Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Yellow Brick Place Director Kathleen Moliterno prepares the bed in the Reiki Room, where cancer patients can relax. It was a banner year for the staff and clients as the agency, located in Cornersburg, celebrated its first decade of supporting those fighting cancer.

CORNERSBURG — It was a banner year for the staff and clients of Yellow Brick Place as the agency celebrated its first decade of supporting those in the fight against cancer.

“We opened at Brandywine Plaza in Cornersburg on Sept. 12, 2015,” said YBP Executive Director Kathleen Moliterno. “We started with two disconnected suites.”

She said one suite had the offices and the wig program, while the suite at the other end of the plaza had a room for programs and support group sessions. Today, YBP is housed in three consecutive suites in the plaza, offering a wider variety of programs and services, all free for cancer patients.

“We are dealing with 20 different types of cancer,” Moliterno said. “We have also updated our logo to reflect what we do.”

She said the former logo said “Wellness Center,” which was changed to “Cancer Support Center.”

“We provide more support than just wellness,” Moliterno said.

Among the various means of support is the wig program at YBP. When a woman going through cancer treatment loses hair, it can be hard for them to feel good about themselves. YBP changes their perspective by offering free, high-quality wigs.

In just one year, the wig fittings at YBP have increased by 63%. However, the wigs also have increased in price.

“Some wigs have been affected by the tariffs, up to a 33% increase,” Moliterno said.

When a woman is fitted for her own personal wig, she also receives a bag with hair care products, accessories, everything to care for the wig and even some free jewelry.

“If a woman finds a style of wig she likes but not the color she wants, we can order them,” Moliterno said.

Another program she said was needed is the “Your Beauty Program,” which provides professional makeup instructions covering areas such as recreating eyebrows for those lost to chemotherapy treatments. The women involved in the program receive a bag full of makeup, brushes and a special makeup bag.

With the new space and having three plaza suites connected, YBP was able to design a comfortable atmosphere for all the programs offered. The wig and makeup program has more private spaces, and there are rooms for one-on-one support when needed. Another new room at YBP is the Reiki Room. Reiki is a technique where a therapist channels energy into a patient to activate a natural healing process.

“We have a Reiki specialist who donates her time to provide the service,” Moliterno said.

YBP also has a library with a variety of books that can be checked out and a comfortable space with a couch and stuffed chairs for relaxation. The library contains books that help clientele and their families better understand and cope with cancer.

“Coming here is a little more warm and refreshing for clients,” said Assistant Director Madison Umbel. “We made it that way so it didn’t seem like a doctor’s office.”

Other programs offered at YBP include chair yoga, tai chi, art, sound therapy and simple walking.

Every program at YBP is at no cost to the cancer patient, which means the organization depends on donations to continue its mission.

“We rely on community support,” Umbel said.

Moliterno said it takes several hundred thousand dollars to run the programs at YBP annually. To help bring in the funding, YBP hosts several fundraisers throughout the year. Every spring, there is a raffle, and in the summer is the popular golf outing at Avalon at Squaw Creek. Other fundraisers include the “Cruisin’ for Prostates” car cruise at Hollywood Gaming in Austintown and the Mill Creek Junior Softball tournament in October.

“The Mill Creek Junior Softball Pinkout Tournament will be donating $12,500 next week from this year’s event,” Moliterno said.

Donations from foundations and private donors also keep the YBP programs going. Recent donations, according to Moliterno, included $30,000 from the Trumbull Memorial Health Foundation, $10,000 for the wig program from the Neckerman Foundation and $9,000 from Mercy Health.

Looking to 2026, YBP already set March 12 for the spring raffle, July 10 for the 10th annual golf outing, Sept. 12 for the car cruise, and Oct. 1-4 for the softball tournament.

Also on the calendar is Men’s Night Out on March 4 at Leo’s Ristorante in Howland. The event focuses on men’s health and will have doctors on hand to answer anonymous questions from the men attending. Moliterno said YBP also is planning a Women’s Night Out but is looking for a host sponsor.

Also on the books for 2026 is the start of a volunteer training program.

“We’ll be training people for various volunteer opportunities,” Umbel said.

She added that YBP serves the tri-county area and western Pennsylvania.

Recently, YBP was voted as the nonprofit of the year through a WRTA poll. As winner of the vote, YBP received social media designs from Ferris Marketing along with TV commercials and airtime from WKBN-TV 27.

“We are proud the community has voted for us,” Moliterno said. “We are using the heck out of the free media coverage.”

Looking further down the road, Moliterno said, “It’s our dream to someday have a wig van so we can take our wig program to rural areas and locations further from Youngstown. We would also like to establish satellite offices to set up wellness programs closer to where clients live.”