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GiGi’s Playhouse Canton is fulfilling the dream of the Down syndrome community of having a location where individuals with Down syndrome of all ages have a place to call their own, where they feel safe and can explore their abilities through proven programs with support and celebration. Parents no longer feel the anxiety of finding a place where their loved one will be unconditionally accepted and offered opportunity to become their best of all.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio mails kids one free book each month until his or her 5th birthday. Any child in Ohio between birth and age 5 is eligible for the program, which is available at no cost to families. Sponsored by the Stark Library in Stark County.

Community safety net linking families to resources and social services.

• Community Support Services (Mental Health & Substance/Alcohol Abuse) – Identify, Link, and Support individuals and families through the mental health and alcohol and substance abuse system.
• Community Response Team (Trauma Care and Community Violence) – Refer, Assist, and Advocate for individuals and/or families experiencing trauma.
• Infant Mortality (THRIVE) – Identify and Support women through their pregnancies to reduce infant mortality.

IDEA House is a K-12 year-round, private, faith-based school for children with Autism located in Canal Fulton.

Bridge Point connects people with hope by helping with everyday needs, providing learning opportunities, and equipping people for life.

Hope Card Program: Free personal care + household items for families in Canton Local, Sandy Valley & East Canton school districts.

Resource Center Hours:
Wed 4:00–7:00pm
Thu 9:00am–12:00pm

Thrift Store: Open to the public (most items not priced)—hours listed below.

EN-RICH-MENT empowers and uplifts youth, families, and community by providing access to education, arts, health, and life skills opportunities to inspire growth, creativity, and a brighter future for all (focused on ages 5-18).

Shared services provided by the Stark County ESC include special education and pre-school classes, psychologists and other related service providers, curriculum development and supervision, and professional development.  The Stark County ESC serves as the fiscal agent for Help Me Grow, CARE Teams, the Stark/Portage Area Computer Consortium, Stark County Family Council, Stark County Schools’ Council of Governments and State Support Team 9.

Provides mentoring programs inside partner school districts during lunch and on weekends/after school in Massillon and Canton for K-12th grade students.

Serving the Canton community with:

• Emergency food pantry
• Diaper/Feminine hygiene distribution
• To-go meals (soup kitchen/bagged)
• Rental/utility assistance (as funding allows)
• Showers
• Seasonal assistance (back-to-school supplies/Christmas help)
• Recreation + educational programs (adults & children)

Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) is a workforce development and career readiness organization dedicated to empowering young adults in Stark County to achieve personal and professional success.

Public school system in Perry Township.

We strive to educate the whole child and provide high-quality learning experiences. This profile highlights our educational programs, arts, sports, and partnerships, which will help our stakeholders evaluate our effectiveness beyond standardized testing measures.

Stark Parks offers a diverse range of educational programs and specialized services focused on environmental stewardship, wildlife protection, and local history. Offerings are designed to be flexible, with many programs available at park locations or as outreach services at organization sites.

Offers mandatory career and educational guidance to Stark County youth and adults preparing to take the GED test through Ohio’s test voucher program.

• Career programs offered at Fairless, Tuslaw, Northwest, Louisville, Minerva and Malvern schools.

4-H Youth Development located here, offering hands-on activities to help youth between the ages of 5 and 19 develop lifelong learning skills. Visit ohio4h.org for more information.

Massillon Museum is an art and history museum in downtown Massillon.

• Admission is always free
• Offers free or low-cost classes, workshops, and events for all ages
• Sensory Room is available

Member of Museums for All, offering reduced membership pricing and program discounts to those receiving SNAP benefits, and Blue Star Museums, offering membership and program discounts to active duty military personnel and their families.

• Elementary School: (330) 488-0392
• Middle School: (330) 488-0334
• High School: (330) 488-0316

Located in downtown Canton, the Campus is home to Goodwill offices and 20+ other non-profit organizations that share collaborative outreach to the community and find efficiencies through shared space and services.

Goodwill is a nonprofit, social service agency dedicated to improving the lives of all people by providing skill-building programs and services needed to help remove common barriers to good jobs and independence.

Public school district serving western Stark County.

• Provides several educational programs through the Minerva Local School District.
  • We work with Community Safety Net to provide books to school children in which our SRO Tony Albertoni will read to the children, and each child is provided with a book.
• Business safety trainings
• Elderly/Veteran Watch Program: We provide welfare checks on those who reside alone.
  • This program works with several businesses and non-profit organizations that provide donations such as food,

A youth development organization that uses the game of golf to teach youth ages 5 – 18 essential life skills and healthy habits. They provide programs all year-round and also do after-school and utilize trained adult coaches that mentor the youth that attend classes. Programs and classes vary depending on the program and season. Scholarships are also available.

FEMI’s mission is to provide services that unite and strengthen families and individuals.

Individualized education program for children with Autism and other developmental disabilities.

The Canton Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is a professional performing arts organization dedicated to enriching the Stark County community through live orchestral music, educational programming, and meaningful engagement opportunities.

Through our MasterWorks and Employers Health Pops concert series, the CSO presents world-class performances featuring professional musicians, guest artists, and conductors of national and international acclaim. These concerts are designed to inspire, challenge, and entertain diverse audiences in a variety of settings.

Beyond the concert hall,

Lighthouse Ministries has devised a multi-pronged approach to supporting and empowering neighborhood children and teens: The After-School Program, The Summer Activities Project, Cultivate, and The Evening Youth Ministry Clubs.

Northeastern Ohio’s premier workforce development and training centers that connects job seekers with employers by providing numerous resources in a single location

Serving Stark County employers and job seekers with access to all community partner programs, education, training, counseling and employment opportunities.

Ensuring the accessibility of health services to all Massillon residents:

• Preventing communicable diseases
• Reducing pollution
• Health education programs
• Pest control
• WIC: Nutrition education program that provides nutritious foods that promote good health for pregnant women, women who just had a baby, breastfeeding moms and infants and children up to age five (5)
• Pop-up food pantry: On the third Tuesday of each month from 12-2pm

Future Promise, Inc. is a Canton-based 501(c)(3) youth development and family support organization dedicated to empowering at-risk and justice-involved youth, young adults, and families through stabilizing services, skill-building, and community connection. Our mission is to close educational and opportunity gaps by providing safe spaces, structured programming, and access to resources that promote self-sufficiency, confidence, and long-term success.

Education options for adults in Stark County.

Career programs offered through the Stark Career Compact:

• Biomedical sciences
• Business management
• Construction tech
• Culinary arts
• Interactive media
• Medical technology
• Pre-engineering
• Teaching professions
• Video production
• Welding

Career Technical Education – Helping students to develop professional skills and experience to prepare them for future employment:

• Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)
• Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
• Skills USA
• Business Professionals of America (BPA)
• Educators Rising
• Junior Achievement

Free GED classes for students in Minerva. Register for classes on Mondays at 9 a.m. (registrations may take up to three hours).

Volunteers working together to raise awareness, education and advocacy to protect and serve local victims of human trafficking. Learn more on Facebook.

Mad Science of Northeast Ohio provides engaging hands-on STEM programming to children ages preschool to 6th grade. We provide after school programs, summer camps, school assemblies, in-school curriculum workshops, preschool workshops, birthday parties, hand-on exploration stations, and more to families throughout Northeast Ohio.

Approximately 2000 students are enrolled in our three schools: Faircrest Memorial Elementary (Grades PreK-5), Canton South Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Canton South High School (Grades 9-12).

• Backpack Program – Weekend backpack meals every Friday for qualifying students.
• Career programs offered through the South Stark Career Academy.

Project launches, school-based partnerships and summer camps that empower middle school students to imagine the world as it could be and put those dreams into action.

• Provides emergency shelter to the homeless and tools to help them get back on their feet and become self-sufficient.
• Offers early care and education services to children that enhance their development and prepare them to be successful as they transition to kindergarten.
• Also has spaces available for community members and businesses to rent for meetings and events.