Our Mission

The Friends of the Mahoning River advocate to improve the quality of the Mahoning River through education, restoration, and recreation.

Our Vision

The vision of the Friends of the Mahoning River is to support enhancements and environmental sustainability of the Mahoning River Corridor through education, recreation and community partnerships while promoting respect for the river.

History

The Friends of the Mahoning River grew out of conversations in early 2012 between several Youngstown residents carpooling to work. The friends were tired of hearing degrading comments and negative perceptions regarding the Mahoning River, especially when they knew it was an invaluable resource – a diamond in the rough. They felt it was an outdated perception of the river. The Mahoning has been used as a repository for waste, from the steel mills to the sanitary sewers, for so many years that the true value has been forgotten by many.

It was important to change the negative perceptions through actions such as educational and recreational activities along the river. That small group reached out to the local area through distributing a survey at community events which showed how the public was interested in becoming a group devoted to celebrating the river. Our local newspaper, The Youngstown Vindicator, ran a full-page article about the desire of the community to revitalize the river, and the Friends of the Mahoning River (FOMR) was born.

Our Board and Officers

Our nonprofit is led by an all volunteer Board of Directors, elected each year by our members. Click here to learn more about our leadership.