AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Community Foundation will invite 1,000 Summit County residents to share dozens of meals and discuss how to make their neighborhoods stronger and safer, as part of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's national On the Table initiative.
Knight, which funnels money to all sorts of creative endeavors in Akron, is investing $1.15 million in 10 cities: Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Georgia; Detroit; Gary, Indiana; Lexington, Kentucky; Long Beach, California; Miami; Philadelphia; and San Jose, California. The Akron Community Foundation will receive $79,500 for its On the Table program.
Eight Akron ideas were among 144 projects nationwide chosen as finalists in the 2017 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's third annual Knight Cities Challenge. More than 4,500 applications vied for the money.
In Akron, meals will take place throughout Summit Count on Oct. 3, and discussions will focus on challenges, including affordable housing, public space improvements and race relations.
"This will elevate our civic conversation," John Garofalo, vice president of community investment for Akron Community Foundation, said in a release. "We also hope this event will spark more collaborations and relationships among residents here in Summit County, which will benefit us all."
On the Table, which began in 2013 as a way for Chicago residents to come together and tackle community issues, is part of the Knight Foundation's mission to help cities attract and retain talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of civic engagement.
"The expansion of On the Table will help create a connected network of people across our nation who are working to make our communities stronger and more successful, while sharing lessons about how local residents can collaborate to begin working on pressing challenges," Lilly Weinberg, Knight Foundation director for community foundations, said in a release. "With community foundations like Akron Community Foundation leading the effort, the information gathered through this initiative will tap into local residents' interests and aspirations, informing decisions about new investments and engaging local policy and decision-makers."
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