Correspondent photo / Sean Barron Donna Sekman of Buster’s Brigade, an animal-care center in Austintown, reacts with surprise after having been awarded $1,343 for her organization during Tuesday’s second annual Valley Soup event in Warren. Attendees voted on four organizations’ community projects, and Sekman’s received the most votes.

WARREN — Donna Sekman enjoyed her salad of kale, cranberries and pecans, but also was quite pleased with the nightcap: $1,343.

“The money will be put back in our low-cost vaccine clinic that we will hold next in April,” said Sekman, who runs Austintown-based Buster’s Brigade Inc., a nonprofit organization that started in November 2018 to provide financial and material assistance for basic and emergency needs of dogs and cats in Mahoning County and surrounding areas.

Sekman won the first-place prize after having been among four people who gave brief presentations on behalf of their organizations during the second annual Valley Soup event Tuesday evening at Christ Episcopal Church, 2627 Atlantic St. NE.

Hosting the gathering was the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, which stresses strategic philanthropy and donor partnerships as ways to invest in the Mahoning Valley to improve residents’ quality of life.

“This brings the community together to learn new, innovative projects in the community,” Shari Harrell, foundation president, said of the gathering’s underlying purpose.

The other three who spoke to an audience of about 100 were Louise Mileto of the Northeast Homeowners and Concerned Citizens Association of Youngstown; Tony Budak of Time Bank Mahoning Watershed; and Daniel Bancroft and Maguire Franko of YSUscape, a student-led organization that works to beautify and revitalize Youngstown via public art, community service and public-service activities. Each of them received $250 for their organizations, and all five presenters were given ceramic soup bowls that local artist Daniel Rauschenbach made.

Attendees paid $5 each to vote on one of the four projects. As a result, Sekman received the most votes and took home $1,343 — $1,000 from a Community Foundation grant and the rest from proceeds raised at the door, noted Rachael Chacon, the foundation’s marketing and development coordinator.

Sekman said the award also will be used to pay for equipment necessary for animal vaccines as well as to send 10 to 15 Youngstown State University students to Columbus to tour a veterinary school and learn about veterinary medicine.

In addition, some funds likely will go toward trapping feral cats spotted around the Youngstown State University campus, then spaying and neutering them, noted Tina Costarella, a veterinarian who works in partnership with Buster’s Brigade.

The two soups offered at Tuesday’s gathering were wedding soup from Christ Episcopal Church and a Moroccan lentil sweet potato one, courtesy of Cultivate Cafe in Youngstown.

The event also was in conjunction with Giving Tuesday, an international day of charitable giving that falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgivng.

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