Youngstown Action Center

06/06/2026

Today our Mahoning Valley Pride Greeters will be at the New Castle Pride in the Park!

We are now offering Pride Pickles for a $1 donation to the Youngstown Action Center

Pickles have an awesome source of electrolytes for helping you stay hydrated in the heat! Stop by and say hello and grab a Pride Pickle!

06/04/2026

Due to the interest we had after the beautiful Greater Mahoning Valley LGBTQ Community Needs Assessment event, we are hosting a BONUS Greeter training!

Community Pride Greeters are a great way to get involved in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, and gain a bunch of useful skills, including:

De-escalation
Non-biased observation
Traffic management
Soft skills for greeting
Non-aggressive tactics to deal with bigotry and hate

Please sign up and help us continue the work we started in 2023!

https://forms.gle/md1GQVE4McF6bhy17

05/29/2026

Sign the data center petition at Climb Youngstown tomorrow (Saturday May 30th) from 3-5!

Pictured: Kilroy riding a bull at our last petition event

05/29/2026

We were ecstatic to attend this event and we are proud of our community members that put in the work with the community needs assessment survey!

The results of a Greater Mahoning Valley LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment were the topic of conversation Thursday evening at the Butler Institute of American Art.

05/28/2026

Today is the day!

As we prepare to gather tonight for the launch of the Greater Mahoning Valley LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment: Launch Event, we want to recognize the incredible leadership and partnership of YSUnity and the student leaders at Youngstown State University who helped support and shape this event.

Today’s feature highlights Samantha Dickey, President of YSUnity, whose leadership, advocacy, and commitment to building inclusive community spaces has helped strengthen LGBTQIA+ visibility and belonging both on and off campus.

Sam is pursuing a degree in Intervention Specialist and Social Studies Education at Youngstown State University and has spent the last several years deeply involved in community organizing, activism, and volunteerism throughout the Mahoning Valley. From organizing campus protests and volunteering at Pride events to serving on the board of the Youngstown Action Center, Samantha has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring people feel safe, supported, and valued in their communities.

Under Samantha’s leadership, YSUnity continues to create welcoming and affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ students while fostering connection, education, and unity across campus and throughout the region.

We are deeply grateful to Sam, YSUnity, and all of the students who contributed their time, energy, and leadership to this project and tonight’s event.

📍 Butler Institute of American Art
📅 Tonight — Thursday, May 28, 2026
🕠 Welcome Reception begins at 5:30 p.m.

We have now issued tickets to our capacity, however there will be standing room - so please join us if you would like.

05/28/2026

1 day away! We’re proud to highlight Damien “DJ” DiVincenzo as one of the featured speakers at the Greater Mahoning Valley LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment: Launch Event event tomorrow evening at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown.

DJ is the Founder and Executive Director of Rae’s Safe Haven, an organization dedicated to creating inclusive, affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals and other marginalized communities. As a Licensed Social Worker, ordained minister, and community advocate, DJ has built his work around the belief that everyone deserves safety, dignity, support, and connection.

Founded in 2025, Rae’s Safe Haven was created to address systemic barriers related to housing, healthcare, mental health, and substance use support. Through both advocacy and direct community care, DJ continues working to build spaces where people are fully seen, valued, and affirmed.

In addition to his leadership and advocacy work, DJ also provides identity-affirming ceremonies and community celebrations that honor people authentically and compassionately.

We’re excited to have DJ helping represent conversations around recreation, leisure, belonging, and community connection as we release the findings of the Greater Mahoning Valley LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment.

We still have room to join us! Registration requested: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-mahoning-valley-lgbtq-community-needs-assessment-launch-event-tickets-1985142971065?aff=oddtdtcreator

05/23/2026

We still have open slots available for this training coming up! This is a great program that is super helpful to the community and a wonderful way to get more involved and be a smiling face at this years Pride Celebrations!

We are calling for volunteers for the 2026 Pride season!

We will be hosting a 2 part training on May 26th (virtually) and May 31st (in person) to train up a some new volunteers to help out with our Community Greeters at Pride this year!

If you've been to the Pride festivals in the Mahoning Valley the past couple of years, you've probably seen us in our yellow vests, being helpful, directing traffic, giving out water, and giving folks directions! This is a great way to lend a hand to the community and help event goers have a great time!

After completing this training, you will be able to sign up and join us with helping and providing a smiling, friendly team for the various Pride Celebrations in our communities. If you'd like to help out, send us an email at [email protected] with the subject "Pride Community Greeters" to get trained!