You know, I truly believe I’m a better person because I moved back home. Washington, D.C. gave me the knowledge and experience of doing business, learning business, innovating business. It was a place where ideation and my continual need to grow weren’t just accepted — they were fed. Could I have done that here? Who knows. All I know is where it happened for me.

But over time, there was a part of me that felt like it was getting lost in the world I was living in. I became very transactional. And yes, that approach made me successful for a while. But fulfilled? No. Not even close.

I knew I needed to come home — to find that part of myself I had lost along the way.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it a thousand times again: The people in the Valley are the most amazing people. You have heart. You have the ability to connect, to ideate, to create — not just for your own gain, but for the betterment of the community around you. I needed that. I needed you.

You know the saying: Surround yourself with the people who reflect where you want to go. Well, that’s exactly what I’ve done.

We are so blessed here. Blessed with people who give back. Blessed with opportunities for anyone — in any stage of life — to give back in whatever way they can. You don’t need to be a millionaire to make an impact. You can be someone who has been helped or is still being helped and still wants to do something meaningful for others.

Look at the nonprofits in this Valley. They don’t just fill gaps; they support each other. Project MKC (Making Kids Count) doesn’t just serve its own mission — it also supports its partner agencies so they can fulfill theirs. United Way in Mahoning not only runs its own programs but also provides grant support for other nonprofits to thrive. Dylan’s House exists because founders who were focused on supporting their own family asked themselves, “How can we help others, too?”

Even our races and runs aren’t just events — they’re opportunities to give back. Everywhere you turn, there are people doing good simply because it needs to be done.

I could go on and on. I am genuinely blessed to be surrounded by these human beings. These humans helped bring back the heart I’d misplaced along the way. They softened the edges, removed the transaction and gave me back a sense of balance.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I will still get done what needs to get done. My earnest directness is part of who I am (and even when I’m wrong, at least I throw myself fully into my wrongness). But that directness now carries something it didn’t before: purpose rooted in community.

And maybe that’s the real magic of this place — the way Youngstown quietly fills your cup without asking for anything in return. The way people show up, again and again, not for applause or recognition, but because doing good is simply who they are. Because here, kindness isn’t a headline. It’s a habit.

Heck, we have nearly 4,500 nonprofit-type organizations in just Trumbull and Mahoning counties.

When I look around at the volunteers bundled up in the cold, the small-business owners who stay open a little later for one more customer, neighbors shoveling each other’s driveways simply because they can, the officers and firefighters working through the holidays, and the county crews salting roads long before the rest of us are awake — I’m reminded that this Valley is held together by thousands of everyday heroes.

The kind you pass in the grocery store. The kind who knows your grandmother. The kind who don’t need a title to make an impact.

These are the people who helped me find my heart again. Who reminded me that success without connection is lonely, and that community — real community — can change the entire trajectory of a person’s life. They have given me back the part of myself I didn’t even realize I was missing.

So, to all of you who give your time, your talent, your resources, your kindness — thank you. Whether you’re running an organization, showing up for a friend or simply making this place a little better in the quiet ways no one sees, you matter more than you know.

And if no one has told you this lately — you are the reason the Valley feels like home. You are the reason people like me come back. And you are the reason I’m proud, every single day, to live here.

Mother, author, entrepreneur and founder of Dandelion-Inc, Lisa Resnick wants to hear your story. Share memories with her by emailing lisa@dandelion-inc.com.