On Saturday, May 10, Leadership Geauga alumni and the Signature Adult Class of 2025 came together for the Annual Day of Service, putting leadership into action across Geauga County. This year’s projects focused on enhancing environments directly supporting residents at the Geauga Youth Center and Maple Leaf Community Residences, Inc.
Growing More Than Vegetables at the Geauga Youth Center
At the Geauga Youth Center (GYC), Leadership Geauga alumni installed a garden filled with flowers and vegetable plants, while also mulching and cleaning up existing flower beds. The work wasn’t just about beautification — it was about planting seeds of healing and hope. Thank you to Abates Florist, Greenhouses, & Landscaping, Burton Floral and Garden, and Urban Growers Garden Center for donating plants to the garden!
GYC is a class one residential facility serving youth ages 14–17 through both respite and longer-term residential care. Operated by Ravenwood Health and funded by Geauga County Job and Family Services, the county commissioners, and the Family and Children First Council. Services, the center takes a family-centered approach to therapy, helping youth and their families move toward reunification. Residents receive intensive counseling, academic support in small group settings, and are encouraged to engage in prosocial activities to support long-term success.
As Ian Dewalt of Ravenwood Health explained:
“The idea of a garden for our residents extends past just food and production of food — it teaches them life skills, responsibility, growth, care — they can work on and harness while they’re here, which is going to strengthen them for their homes and families.”
The new garden space now stands as both a therapeutic tool and a source of pride for the youth and staff at the center.
Teamwork in Action at Maple Leaf Community Residences
Meanwhile, the Class of 2025 was hard at work across the county supporting four separate locations of Maple Leaf Community Residences, Inc. Teams of participants completed various improvement projects, including painting, landscaping, cleaning, assembling shelving units, organizing furniture, and repairing walls and baseboards.
Maple Leaf Community Residences, an IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been providing safe, affordable housing for people with disabilities since 1991. In partnership with the Geauga County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Metzenbaum Center, Maple Leaf works to ensure that residents live in homes tailored to their unique needs, with a strong emphasis on health, safety, and accessibility.
Sara Clemson of Maple Leaf Community Residences shared her appreciation, saying:
“It was inspiring to see two local nonprofits come together for Leadership Geauga’s Day of Service. We’re truly grateful to the Leadership volunteers for the meaningful work they did across four of our Maple Leaf Community Residences properties — including painting, refreshing outdoor spaces, and organizing — all of which help create more welcoming and comfortable environments for the individuals with disabilities who call these residences home.”
The Day of Service not only provided much-needed support for two vital community organizations but also allowed Leadership Geauga alumni and current participants to embody the values of servant leadership. From wielding paint brushes to planting tomatoes, their work left a meaningful mark on the Geauga community — one that will continue to grow and flourish well beyond a single day.