CANFIELD — Ten caregivers associated with Dylan’s House have each received $750 for their work with those on the autism spectrum.

During a caregiver grant program last week at Lehner Shope Wealth Group on Boardman-Canfield Road, the recipients were honored and awarded the funds, Kelly Fertig, media consultant with 898 Marketing, a Canfield-based digital marketing agency, said.

The 10 winners were Erwin Adams, Ruthann Buckley, Jennifer Cardona-Cohen, Bobinette Carey, Dylan Hritz, Amber Nickels, Michael Ogle, Kathy Schuller, TaNia Simms and Rachael Williams.

Kevin Shope and his wife, Amy Shope, founded Dylan’s House, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering and enriching adolescents and adults on the spectrum in the Mahoning Valley. It was named in honor of their son, Dylan Shope, 23, who was diagnosed with the condition and needs regular caregiver services, but lives independently in a home his parents own.

Kevin Shope is the senior vice president of Citizens Wealth Management and his wife, a 28-year financial advisor, is the Lehner Shope Wealth Group’s owner and managing partner.

The grant program was designed to assist area caregivers and families financially. The 10 recipients selected for the $750 grants were from a pool of 68 applicants, Fertig noted.

In addition to the grant program, Dylan’s House offers support via its housing initiatives as well as educational and awareness opportunities.

The housing initiative lists as its primary objective building affordable and accessible homes for adults on the autism spectrum as they transition from their traditional family environments. Also included is a home-repair component to aid residents with emergency repairs such as furnaces, appliances and with plumbing, according to Dylan’s House’s website.

SHOPE AWARD

Amy Shope recalls recently having been caught off guard when she learned that a prestigious accolade found its way to her.

“I was surprised,” Shope said.

The sudden feeling swept through Shope when she learned earlier this summer that the Youngstown Business and Professional Women organization had named her its 2024 Woman of the Year.

As a result, she was the guest of honor at a recent Women Empowerment lunch at the business on Boardman-Canfield Road. She also will be honored at a dinner in October.

The title is bestowed mainly upon women who hold positions in male-dominated fields while working to support other women, Shope noted.

During the luncheon, Shope also expressed gratitude to Struthers Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller for working with Dylan’s House to provide lots in that city to build additional homes for those on the spectrum. Construction could get underway in six to nine months, Shope said, adding that Dylan’s House also is working to secure federal grants.

The luncheon’s keynote speaker was Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova, who praised Shope and other women for using their successes and positions to empower other women — especially when many of them face double standards associated with being pigeonholed into having to conform to traditional and stereotypical gender roles.

“We have scars of the past and scars of where we got to,” she said.

Specifically, many women feel they will be looked down upon for admitting to mistakes, so she tries to mentor young women to know it’s OK that they, like everyone else, have flaws. In other cases, strong women often are criticized for appearing too strong, DeGenova told a group of several dozen attendees.

Lots of women have to adapt to male-dominated roles or risk being negatively and derogatorily labeled, DeGenova said. She added that they have to fit into such roles, yet many men “can do what they want.”

DeGenova shared some of her experiences after having graduated from college and law school, along with her forays into the legal field that began with being a clerk at a law office. In one of her jobs, she was the sole female associate, DeGenova recalled.

When she began her career at the county prosecutor’s office in 2005, DeGenova entered an environment that was largely supportive of women and their ideas. Since the Mahoning County Democratic Party’s central committee selected her in January 2023 to fill former Prosecutor Paul Gains’ unexpired term, she continues to follow such a trajectory, in part by being collaborative, not demanding, with employees and considering their input, DeGenova said.

That approach also was fostered by her parents, who taught her that all people deserve to be treated fairly, and each person has a role in society.

In addition, it’s important for women to embrace their shortcomings and value who they are, she said.

“If we can help one person, or save one person, I think it’s a win,” DeGenova added.

The nonprofit Youngstown Business and Professional Women organization, founded in 1920, is for working women in and near the Mahoning Valley, with the primary mission of advancing and empowering women through education and mentorship.

Have an interesting story? Email the newsroom at news@vindy.com.