Spotlight on a Leader

Christine Silvestri

The MVOC’s work is shaped and owned by the volunteer citizen leaders that it consists of. One such leader is Christine Silvestri who is a resident of Youngstown’s South Side, member of the Blvd Park Block Watch and board member of the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition. Christine sat down to answer a couple of questions about the Valley and her experience in trying to make it better place:

Q. When did you first begin working with the MVOC?
A. Approximately 1 ½ years ago the MVOC came to a 7th Ward Citizen’s Coalition meeting and told us how they could work with us to clean up our neighborhoods. I began working with the MVOC after hearing how doing so could decrease blight and crime.

Q. What MVOC campaigns have you been involved in?
A. After attending that initial meeting with MVOC 1 ½ years ago, I got involved in the Landlord Accountability Agreement with MAC Properties and The Vacant Land Survey. Both of these campaigns addressed the issue of blight with the first campaign pressuring landlords to keep up their properties and the second campaign tracking the condition of all properties in the city of Youngstown. In addition, I attended a National People’s Action training in Washington D.C. where I learned how to be a more effective community leader. I’ve been able to apply the principles I learned at the training to my work in the Valley.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge working with neighborhood groups?
A. Getting the residents involved. People often tell me that they want to help but are too busy, or they don’t know what they can do because they’re old. I always tell people that if you look out a window and see someone or something that looks suspicious around your house or around your neighbor’s house, call the police. That’s helping.

Q. Where would you like to see the Valley in 10 years?
A. There are several things I would like to see. Of course, I would love to see more jobs in the valley. I would also like to see more students enrolled at YSU because I think there is a connection between the health of the University and the health of city. I believe the more students there are enrolled at the university, the more likely more jobs will come to the Valley and the more likely the students will stay here. And having more students stay in the area will help to stabilize more of our neighborhoods. And, like everyone, I would love to see No Crime and No Blight.

Q. What do you think is the most critical component to creating a healthy city? Do you think the Valley has that component? If not, what is needed to create/develop that component?
A. The key component to a healthy city is healthy residents, and I truly believe that the Valley has what it takes to transform this into a viable area—we just need people to believe that it’s possible. The majority of residents in the Youngstown/Warren area want to live in their homes without fearing that they’ll be a victim of crime and without being surrounded by so much blight. However, it’s unfortunate that this respectable majority is often overshadowed by a few irresponsible individuals who perpetuate crime and create blight. It always seems that the actions of this small minority are the ones that receive media attention and create a negative image of our Valley.

Q. What kinds of change have occurred since the MVOC began its work?
A. More neighborhood groups and block watches have been created and more people are beginning to get involved in their efforts. We have had more community events like neighborhood clean-ups. I know our own Boulevard Park Block Watch was awarded a Neighborhood SUCCESS grant to begin cleaning up our streets this spring; we would not have been able to secure these resources without the help of the MVOC and the Wean Foundation.

Q. What still needs to change in the Valley?
A. More people need to become involved in their communities and voice their concerns. Residents have to start standing up for their own neighborhoods—they are the bread and butter of this Valley!

Q. What has been most rewarding about being involved in this work?
A. Meeting the people from around the valley. I have met so many wonderful people, and guess what? They like Youngstown just as I do, and we are all staying. So as a message to that small percentage of people who want to keep giving Youngstown a black-eye and making our neighborhoods look bad: WE DON’T WANT YOU. With the help of the MVOC and neighborhood groups, we will run you out and take back our neighborhoods.

Special thanks to Christine Silvestri for taking time to share her thoughts with us. We wish her all the best in her efforts to make the Valley a better place.

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