BOARDMAN — The philosophy of nonviolence has been espoused, implemented, practiced and reinforced by practitioners such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., James Lawson, John Lewis, Saint Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi.

You also can add 12-year-old Makenna Slipski’s name to the list.

“My book is a children’s book where the superheroes fight crime with kindness, not violence,” Makenna, of Austintown, said, referring to “The Heart Squad,” a book she penned and had published in December 2024 that was launched in February.

The book’s central theme focuses on two adversarial characters who experience a series of trials and tribulations, but conclude that kindness should prevail, Makenna said.

That theme also seemed to course through the annual Holiday Hopes and Wishes luncheon and fundraiser Friday at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Centre, 7440 South Ave.

Hosting the two-hour holiday-themed gala was Kids Crew of the Mahoning Valley, a group of community volunteers dedicated to promoting awareness of and raising money to benefit the children, families and mission of Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley in Boardman.

Nearly 400 came to the event that also featured a large basket raffle and an expansive array of baked goods. Proceeds are to benefit the Mahoning Valley Food Farmacy, a pantry that opened in March at Akron Children’s.

Serving as master of ceremonies was Jim Loboy, co-host of “Daybreak,” a daily morning news, talk and weather program on WYTV-Channel 33.

When she was in third grade, Makenna lost a friend to cancer, which served as the primary impetus for the book.

“It opened my eyes to how precious life really is,” she said, adding that too often, people automatically resort to violence while dealing with conflicts and disagreements, and fail to “ask someone, ‘Why are you doing what you’re doing?'”

Last year’s event generated $25,000, a goal Linda Eisenbraun hopes will be matched or exceeded this year. Eisenbraun, Kids Crew’s treasurer and part of the event’s planning committee, noted that each year, the gathering seeks to assist a specific function of the hospital, and added that last year’s funds benefited its sports medicine component.

Megan Landean, Food Farmacy’s supervisor, noted in her remarks that since its inception nine months ago, the pantry has served more than 7,000 people, an estimated 4,000 of whom are children. Many of the families are dealing with food insecurities, coupled with recent cuts to their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a combination that has compounded their stress, especially during the holidays, Landean explained.

Besides offering needed food, the facility is a valuable resource for those who lack transportation to traditional pantries and face other obstacles such as long distances and inconvenient hours, she said.

“It is more than a food pantry; it lessens barriers many families face,” Landean added.

The Food Farmacy, which also accepts hygiene products, provides a three- to five-day emergency supply of food to income-eligible patient families and hospital employees in an effort to remove barriers and further connect such families in need of food resources. It also gives them a monthly opportunity to select their own foods, which include fresh produce as well as refrigerated and frozen items, along with nonfood products.

The pantry is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Akron Children’s and closed for lunch noon to 12:30 p.m.

In addition, the food pantry is aligned with the hospital’s overarching goal of using innovative means to “meet patients where they are,” despite many people’s concerns this year that pertain to health care coverage, Paul Olivier, Akron Children’s vice president, said in his remarks.

One recent such means is the facility’s Care Mobile that was launched a few months ago and reaches children in many urban and rural areas, Olivier noted.

The fully equipped mobile medical clinic provides a host of services that include immunizations, developmental screenings, nonemergent acute illness care, lead and hemoglobin screenings, well-child visits, asthma care and referrals for specialty care, according to Akron Children’s website.

Also, plans are in the works to open a new outpatient pharmacy next year at Akron Children’s Beeghly campus, Olivier noted.

For her part, Makenna said she desires that her book will leave an indelible mark on her young audience and cause them to see that violence has far better alternatives.

“It’s so sad that it took me, a 12-year-old in 2025, to break the chain of violence,” she said, adding, “I hope to change one kid’s life and draw one kid to the right path. … That would be everything to me.”

In addition, Makenna is at work on a second book, which centers around peer pressure but will contain many of the same themes as her inaugural project.