SEEKING TO SERVE — Members of the Sycamore Corps youth service organization stood with their adult mentor, Steve Forte, during the Ohio Valley Youth Network and Sycamore Youth Center 2025 Banquet Thursday. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Youth participants and adult leaders shared with a crowd of hundreds the ways Sycamore Youth Center and the Ohio Valley Youth Network have bettered their lives and the community, Thursday.

The OVYN and Sycamore’s 2025 banquet in the Steubenville High School cafeteria featured guest speakers and youth talent performances, all to raise funds for the organizations working to make a difference in local children’s lives.

Sycamore provides after-school programming with an emphasis on life skills at its primary center in Steubenville and a secondary branch that meets at Indian Creek Middle School. Both Sycamore locations are initiatives of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit OVYN, an alliance of community members working to create positive programs for children in the Upper Ohio Valley.

Acting as the banquet’s emcee was Bobbyjon Bauman, OVYN president and Sycamore director, who told of the impact Sycamore’s programs have on children who attend.

“Most of the kids who we work with kind of fall through the cracks. They might not be involved in sports, they might not be involved in the arts, but they find a place to come after school at Sycamore to find worth and values in their lives and, ultimately, find Jesus Christ. … We are able to give them spiritual hope, not just physical, emotional, educational hope.”

TALENT ON DISPLAY — Harding Middle School eighth-grader Cooper Crowe was one of several 2024 Valley’s Got Talent participants who performed during the Ohio Valley Youth Network and Sycamore Youth Center 2025 Banquet Thursday. -- Christopher Dacanay

The Rev. Jim Baber, a board member for the organizations, led an opening prayer, saying, “We pray, dear lord, that this event may be successful and fruitful, as we give our support to a worthwhile center … that serves so many of our youth and gives them another opportunity to see life differently.”

Another of Sycamore’s initiatives is the annual Valley’s Got Talent and its Kids Edition counterpart. Some of the Christian talent show’s participants shared their gifts with banquet attendees: Evan Conn, Dalana Bove, Lynzee Ensell and Cooper Crowe.

Attendees also witnessed the Sycamore Classical Choir and Sycamore Folk Dancers in action — the latter with musical accompaniment from folk band Faire May, whose members have been longtime Sycamore partners.

Next, a lineup of speakers gave insight into various Sycamore and OVYN programs, plus the good they’ve produced.

Madison McCoy participates in Sycamore’s weekly after-school classes, of which there are 64 total, covering sewing, music, drama, cooking, entrepreneurship, Bible study and more. McCoy said it’s “really amazing” how Sycamore conveys lessons about God in a fun way.

“Sycamore means, to me, a place where people can come and feel safe and they can learn about the lord and learn about God,” she said.

Martariesa Logue shared about ICMS Sycamore Stars, the Indian Creek Sycamore branch that brings the center’s programming closer to students living in the school district. Taking place after school, Sycamore Stars incorporates math and English tutoring according to grant requirements.

“It’s teaching them how to think, it’s teaching them how to get ready for real-life situations,” Logue said. “(Volunteers) are teaching their kids how to shake hands, look them in the eye, get ready for those job interviews …”

Alex “Cookie” West, who’s been a volunteer at Sycamore’s Steubenvile location for more than four years, encouraged attendees to contribute their time, finances and talents to Sycamore and its mission.

“(Kids) are learning Biblical principles and standards because there is order in the house of God,” West said.

Katie Forsythe, a social worker with Jefferson County Children Services, described the joy and spiritual comfort that kids from McCollough Children’s Home derive from attending Sycamore, as well as the much-needed consistency that adult volunteers offer.

“It’s a safe place to be. As children’s services, first and foremost, we’re looking out for the safety and protection of our kids,” she said, adding, “They are not only physically safe, but the Sycamore provides emotional safety, mental safety, direction, guidance, consistency.”

Melissa Hudson, the parent of three previous Sycamore students, said the centers instills hope, adding, “Through the everyday interactions that they have with our kids, the love that they’re pouring into them, showing them their worth and how important they are in this world, they’re giving our kids that motivation.”

Her daughter, Cabela Hudson, thanked Bauman and Sycamore for making hope thrive in Steubenville. Sycamore’s cosmetology class inspired her to pursue being a cosmetologist and “give back to the community that has raised me.”

Steve Forte, mentor for the youth service organization Sycamore Corps, introduced members of the group, who’d been helping the banquet function all night. Open to kids from age 10 to 18, the program sees kids wear uniforms and engage in service — packing meals for cancer patients or serving at soup kitchens, for example — in exchange for rewarding trips or events.

“This is a group of kids that, when they get their first job …, will already have a work history that is pages and pages long,” he said.

Bauman has helped local students form chapters of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a voluntary, faith-based extracurricular program. Several students from those programs were present to share how the program has benefited them.

Josiah Rea, a leader of the Steubenville High School FCA, said the group has “always had a special place in my heart because it allows me to get together with my fellow believers and speak about our lord, Jesus Christ every time we all come together.”

Gianna Zimmerman, a leader of the Edison High School FCA, said she’s enjoyed speaking with her peers about how a relationship with God impacts one’s athletics and life in general. FCA has made her more outgoing and “better at spreading (God’s) word throughout my school.”

Cole Bowers, a kicker for the Big Red football team, told of how Bauman holds a Bible study for the team before every game. Each study draws around 30 players, Bowers said, expressing gratitude for Bauman, who he called a “positive role model in our community.”

Camden Greiner, an SHS FCA member, is also the leader of a home Bible study that has grown from five to 17 members in the past four weeks. After reflecting on Generation Z’s “hunger for God,” Greiner thanked Bauman and the FCA for “everything they’re doing to help bring this generation closer to God.”

Bauman acknowledged the event’s sponsors and all those who contributed toward making the banquet a success. He also played a video advertisement for Sycamore, featuring student testimonials, and thanked Steubenville City Schools for allowing him to teach Bible classes as an elective for credit.

Additionally, Bauman recalled a former student who came from an abusive household. That girl’s expression was “stone cold” when she first found her way to Sycamore, but after attending for years and becoming more involved as a volunteer, her entire demeanor changed. Bauman said she is now in college, studying to become a youth minister.

“That’s the difference Sycamore can make in one life,” he said. “I can tell you a ton more stories, not just about this one young lady, but we touch the hearts and lives — by God’s grace — of hundreds of people each week.”

The Rev. Peter Wingerter led a closing prayer, asking God to “send his spirit upon us, upon the Sycamore Center and upon the whole Ohio Valley.”