BOARDMAN — The aroma of freshly brewed coffee from around the globe filled the air Saturday morning as community members gathered at the Davis Family YMCA for the first Step Into the World International Coffee Hour.

The event marked the soft launch of a new initiative designed to foster cultural understanding and connection across the Mahoning Valley. Guests sampled international coffee and tea blends while mingling with neighbors, sharing stories and learning about traditions from different corners of the world. The gathering offered a welcoming and relaxed introduction to what organizers hope will become a vibrant and lasting community effort.

Organizer Suzanne Gray said the idea for the club grew out of a growing sense that people are longing for connection.

“During the past many months, we realized the urgent need to bring people together in mutual respect and understanding,” Gray said.

Joining Gray in launching the club is a diverse team of advisers: Natacha Keramidas, a Belgian/Greek-American psychologist; Taci Turel, a Turkish-American professor at Youngstown State University; and Alison Kovach, a well-traveled Youngstown professional. Together, they bring a wide range of personal and cultural experiences to the effort.

The group’s mission is simple but ambitious: bringing people of all backgrounds together to learn from one another, build lasting bonds and create a more understanding world.

Saturday’s coffee hour was intended as an introduction to spark interest. Invitations were shared through personal networks, while the YMCA promoted the event within the building and on social media. Organizers said the response was encouraging.

“Our intention is for the club to meet monthly or bi-monthly,” Gray said. “Any adult or family in the community is invited to participate. Much of the agenda will be shaped by members themselves, but it will always include opportunities to explore different cultures, foods, customs and traditions.”

Plans are already underway for the club’s first official gathering — an international brunch — open to anyone interested in becoming part of the initiative.

STORIES THAT INSPIRED A MOVEMENT

For Gray, the idea for reviving an international club at the YMCA became personal through a quiet but meaningful encounter.

For more than a year, she noticed a young Middle Eastern woman who often sat alone in the YMCA lobby, sometimes working on a laptop, sometimes completing puzzles. Gray made a habit of greeting her, but conversation was limited by a language barrier.

One quiet Saturday in late 2025, Gray asked to sit with her. The woman shared that although there was a YMCA closer to her home, she chose to come to the Davis Family YMCA so her daughter could attend KidsZone after swimming lessons.

Her reason was simple but powerful: her daughter was learning English just by being around other children.

“That was reason enough to drive the extra distance,” Gray said.

Over time, the woman herself began to grow more confident speaking English. Recently, she approached Gray to say hello — something she had never done before.

“That moment stayed with me,” Gray said. “It became the catalyst for bringing this club back.”

She noted that while the tri-county area is home to a large immigrant population, many people remain within their own cultural circles.

“We may enjoy diverse restaurants, but we miss the deeper understanding of the people and traditions behind them,” she said.

Each of the club’s organizers brings a unique perspective shaped by personal experience.

Taci Turel, who was born and raised in Turkey, spoke about the importance of global awareness.

“Growing up, we were always aware of what was happening around the world,” she said. “Here, being so far away geographically, America can feel isolated. Many people don’t really know what life is like in other countries.”

Turel added that her own move to the United States at age 25 changed her perspective — not just on America, but on her own culture.

“Meeting people and experiencing life here helped me see both countries in a new light,” she said.

She believes the Mahoning Valley is uniquely positioned for this kind of initiative.

“We already have diversity here–different cultures, traditions and perspectives,” Turel said. “Not everyone can travel the world, so we want to bring the world to the YMCA.”

For Natacha Keramidas, her international upbringing helped shape her career and worldview. Having lived in Belgium, Greece and the United States by her teenage years, she developed an early appreciation for cultural differences and similarities.

Keramidas emphasized the importance of everyday human connection, something she says many people began to lose during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are social beings,” she said. “But increasingly, we are isolating ourselves. Loneliness is not just emotionally painful — it has real impacts on physical and mental health.”

She sees the International Club as a way to counter that trend.

“This is a space where people can connect, share their stories, and learn from one another,” she said. “At the end of life, what matters most are the relationships we’ve built.”

Alison Kovach echoed similar sentiments, drawing from her own experiences as both the granddaughter of Hungarian immigrants and an international traveler.

“My travels have taught me that we have far more in common than what separates us,” she said.

Kovach noted that misconceptions about other countries remain common in the United States.

“There can be a belief that if something isn’t ‘American,’ it’s somehow behind or less advanced,” she said. “In reality, that’s often not the case.”

She hopes the club will help break down those misconceptions.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE

Attendees at the coffee hour reflected a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, but shared a common curiosity about the world.

Sam Farah, who immigrated to the United States from Palestine and now works at Mercy Health, praised the diversity of the Youngstown area and welcomed the opportunity to connect more deeply across cultures.

Senka Paretic, originally from Croatia, came to the U.S. in 2000 during a time of war in her home country. She said she especially enjoys learning about cultures through food — a theme likely to play a role in future gatherings.

Others attended simply out of lifelong interest.

Pat Guidon of Youngstown, who has traveled extensively, said curiosity drew her to the event. Nancy Lamancusa, whose parents immigrated from Sicily in 1921, expressed pride in her heritage and enthusiasm about sharing it while learning from others.

Organizers said the strong turnout and positive feedback from the first event confirm what they suspected: the desire for connection is very real.