the now well-known Akron Symphony Orchestra. The guild’s projects range from presenting the premier fall fashion show Crescendo in the fall, to the long-popular summer Portage Lakes Home Tours, including the influential Children’s Concerts held all over Northeast Ohio in May.