JENCO AWARD

Ms. Summers

October 7, 2024

Jenco Award

Summers was inspired to help people experiencing homelessness through her previous volunteer work with a nonprofit an hour from home. In 2017, she founded Youngstown Blue Coats, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring “In America, nobody should freeze to death.” Recognizing the need for dedicated volunteers, Summers aimed to assist the homeless directly.


Youngstown Blue Coats collects and distributes warming items like clothing and tents to both sheltered and unsheltered individuals during winter. Over time, she expanded the organization’s reach, collaborating with over 60 agencies and several school districts, ultimately serving a record 3,600 individuals, including one in five who are U.S. veterans.

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Athena Award Youngstown, Ohio

Ms. Summers

March 18, 2024

Dear Ms. Summers:
Congratulations on being nominated and named a finalist for the 2024 ATHENA Award, sponsored by the Regional Chamber and The Vindicator/vindy.com! This award is presented annually to a local woman who has made

significant achievements in her career, as well as in the community. We are proud to celebrate the 31st anniversary

of this prestigious program, and I hope you will enjoy the upcoming festivities and publicity that accompany your

nomination. For planning purposes:

  • The 2024 ATHENA Award Dinner will be held on Thursday, May 16, at Waypoint 4180 in Canfield. All nominees must be in attendance for their formal recognition, as well as the announcement of the 2024 recipient—kept secret until that moment! The evening’s festivities include a cocktail reception at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and the program at 6:15 p.m.


  • An ATHENA Nominee Orientation will be held in two sessions on Tuesday, April 16, at the Courtyard by Marriott Canfield, 4173 Westford Place. ALL NOMINEES ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND. At orientation, a professional photographer will take your portrait for press coverage, and our videographer will film each nominee answering a few special questions, which you will receive in advance. Once all photos and videos are complete, we will explain the process for the dinner, and you will have the opportunity to network with your fellow nominees.


  • To make efficient use of everyone’s time, we will ask nominees to attend one of two sessions on the 16th for photos and videos: 2 – 3 p.m. or 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. The entire group will be together from 3 – 3:30 p.m. for the informational portion of orientation. Please confirm your attendance to Events Coordinator Connie Knight at Connie@regionalchamber.com or (330) 744-2131, ext. 1215, no later than Monday, April 8, and indicate which session you prefer, or if either would work in your schedule.


  • As part of the selection process, each nominee is required to complete the enclosed/included questionnaire. This must be returned by Monday, April 8.


If you have any questions, you may also contact me at (330) 744-2131, ext. 1235, or email

Kim@regionalchamber.com. We look forward to seeing you on April 16!


Most sincerely,

Kim Calvert

Sr. Vice President, Marketing & Business Services

Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber

James McMillan Story

June 2023

My experience with The Youngstown Blue Coats sincerely goes as follows,

 

My Name is James McMillan and I am a recovering addict and my clean date is 5/19/22 I am currently at Broadway recovery services a sober living house also located in Youngstown. The significance of this small amount background on me is because when I went to sober living at Broadway recovery I didn't think staying clean was going to be a long term thing for me. I felt very depressed and still hopeless after completing treatment but then I got assigned to do my volunteer work at Blue Coats. At first I didn't know what to think of it. I had no money and wasn't very excited to have to work for free but from the first day I met Patty and the Rest of the team, all the loneliness and empty feelings I had inside were replaced with the love and support and gratitude of a truly loving,and very encouraging family. Like I said previously I came to the sober living house with next to nothing but

 Patty made sure I had everything thing I needed for the up coming winter and that was just the first day. 

From that point on it gave me something to look forward to. It wasn't just the material things I received it was the genuine care everyone showed for my current situation that kept me wanting to come back and help, and that selfish feeling of being a free laborer was replaced with the feeling that I was indirectly helping people with each task I completed and eventually I was given the responsibility of training the newer housemates on what needed to be done on the days I was blessed to work. It boosted my confidence tremendously and gave me a very needed sense of importance and every single time I came to that building I was greeted with a genuine smile and a loving hug from everyone.


Now I'll be the first to say that addiction is a very ugly, depressing, life draining disease and the stigma for most people is that "An addict can't ever change" or at least that's been my experience and before I got to know everyone at Blue Coats I thought that, that's exactly what I was going to have to endure but I was so incredibly wrong. And in being wrong I learned yet another valuable life lesson, that everyone isn't judging me on my past or expecting me to fail. But in fact that God puts the right people in my life to push me to greatness and also want me to be better and who want me to succeed and that's exactly what has been impressed upon me at Blue Coats and in learning to surround myself with the right people. So not only did I overcome a selfish, failing and outright bad attitude, I got to learn how to surround myself with the right people. I am 1 year clean as of May 19th 2022 and I have to give credit to Patty and the rest of the Blue Coats affiliates for keeping me grounded with the knowledge of God and for the Love and support they have given me. Blue Coats is a very Loving caring place and what they do for the community is very inspiring to me and makes me want to help out more in the world. If the rest of the world could have the attitudes that this place has shown me then we would have a beautiful, loving, caring and happy world. But at least they get to touch this community and I pray that the rest of the world will catch on.

Sincerely,

         James McMillan 

 


NEOMED PACKED THE BLUE BUS

March 31, 2023

The Youngstown Blue Coats brought their Blue Bus to the NEOMED campus on March 31 as part of the kickoff to National Public Health Week.


The NEOMED community responded, collecting 132 blankets, 64 hats, 72 pairs of socks, 11 pairs of boots, 11 coats and other essential clothing items, along with $220 in cash donations. The items will be distributed to homeless veterans and other homeless residents.

NEOMED

Patty Summers has been Inducted into the Prestigious Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry

February 22, 2023 

HUBBARD, OH, February 22, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Patty Summers has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

  • More About Who's Who Biographical Registry

    Drawing on over two decades of diverse expertise, Ms. Summers specializes in the management of a nonprofit coat drive organization. Since 2016, she has found much success as the president, chief executive officer and founder of the Youngstown Blue Coats. In this capacity, Ms. Summers and her team collect and distribute such winter items as socks, coats, boots, gloves, hats, sleeping bags, ground mats, tents and more to the homeless veterans and individuals in the Youngstown-Warren and Sharon regional areas of Ohio, while advocating for their health-related assistance and additional resources.


    Ms. Summers initially began her career serving as a preschool teacher for five years, followed by a post of a school bus driver at Hubbard Schools for 10 years. Her drive to pursue her vocational path derived from her civic advocacy and involvement in coat drives for her community and beyond. Prior to embarking on her professional journey, Ms. Summers sought an education at the Youngstown State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education.


    Among her professional accomplishments, Ms. Summers is most proud of the success and progress of the Youngstown Blue Coats mission and the extent of their contributions. Reflecting on her career, she attributes much of her achievements to her family and the volunteers who support her cause. Looking toward the future, Ms. Summers aspires to build and expand the nonprofit organization facility to a more sustainable location to further accommodate their continuous growth.


    About Marquis Who's Who®:

    Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.

Marquis Who's Who Full Article

McDonald’s Restaurants Collecting Winter Items for Youngstown Blue Coats


December 19, 2022

Seventeen McDonald’s restaurants in the Mahoning Valley are lending a hand to the Youngstown Blue Coats’ effort to help keep homeless individuals warm during the winter. Members of the community can drop off gently used coats, boots, sleeping bags, winter gloves or winter hats in collection bins at any of the participating restaurants through Jan. 31. The restaurants are located at: 1150 N. Canfield Niles Road, Austintown 428 N. Main St., Niles 586 E. Main st.

Business Journal Full Article

Recipient of a grant from the Youngstown Marathon Foundation


2022

Youngstown Blue Coats was a recipient of a grant from the Youngstown Marathon Foundation at their "Thank You" mixer and check presentation at Penguin City Beer earlier this month.



Several Board Members from YBC attended the check presentation, including: Patty Summers, YBC President and CEO; and Board Members Pat Maiorca, Roseanne Panning and Rick Roth. YBC extends sincere thanks to the Youngstown Marathon Foundation. "Thank You for helping us achieve our mission and goals!"


Lighting Up The Valley All Year Long

Youngstown Blue Coats has been selected to be organizations that will be honored this year


2022

Youngstown Blue Coats (YBC) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization founded in 2017 with a mission to prevent freezing and injury to homeless and financially destitute individuals. YBC has a special concern for and focus on military veterans. YBC’s mission is straightforward and simple; i.e., “In America, nobody should freeze to death.” During winter, we address the gap between shelters and outdoor homeless camps. YBC depends entirely on volunteers; all time, transportation, fuel and other operational costs are provided by members and volunteers. Donations accepted are primarily gently-used and needed material items, including warming items (e.g., winter coats, boots, hats, gloves, and more) and sleeping mats and bags. Our goals include collection and distribution of these warming items to homeless individuals so that they can stay warm and dry. We host fundraisers and donation drives to collect these items and to raise funds to support our goals of providing for homeless individuals.

  • More About Lighting Up The Valley

    During our 2021/2022 year, we provided warming items and other assistance to approximately 2,500 homeless veterans and other homeless individuals.  The funds from last year's (2021) grants and donations were instrumental in our services to the area's homeless.  We also fundraise and submit grants for funding throughout the year support our activities.  In recent years (2020-present), numbers of homeless continue to increase due to the pandemic and thus numbers of those who need YBC's assistance increase annually.  Future plans include our need for a new location/building; since our founding in 2017, we have outgrown our first location (founder's basement), storage pods and the building we currently occupy (2400 sq. feet) and which has sold!  While we are eager to grow in order to better serve our population, this expansion will necessitate additional fundraising, especially as we continue to accomplish our mission and distribute warming items and assistance to homeless individuals.


    The target audience for Youngstown Blue Coats (YBC) is homeless veterans and other homeless in Northeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.  This includes sheltered and unsheltered homeless.  Our mission and objectives are based on meeting physical needs of homeless individuals to ensure that they are warm, dry, and well.  YBC provides warming items necessary to prevent injuries due to cold temperatures, and also addresses the diverse health care needs, physical and mental, of homeless we encounter.  We collaborate with numerous area agencies to ensure that health care and other needs are met. YBC is the only organization in its region within Eastern Ohio/Western PA that serves homeless veterans and other homeless. In addition, YBC strives to identify where these individuals live and goes directly to them to distribute warming items.  Other organizations contact YBC when they encounter homeless living outdoors so that YBC can help these homeless and ensure they receive assistance.


Business Journal: :

Blue Coats Keep Homeless

Veterans Warm


November 2022

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – There were 1,707 homeless veterans in Ohio and Pennsylvania during the last census – a number that Patty Summers says shouldn’t be above zero. “There should not be a veteran who is homeless. Homeless and veterans should not even be linked together,” Summers, president and founder of Youngstown Blue Coats, says. Youngstown Blue Coats is a nonprofit organization that supplies winter clothing to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless across 11 counties.

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HOMETOWN HEROES:

Hometown Hero warms the hearts and souls of homeless neighbors

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WYTV) – You might see a bus traveling around the Valley or a collection bin marked Youngstown Blue Coats. It all goes back to an effort started with Patty Summers.

Summers began a coat drive in Youngstown and turned it into a life-saving mission.

Home Town Hero

Hubbard Rotary Guest Speaker:

Patty Summers

October 5, 2022

Patty Summers is the President, CEO and Founder of Youngstown Blue Coats, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017.


Tells the Hubbard Rotarty of their mission at The Youngstown Blue Coats. "Nobody in America should freeze to death."

Hubbard News Article

Women in Business: Patty Summers

October 2022

Patty Summers is the President, CEO and Founder of Youngstown Blue Coats, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017.


Based on her long-time experience working with homeless veterans and other homeless individuals, Patty saw the need for a group that actively served these individuals. These needs include identifying where they live – outdoors especially in the winter – and caring for and assisting them. Youngstown Blue Coats’ mission is straightforward, “In America, nobody should freeze to death.”


Patty and her team collect and distribute warming items (socks, coats, boots, gloves, hats, sleeping bags, ground mats, tents and more) to homeless individuals in the greater Youngstown/Warren and Sharon areas. She advocates for those who need assistance of any kind, health-related and otherwise. And she and her team work with diverse area agencies to provide each individual they encounter with the resources that person needs. Patty and her team are all volunteers – Youngstown Blue Coats depends entirely on volunteers. This ensures that any and all donations (cash and non-cash) benefit the homeless directly.

Business Journal

Youngstown Blue Coats Wins Greenwood Chevrolet Charity Contest, April 1, 2018

On Easter Sunday Greenwood Chevrolet posted to their Facebook page the Youngstown Blue Coats had won their monthly "Vote For Your Cause" contest.

 

Nominations for the charity began in early March while actual voting was to begin on March 16th then ending at midnight March 31st. It was during the second half of the month the public got to vote for their favorite charity.

 

The charity with the most votes by midnight on March 31 was declared the winner of $500. 

WYTV News, March 14, 2018

The Blue Coats work throughout the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys and have traveled as far as Pittsburgh.

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WKBN News, December 6, 2017

The Bluecoats are holding a donation drive at 10 a.m. Saturday at the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts in Hubbard.

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