Literary arts non-profit, Lit Youngstown has recently been awarded $50,238.33 grants for programming and operation funds.

The Ohio Arts Council has awarded a $15,000 Arts Resiliency Initiative, which will fund three writers-in-residence: poets Quartez Harris of Cleveland and Manuel Iris of Cincinnati, as well as playwright, Mike Geither of Cleveland.

In addition, an Ohio SHARP grant of $11,113.33 for operating support has been awarded by Ohio Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The Youngstown Foundation Award of $9,100 will partially fund the Fall Literary Festival for 2022 scheduled for October 20 through 22, as well as the First Wednesday Readers Series, outreach, writing workshops, grantwriting and occupational expenses.

The Williamson Family Fund of the Youngstown Foundation also awarded an unrestricted $2,425 grant.

A $6,600 fund making grant, a component fund of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley will help fund the Winter Writing Camp scheduled for February 26, as well as outreach and grantwriting. Outreach will include developing writing groups for cancer survivors in collaboration with Yellow Brick Place.

Finally, the Nathalie & James Andrew Foundation has awarded $6,000 in unrestricted funds. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown collected 255 in Share-the-Plate contributions in support of the Fall Literary Festival.

Lit Youngstown Director Karen Schubert says the organization is honored to have this support and encouragement.

"We thank these foundations and donors for the ways they are lifting up our community," Schubert said.