Bright Star Books is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on increasing ownership of books for limited-resource children in Greater Akron. new and gently-used children’s books, primarily through book drives held throughout Greater Akron communities, and redistributes those books through a collection of partnerships with organizations that serve limited-resource children.
Shelf Life is a collection point for Bright Star donations. Gently used children’s books in good, clean condition can be designated for donation directly to Bright Star. The store holds multiple fundraisers a year for this non-profit as childhood literacy is a large part of the store’s mission.

The Center for Applied Drama and Autism inspires the growth and empowerment of diverse individuals on the autism spectrum and those with cognitive and/or physical disabilities through paid performance opportunities and theatre classes for all ages and abilities, as well as workshops for teachers, business owners, and community leaders seeking to make their spaces more neurodivergent-friendly. All programs are currently virtual and available for adaptation to specific needs.

The Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture (CATAC) was formed in February 2005 and received 501(c)(3) status in December 2006 in order to provide an administrative umbrella for the New World Performance Laboratory (NWPL).

The mission of CATAC is to establish a forum for community engagement and educational outreach through collaboration with emerging and established artists and the creation, production and presentation of a diverse array of theatre, music, dance, and exhibitions that affirms the intrinsic value of all cultures and explores the transformative power of the arts for the greater Akron community. CATAC seeks to provide a home base for the research and performances of the Chameleon Village Theatre Collective, Gum-Dip Theatre, QuTheatr and others, and nurture emerging local artists and those of international reputation creating new work and experimenting with new forms of expression.

Colors+ Youth Center’s mission is to strengthen LGBTQ+ youth and allies by promoting individual and community wellness. They use a holistic mind and body approach and have a safe space to empower LGBTQ+ youth and allies to grow as individuals and within their community. Their intention is to strengthen the LGBTQ+ youth community and allies through advocacy, support, education, and celebration.

Colors+ is run by two licensed professional mental health counselors who founded the youth center because they saw a large gap in services for LGBTQ+ youth in our community.

Colors+ believes that everyone deserves a place to feel safe and be themselves. This is exactly what they are providing for LGBTQ+ youth and allies. They welcome youth from anywhere in the state to come to their
center, or participate in programming virtually.

The Falls Free Press is a free independent online newspaper written and run by local Cuyahoga Falls residents who care about local news coverage often missed by the national media conglomerates that publish daily newspapers. The staff provides a unique perspective to current events through articles and review columns, and welcome letters from members of the community. In addition, the Fallscast, their semi-weekly podcast, introduces listeners to the Falls Free Press Staff as they discuss the weeks' news and appreciate the art events in Cuyahoga Falls

Since 1916, The International Institute of Akron has been welcoming immigrants and refugees to Akron to make our community their home. Their mission is to enrich the vitality of our community by helping immigrants achieve an empowered life with dignity, connection and belonging.

Let’s Grow Akron is a non-profit organization that creates and supports community food gardens in neighborhoods where access to fresh food has been unfairly limited. Let’s Grow Akron has a thirty-five year history of community organizing around food and providing technical assistance in utilizing urban land for food production. Collaborative education programs provide opportunities for people to grow their own food, prepare healthy meals from the harvest and preserve the surplus. Growing food together on a neighborhood level contributes to increased community food security and resilience.

Love the Green Life is an educational service that specializes in cruelty-free, chemical-free and compassionate living. We support this mission through coaching, podcasting and an annual conference. Our goal is to drive community change toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

For the Love of Primates is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create and support a sanctuary for primates retired from research, used in the entertainment industry, or previously kept as “pets”.

Additionally, For the Love of Primates aims to educate the public about the conservation and welfare issues that primates face, both in the US and in habitat countries, and work to foster a love and respect for the natural world.

Stahl’s No Harm Farm mission is to provide sanctuary to farm animals that were or are at risk of neglect, abuse and/or exploitation. They provide a healing, loving atmosphere to farm animals that are surrendered, rescued and/or abandoned.

Victim Assistance Program (VAP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive support services to victims of crime and trauma. Their mission is to empower the community to restore lives impacted by crisis, violence, and tragedy. VAP offers services such as crisis intervention, advocacy, court accompaniment, information and referrals, assistance with victim compensation applications, and more. VAP aims to ensure that victims have the support they need to navigate the criminal justice system, recover from trauma, and rebuild their lives.