041525...R RISING UP 1...Warren...04-15-25...Rising Up and Moving On guest speaker Christine Snipes of Youngstown, Doctor of Physical Therapy, gives her inspirational talk during the luncheon...by R. Michael Semple

WARREN — Trumbull County Children Services honored more than just the success stories at their award ceremony Tuesday. They also honored the resilience of parents, families and the dedicated professionals who stood beside them.

The event, at DiVieste’s Banquet Centre, carried the 2025 theme “Hope flutters on painted wings, reminding us that transformation is possible,” a tribute to the new beginnings of award recipients.

Community leaders, including family service agencies, court officials, law enforcement and foster parents, attended to recognize this year’s honorees, the recipients of the Rising Up and Moving On, Sister Jean Orsuto Service to Children, and Executive Director awards.

Christine Snipes, a doctor of physical therapy and advocate for domestic violence survivors, delivered the keynote address at the annual awards ceremony.

A Youngstown native, Snipes said she entered the care of Mahoning County Children Services Board at 18 months after her mother’s death. She later survived physical and emotional abuse in a marriage and survived the loss of two children to medical conditions.

“I think I was invited here today because if you read the stories of the individuals being honored, they have indeed overcome some hardships,” Snipes said in an interview before the event. “My goal is to share with them that there are ups and downs, but we do not have to allow the downs to break us.”

Snipes credited her foster parents, Bernice and James Smith, for changing the trajectory of her life. At 15, while in their care, she had a child but was held to high expectations.

“She told me, ‘You’re going to do what I tell you to do, or I will kill your soul and bare your spirit to the root,'” Snipes said. “But what she really said was, ‘You’re not a lost cause.'”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Youngstown State University in 2005, Snipes completed her doctorate in physical therapy in 2008. She now serves as an associate pastor at Agape Assembly and sits on the advisory board of Someplace Safe, a domestic violence shelter.

The awards ceremony honored several individuals, including Jennifer Drvodelic and Brittany Tadsen, recipients of the Rising Up and Moving On Award for families who rebuilt stable homes with agency support. The Sister Jean Orsuto Service to Children Award recognized community advocates, including Ken Bigley, Dan Bereck, Deputy Jay First, Attorney Thomas Carey and Luther Stubbs.

CSB Executive Director Marilyn Pape highlighted the agency’s recent initiatives, including a sober-living program for mothers and children and treatment for children in foster care, both funded by grants.

Snipes shared how her resilience helped her find meaning, “Finding purpose in your pain, that has been my foundation,” she said. “Because of what I’ve been through, it strategically positioned me to help others.”