The hours immediately following school can be the riskiest for inner-city children. But a new afterschool program in Northwest Akron offers a safe and productive place for these students, many of whom are at a vulnerable age for negative influences in their neighborhoods.

The iStrive initiative offers help with homework and a safe place for creativity and self-esteem to develop for children between the ages of 8 and 13.

Dewayne Wheeler is frustrated. A convicted felon who has paid his debt to society, Wheeler has fallen upon hard times, and all he really wants to do is find a job and earn an honest wage. However, he cannot find work and is homeless and depressed. Wheeler was able to vent some of his concerns to Deputy Mayor David Lieberth at a virtual town hall at the Akron-Summit County Public Library’s downtown main library on Wednesday.

A current resident at the Haven of Rest shelter, Wheeler has had problems navigating the system and said he feels alienated from the community. He said has had to panhandle and live on the street as merely a means to an end.

Elementary schools are filled with germs: Desks, cafeteria tables, bathroom sinks and playground equipment are all touched hundreds of times a day by illness-prone children. To help combat the spread of infection, the staff at one local elementary school took matters into their own hands. Nearly 50 fifth graders at Judith Resnik Elementary School had the opportunity to participate in “Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Scrub Those Little Stubs,” an interactive program that teaches kids how to properly wash their hands.

As northeast Ohioans experience yet another winter-driving season, safety is of the utmost importance. Drivers, especially those with small children, take every precaution to avoid accidents. But one area agency recognizes that not all drivers have the knowledge or the means to fully protect children, and it is working hard to change that. Summit County Safe Kids Coalition, one of 280 Safe Kids programs nationally, works with local agencies to protect children from preventable, unintentional injuries.

Do you know what your calling is? Every person on Earth has one – something unique, something only you were born to do. That’s your real job: to figure out what your calling is and begin to honor it.

The Pajama Program is a New York-based charity that was founded in 2001 by Genevieve Piturro. For Genevieve, realizing her passion took a little bit of soul searching. As a marketing executive and single woman in her 30s, she focused on climbing the corporate ladder. Then at age 38, she met her husband, and the pair started settling into a life together – but something was missing.