In 2024, three organizations in Mahoning County were seeking to relocate to continue serving the community through recovery housing, mental health services, meals, food pantry access and clothing. In what Society of St. Vincent de Paul Mahoning County executive director Alan Ricks defined as a “divine blessing,” the St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) of Mahoning County, Broadway Recovery Services and Broadway STARS Clubhouse were able to come together in a central Youngstown location: Broadway Community Campus.
In 2014, Adam Lonardo co-founded Broadway Recovery to increase housing availability for those reentering society after time in correctional facilities, hospitals and other in-patient programs. He believes that recovery is most successful when people are part of a family. “Our recovery houses are homes,” he said. “We believe in a family unit, and our residents live in our homes as a family unit.” Residents share chores, meal preparation and other household responsibilities.
When he purchased a 23,000 square-foot historical building in 2023, which was once St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Laura Lonardo, Broadway Recovery’s program coordinator and Adam’s mother, was looking for a space for Youngstown’s Broadway STARS Clubhouse. Founded in 1994, Clubhouse International’s mission is “Ending social and economic isolation for people with mental illness by growing the number and quality of Clubhouse rehabilitation programs worldwide.” Her mission is to offer support and resources to those suffering from severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI).
At the same time, SVDP Mahoning County was seeking to relocate from the former St. Cyril and Methodius Church building, as the Diocese of Youngstown is renovating the space to make room for a new museum and archival storage. Ricks, along with board president Anne Kravitz, became connected with Adam and Laura, and found themselves collaborating, something Kravitz said is “just meant to be.”
Broadway Recovery, Broadway STARS Clubhouse and SVDP Mahoning County are driven to work together to serve the community. Ricks explained that the organizations value “collaboration over duplication.” “The reality is that the purpose of our organizations is to serve, and to serve those who need it,” he said. “And it just so happens that we’re serving the same people in need, in different ways.”
Adam Lonardo mentioned that the addition of the dining hall to the Broadway Community Campus provides its members with opportunities to be of service. “Any residents who aren’t employed have to volunteer at least two times per week, and our number one partner has been St. Vincent de Paul,” he said. Broadway Recovery members, including Adam and Laura Lonardo, have so far donated 600 to 700 volunteer hours to SVDP Mahoning County.
Regarding access, Kravitz also mentioned that Broadway Community Campus is along the WRTA bus route, and the Lonardos expressed hope that at some point, the location of the campus may help eliminate Youngstown’s continued struggle as a food desert.
Laura Lonardo is also optimistic about how the new collaboration can better-serve her clients—those suffering from severe mental illness. “Their health is poor because they’ve been marginalized,” she said, and noted that on average, those with severe and persistent mental illness die 15 to 20 years earlier than the average. She hopes that someday, Broadway Recovery Campus can serve the community in as many ways as possible. “Our vision for Broadway Community Campus is to develop this property into something that can truly serve individuals from a holistic perspective—medical services, food services and housing,” she said.
Adam Lonardo shares her vision and hopes to make construction and renovation part of Broadway Community Campus’ long-term plan. There are many dilapidated homes surrounding the campus, and he hopes to revitalize them for more Broadway Recovery member housing.
Ricks and Kravitz expressed gratitude for what will become a solidified space for SVDP staff and volunteers, who donate over 13,000 service hours, serving over 35,000 meals per year.
“This will be our third location in seven years, and we are hopeful that this collaboration will result in the St. Vincent de Paul dining hall at Broadway Recovery Campus being our ‘forever home,’” said Kravitz.
For now, they are focused on making the SVDP Mahoning County dining hall kitchen functional. “Moving the kitchen is a huge undertaking. Everyone has been totally on board and supportive, and they get the work we want to do in the community,” Kravitz explained. Both she and Ricks are thankful to Bishop David Bonnar and the Diocese of Youngstown for the use of the former St. Cyril and Methodius building and for their support for the move to Broadway Recovery Campus.
The community can help all three organizations by spreading information about the services they offer. Ricks mentioned that SVDP Mahoning County plans to begin hosting parish conferences and building its board. The organization also hopes to streamline volunteer positions and hours to give the community more opportunities to serve meals in the new dining hall facility.
Adam Lonardo also mentioned the power of a gift. “Giving is contagious—that is how you change the perception of the world, through small interactions,” he said.
As SVDP Mahoning County moves to its new location and renovates its kitchen, it will continue to do just that: give. Meals have been available via carryout , thanks to the Basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Anthony Parish, which made its kitchen available to SVDP while the new dining hall kitchen undergoes renovation. At the time of publication, Ricks and Kravitz were unsure when community members would be able to enjoy their meals inside the new facility, but they stressed that staff and volunteers are already hard at work. As previously mentioned, the new dining hall is located at the former St. Stanislaus Church, located at the corner of South and Williamson at the Broadway Community Campus at 430 Williamson Avenue in Youngstown.
Ricks, Kravitz and the Lonardos stressed that all are welcome at the new facility. “What we are doing is for everyone. This is God at work. This is our Divine Savior showing us the way to take care of each other. This is humanity, and it’s a beautiful thing,” said Ricks. The Lonardos agreed, and they both stressed that anyone who wants to change their lives for the better is invited to take advantage of these newly streamlined resources in Mahoning County.
As Laura Lonardo stated, “We are all about moving you forward,” a philosophy that Broadway Recovery, Broadway STARS Clubhouse and SVDP Mahoning County share as they continue doing crucial work in the community.
About this move, Monsignor Zuraw, Vicar General for the diocese, said, “The mission of St. Vincent de Paul dining hall is to serve those in need. The importance of the dining hall shows its guests that even in their darkest hour, God has not abandoned them.”
Learn more about Broadway Recovery Services and Broadway STARS clubhouse. Visit St. Vincent de Paul’s website for updates on the dining hall and information on St. Vincent de Paul Mahoning County.
