FREEDOM BLOC Monthly safety meeting

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at 848 W Exchange St, OH 44302

Reimagining Safety: A Community-Driven Approach​

For too long, when Akronites and Americans think of safety, our minds default to traditional emergency services like police and fire departments. However, the experiences of our communities—marked by instances of police brutality, deaths at the hands of law enforcement, and a mass incarceration crisis that has resulted in a higher number of incarcerated individuals today than the number of enslaved people in the 1800s—have made it clear: the conventional approach to safety is not serving the average American.

The Freedom BLOC believes that true safety lies within the strength and well-being of our community itself. Over the next two years, we will embark on a crucial journey alongside the residents of Akron to collectively define what safety truly means. Our city, like many others, can no longer sustain the disproportionate allocation of taxpayer dollars to a system that has not demonstrably ensured the safety and well-being of all its members.

We aim to critically examine the very definitions of "safety" and "crime." What constitutes a threat to our community? Is it the individual working diligently for 40 hours a week who feels compelled to take necessities from a store to feed their family? Or is the true injustice the systemic failure that allows someone working full-time to remain unable to afford basic sustenance? How does our current model of safety address these fundamental issues?

SAFETY CAMPAIGN PLANNING 2025​

Purpose: To cultivate a shared, community-driven understanding of safety and to collaboratively develop a safety plan that emphasizes collective action and shared responsibility.

Desired Outcomes:

• Expand the Definition of Safety: To move beyond a solely law enforcement-centric view and embrace a holistic understanding that encompasses social, economic, and environmental well-being.

• Deepen Community Engagement: To actively involve residents in the process of defining safety and shaping solutions.

• Cultivate Community Leaders: To identify, support, and empower individuals within the community to champion safety initiatives.

• Shift the Narrative on Safety: To foster a public discourse that recognizes the limitations of current policing models and highlights the importance of community-led solutions.

League of Women Voters Members & Friends Celebration

Saturday January 24, 10am - 12:30pm

292 E Market St, Akron

“How Things Work at the Ohio Statehouse”

Advocacy expert Rachel Coyle will break down how the Ohio Statehouse really works – and how YOU can take action, influence policy and speak truth to power. She will help us understand how to get the government we want by showing us all the ways that we can advocate for ourselves, our families and our future. Lunch and silent auction included with ticket.

RSVP and reserve your lunch HERE.

Film Club X Civic Saturday Akron

Friday, January 23, 7pm

981 W Market St, Akron 44302

Film Club is back for a second year, and we’re so excited to feature Cleveland filmmaker, entrepreneur and artist, Wayne Smith III in our January kick off! Wayne’s body of work centers narrative storytelling, exploring themes of identity, community, science fiction, history, the Black experience, disability, loss, and surrealism. His films are deeply human, thoughtful, and grounded in lived experience.

Join us on Friday, January 23 for a free screening of two of Wayne's short films, plus a sneak peek at a mystery project.

• Max Gains (2023) - A dark comedy about the trust we blindly outsource to others in pursuit of self improvement | Featured Selection: 48 Hour Horror Film Festival & YCR a Night at the Pictures - 8 minutes.

• No Two Flowers (2024) - An immersive documentary about masculinity, disability and how these concepts relate to nature | Featured Selection: Ingenuity Festival 2023 & Borderlight Fringe Theater Festival 2024 - 18 minutes.

• Untitled Mystery Project (2025) - A rough cut of an experimental documentary Opus, dealing with Cleveland, Art, & the DIY Scene - featuring many local talents - 22 minutes.

Stay after the films for conversation and Q+A with Wayne, who will share insights into his creative process and artistic journey. BYOB with popcorn, candy and soft drinks provided.

The location is upstairs at Civic Saturday Akron HQ, in a former church on the corner of W. Market St. and N. Rose Blvd. There is a parking lot around back and free street parking on most surrounding streets.

All are welcome!

If you have accessibility needs or require an accommodation/service to participate, please contact Kristy Clark at kristyclark1@gmail.com

Middlebury Neighborhood Network Meeting

Tuesday January 13, 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Family of Faith UMC, 800 East Market Street, Akron

Got a passion for neighborhood development? Do you call Middlebury home? Looking to meet other Akronites who care about community? Habitat for Humanity invites you to come on over for dinner!

This town hall-style conversation invites residents, leaders, and nonprofits to share what can be done, the actions one can take to address some of these neighborhood issues. Let's work together to create positive change!

Dinner will be provided.

More information on Facebook.

Have any questions? Email ArellT@hfhsummitcounty.org

Volunteer with People Feeding People for the last grocery distro of 2025, Wednesday December 17 at Rosemary Apartments. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

FREEDOM BLOC Monthly safety meeting

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at 848 W Exchange St, OH 44302

Reimagining Safety: A Community-Driven Approach​

For too long, when Akronites and Americans think of safety, our minds default to traditional emergency services like police and fire departments. However, the experiences of our communities—marked by instances of police brutality, deaths at the hands of law enforcement, and a mass incarceration crisis that has resulted in a higher number of incarcerated individuals today than the number of enslaved people in the 1800s—have made it clear: the conventional approach to safety is not serving the average American.

The Freedom BLOC believes that true safety lies within the strength and well-being of our community itself. Over the next two years, we will embark on a crucial journey alongside the residents of Akron to collectively define what safety truly means. Our city, like many others, can no longer sustain the disproportionate allocation of taxpayer dollars to a system that has not demonstrably ensured the safety and well-being of all its members.

We aim to critically examine the very definitions of "safety" and "crime." What constitutes a threat to our community? Is it the individual working diligently for 40 hours a week who feels compelled to take necessities from a store to feed their family? Or is the true injustice the systemic failure that allows someone working full-time to remain unable to afford basic sustenance? How does our current model of safety address these fundamental issues?

SAFETY CAMPAIGN PLANNING 2025​

Purpose: To cultivate a shared, community-driven understanding of safety and to collaboratively develop a safety plan that emphasizes collective action and shared responsibility.

Desired Outcomes:

• Expand the Definition of Safety: To move beyond a solely law enforcement-centric view and embrace a holistic understanding that encompasses social, economic, and environmental well-being.

• Deepen Community Engagement: To actively involve residents in the process of defining safety and shaping solutions.

• Cultivate Community Leaders: To identify, support, and empower individuals within the community to champion safety initiatives.

• Shift the Narrative on Safety: To foster a public discourse that recognizes the limitations of current policing models and highlights the importance of community-led solutions.

Volunteer with People Feeding People for their bi-weekly free grocery distribution, and help bring fresh nutritious food to communities without access to affordable, healthy food. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

Civic Saturday at University of Akron School of Law

Join us on November 15 for the final Civic Saturday of the year, hosted by students and faculty at the University of Akron School of Law, including Civic Saturday Akron Fellow and U of A Professor, Brant Lee, exploring the theme: This Land Is Your Land: What Is Your Connection?

This is a FREE gathering and all are welcome. Please RSVP so we can prepare a comfortable space.

Parking is available in the lot next to the School of Law. Please remember your license plate number and access your free parking voucher upon entering Civic Saturday. We will gather in the first floor atrium. This is an accessible event.

CIVIC MATCHMAKING SPOTLIGHT: Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, leading a collaborative network that empowers people to experience healthy and hunger-free lives. ACRFB distributes food to feed people, and they advocate, engage and convene our community in the fight to end hunger.

Bring these most-needed items to Civic Saturday to support the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank:

• Boxed Cereal

• Canned Soup/Stew

• Canned Tuna

• Canned Vegetables

• Macaroni & Cheese

• Peanut Butter

Other Greatly Needed Items

• Canned Vegetables (beans, green beans, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, tomato products)

• Canned Meats (tuna, salmon, Spam, ham, chicken)

• Canned Meals (stew, chili)

• Canned Fruit (applesauce, peaches, pears, pineapple)

• Condiments and Dressings

• Dried Pasta, Rice and Beans

• Canned Soups

• Cleaning Supplies (laundry supplies, household cleaners)

• Paper Products (paper towels, facial tissue, bathroom tissue)

• Personal Care Items (deodorant, shampoo, bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair care products)

Please do not include previously opened items or glass bottles/jars in your food drive donation.

For more info on items and ACRFB's work, visit akroncantonfoodbank.org

We will also continue accepting items to donate to last month's Civic Matchmaking Spotlight: ACCESS Shelter including new with tags winter outerwear and toiletries.

Thank you for all you do to make our community stronger, brighter, and more connected!

Volunteer with People Feeding People for their bi-weekly free grocery distribution, and help bring fresh nutritious food to communities without access to affordable, healthy food. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

FREEDOM BLOC Monthly safety meeting

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at 848 W Exchange St, OH 44302

Reimagining Safety: A Community-Driven Approach​

For too long, when Akronites and Americans think of safety, our minds default to traditional emergency services like police and fire departments. However, the experiences of our communities—marked by instances of police brutality, deaths at the hands of law enforcement, and a mass incarceration crisis that has resulted in a higher number of incarcerated individuals today than the number of enslaved people in the 1800s—have made it clear: the conventional approach to safety is not serving the average American.

The Freedom BLOC believes that true safety lies within the strength and well-being of our community itself. Over the next two years, we will embark on a crucial journey alongside the residents of Akron to collectively define what safety truly means. Our city, like many others, can no longer sustain the disproportionate allocation of taxpayer dollars to a system that has not demonstrably ensured the safety and well-being of all its members.

We aim to critically examine the very definitions of "safety" and "crime." What constitutes a threat to our community? Is it the individual working diligently for 40 hours a week who feels compelled to take necessities from a store to feed their family? Or is the true injustice the systemic failure that allows someone working full-time to remain unable to afford basic sustenance? How does our current model of safety address these fundamental issues?

SAFETY CAMPAIGN PLANNING 2025​

Purpose: To cultivate a shared, community-driven understanding of safety and to collaboratively develop a safety plan that emphasizes collective action and shared responsibility.

Desired Outcomes:

• Expand the Definition of Safety: To move beyond a solely law enforcement-centric view and embrace a holistic understanding that encompasses social, economic, and environmental well-being.

• Deepen Community Engagement: To actively involve residents in the process of defining safety and shaping solutions.

• Cultivate Community Leaders: To identify, support, and empower individuals within the community to champion safety initiatives.

• Shift the Narrative on Safety: To foster a public discourse that recognizes the limitations of current policing models and highlights the importance of community-led solutions.

Volunteer with People Feeding People for their bi-weekly free grocery distribution, and help bring fresh nutritious food to communities without access to affordable, healthy food. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

Civic Saturday at University of Akron School of Law

How Big is Your Circle? Defining the boundaries of community and the limits of empathy.

Join us on October 18 for the first of two Civic Saturdays this fall, hosted by students and faculty at the University of Akron School of Law, including Civic Saturday Akron Fellow and U of A Professor, Brant Lee.

Together we'll explore questions around empathy, responsibility, (in)justice, mutual aid, and how we as a community can meet the moment.

This is a FREE gathering and all are welcome. Please RSVP so we can prepare a comfortable space.

CIVIC MATCHMAKING SPOTLIGHT: ACCESS Shelter, with a mission to encourage women in the attainment of permanent housing by providing a supportive environment that includes programs of education, advocacy, and empowerment.

We're collecting clothing and toiletries to support ACCESS as they head into a long winter. Please make sure all items are new and unused with tags still attached. You can donate the following items at Civic Saturday 10/18 and 11/15:

• Bras and undergarments (for all genders, sizes, and ages)

• Shampoo + conditioner (for all genders and ages)

• Boots and winter shoes (for all genders, sizes, and ages)

• Winter coats and clothes (for all genders, sizes, and ages

It’s a spooky Film Club! 👻 Join us Friday, October 17 for a mystery movie just in time for Halloween! 🎃

Doors open at 7pm. Showtime 7:30pm. 🎬 Group convo following the film.

Free and open to all but this movie is rated R, so not for the kiddos. 

BYOB for fancy drinks 🍹 and we’ll provide the popcorn, candy and snacks. 🍿

Upstairs in the Civic Saturday space — 981 W Market St corner of W Market and N Rose Blvd. Limited parking available in the back lot and free parking on most surrounding streets. 

For accessiblity-related needs please contact Kristy Clark mailto:kristyclark1@gmail.com

Volunteer with People Feeding People for their bi-weekly free grocery distribution, and help bring fresh nutritious food to communities without access to affordable, healthy food. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

Celebrate everything weird and wonderful about Akron’s historic West Hill neighborhood at Wonderfest!

Kick things off with the West Hill 5K of Wonders – register at bit.ly/5KofWonders25 ! After your run (or walk) through the neighborhood, stick around for live music, a handmade market, food trucks, beer garden, kid’s activities, free art workshops and more!

Register for free WONDERFEST tickets at bit.ly/Wonderfest25

Register for FREE Art workshops HERE!

Volunteer with People Feeding People for their bi-weekly free grocery distribution, and help bring fresh nutritious food to communities without access to affordable, healthy food. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

FREEDOM BLOC Monthly safety meeting

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at 848 W Exchange St, OH 44302

Reimagining Safety: A Community-Driven Approach​

For too long, when Akronites and Americans think of safety, our minds default to traditional emergency services like police and fire departments. However, the experiences of our communities—marked by instances of police brutality, deaths at the hands of law enforcement, and a mass incarceration crisis that has resulted in a higher number of incarcerated individuals today than the number of enslaved people in the 1800s—have made it clear: the conventional approach to safety is not serving the average American.

The Freedom BLOC believes that true safety lies within the strength and well-being of our community itself. Over the next two years, we will embark on a crucial journey alongside the residents of Akron to collectively define what safety truly means. Our city, like many others, can no longer sustain the disproportionate allocation of taxpayer dollars to a system that has not demonstrably ensured the safety and well-being of all its members.

We aim to critically examine the very definitions of "safety" and "crime." What constitutes a threat to our community? Is it the individual working diligently for 40 hours a week who feels compelled to take necessities from a store to feed their family? Or is the true injustice the systemic failure that allows someone working full-time to remain unable to afford basic sustenance? How does our current model of safety address these fundamental issues?

SAFETY CAMPAIGN PLANNING 2025​

Purpose: To cultivate a shared, community-driven understanding of safety and to collaboratively develop a safety plan that emphasizes collective action and shared responsibility.

Desired Outcomes:

• Expand the Definition of Safety: To move beyond a solely law enforcement-centric view and embrace a holistic understanding that encompasses social, economic, and environmental well-being.

• Deepen Community Engagement: To actively involve residents in the process of defining safety and shaping solutions.

• Cultivate Community Leaders: To identify, support, and empower individuals within the community to champion safety initiatives.

• Shift the Narrative on Safety: To foster a public discourse that recognizes the limitations of current policing models and highlights the importance of community-led solutions.

AKRON BLACK ARTIST GUILD presents WORDS INTO ACTION

A community event that will utilize literacy and art to inform and promote good civic character within Akron's collective communities.

🕑: 12:00 PM
Welcome

🕑: 12:30 AM
Performance by Genesis Theatre

🕑: 01:00 PM
Art Making & Conversations

🕑: 02:00 PM
Artist & Community Tables

🕑: 02:30 PM
Closing Remarks

350 South Portage Path Akron, OH 44320

RSVP HERE

TEDx Akron 2025: Shaking the Rules

2:00pm - Saturday, September 13th, 2025
The Knight Stage at The Akron Civic Theater
182 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308

This year’s TEDxAkron event invites speakers who have questioned the status quo, redefined boundaries, or seen the world through a different lens. 2025’s “Shaking the Rules” isn’t just about rebellion—it’s about vision, exploration, and the courage to ask, What if? From bold innovations to quiet revolutions, from rethinking history to redesigning the future, our speakers will explore the gray spaces where transformation happens. Because sometimes, progress isn’t about breaking the rules—it’s about shaking them.

• Are you shaking at the possibility of speaking in 2025? We want to hear from you! This year the TEDxAkron team will be directly curating some speakers and securing others from our open call. Learn more here to consider if this year and this theme is the right fit for your TEDxAkron speaker interests.

• Are you interested in becoming a 2025 Shaking The Rules Sponsor? Become one of the leading companies, businesses, or individuals who are excited to support one of the brightest events of the year, celebrating Akron’s big ideas in 2025. Learn more here to help us make Akron a bigger, smarter, more wonderful place to live.

a joyful neighborhood gathering to celebrate community and shared civic power!

Saturday, august 9 in highland square

This Civic Saturday, we’re talking about civic love: “the bond of trust and affection that turns strangers into neighbors and place into home.”

Join us for a morning of music, poetry, and conversation featuring Kristy Clark, Evelyn Rizzo, Gabe Minson, David Swirsky, Will Blake, and keynote speaker Dominic Moore-Dunson.

Stay after the program for Civic Matchmaking, to connect with amazing Akron organizations offering resources and ways to make a difference, including:

Akron Cooperative Farms

Akron Dream Hotline

Carve Your Own Path 

Curated Storefront

Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center

League of Women Voters

Students With A Goal

The Summit FM

United Way of Summit and Medina

• 10 AM coffee, donuts, conversation

• 10:30 music, poetry, civic reflection

• 12 PM Civic Matchmaking Hour!

Tickets are free, but your RSVP helps us design a great space with plenty of coffee and treats!

FAQS and location details here. Have a burning question? Email us!

Is your organization or community group looking to raise awareness and connect with potential volunteers, donors, and folks seeking your services? Join us for Civic Matchmaking! Apply here to represent your organization at Civic Saturday.

Civic Saturday Akron began in 2024 with a handful of neighbors hosting gatherings designed in a model developed by Citizen University in Seattle. In Akron, they took shape as vibrant intergenerational gatherings of 80 to 100 people in an old church-turned-family-home in Highland Square. Word spread, and in 2025, Citizen University brought their Seattle team to Akron to train nineteen Fellows in the Civic Saturday Fellowship program. We are proud to be their first city-focused cohort out of 27 graduating classes. Subscribe to the Civic Saturday newsletter for upcoming events and opportunities hosted by the Civic Saturday Akron Fellows.

AKRON BLACK ARTIST GUILD PRESENTS ART IN BLOOM

In Cuyahoga Valley National Park! Led by professional teaching artists, attendees will explore unique art mediums while connecting to nature and promoting well-being.

RSVP for FREE TICKETS

• Check-In for Art in Bloom will take place on paved area near the Boston pedestrian bridge (Finding Our Way Home mural).

• All Supplies provided except for camera or a phone needed to participate in Photography Workshop

• Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in all three workshops. Each workshop will run four times from 10:00am to 3:00pm

• Parking is available at Boston Trailhead, 1498 Boston Mills Rd West, Peninsula, OH 44264.

It’s time for another Film Club 🎬 and we can’t wait to gather for “Gather”—  a powerful documentary on Indigenous food sovereignty.

Join us next Friday, July 18 at 7pm for a free screening of “Gather” with community conversation to follow. 💫

Get there early to mix and mingle 🍿with popcorn, snacks and sodas on the house. Doors open at 6:30pm. BYOB those fancy drinks. 🍹

Meet us upstairs in the Civic Saturday space in the former church on the corner of W Market and N Rose (981 W Market St). Bus line 1 stops out front. Parking lot around back and free street parking on most surrounding streets.

Questions, ideas for future Film Clubs? Email us! 💌

Volunteer with People Feeding People for their bi-weekly food drop, and help bring fresh nutritious food to communities without access to affordable, healthy groceries. Set up begins at 3:30pm, folks arrive for groceries at 5:30pm. Volunteers are invited to go through the line and stock up on delicious free food. Sign up at https://volunteersignup.org/WT8Q9

GAYME Night OUT is happening every month in 2025!

Come join us at The Green Dragon Inn Board Game Bar and Cafe in downtown Akron anytime from 6-11pm, every 2nd Monday of every month!

An LGBTQ+ and Allied event for all ages to play board games, card games, enjoy snacks - and we even offer a crafting corner for folks who want to bring a craft to make, a book to read, or their knitting to spend time with community too!

Come out and celebrate the 4th of July (a little early) the old fashioned way at July's West Hill Wednesday! West Hill Neigbhorhood Association is hosting a cookout and pie baking contest for this month's West Hill Wednesday. WHNO is providing free food and drinks, you bring the pies. A West Hill panel of celebrity judges will give out fabulous prizes for the top three pies. The competition is stiff, so bring your best pie game!

We'll also have music, games, craft activities for kids and adults, and more neighbors than you can shake a sparkler at.

Bring your family, friends, neighbors, and friendly pets for a fun night out in our neighborhood.

Tickets are not required, but they sure help us plan! Reserve your free tickets at bit.ly/July25WHW.

Questions? You can contact us at hello@whno.org.

#akron #AkronOH #akronohio #akronevents #westhill #westhillakron #westhillakronohio