Sister Jerome Corcoran, founder of Sister Jerome’s Poor, Millcreek Children’s Center and the Youngstown Community School, will be honored at 5:30 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 11 at The Georgetown Banquet Center, 5945 South Ave., at a Centennial Celebration of her life and work.
      Sister Jerome’s 100th birthday will be in Apr., 2016.
      All proceeds from the celebration will benefit Sister Jerome’s Poor, a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that provides mentoring, financial aid and support to inner-city youth and families.
      Sister Jerome has addressed the needs of Mahoning Valley children for more than 70 years. She earned a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in 1952 and supervised education in the Diocese of Youngstown for 15 years.
      In 1976, she founded Millcreek Children’s Center, which she directed 36 years.
      In 1998, Sister Jerome, Sister Mary Dunn and Developing Potential Inc. and founded a charter school, Youngstown Community School. She led both schools until 2012.
      At the age of 96, Sister Jerome established Sister Jerome’s Poor under the auspices of the Ursuline Sisters. Her mission is to help working poor families in emergencies and help 12 inner-city college students graduate and obtain good jobs. Her program’s success rate among college students is 84 per cent, and in the last year, Sister Jerome’s Poor has helped more than 400 working poor residents of Youngstown.
      The centennial dinner is $45 per person. For reservations, call Sister Jerome’s Poor at 330-792-7636. All reservations and contributions are due by Sept. 30. Benefactors and special gifts will be recognized in the Tribute Book, which will soon go to press. For more information regarding the Tribute Book, contact Bernadette at 330-792-6033.
      Honorary co-chairpersons of the Centennial Celebration are Clarence and Rosemarie Smith, Dr. and Mrs. John C. York, Rev. Morris Lee, Jim and Ellen Tressel, Harry Meshel, Dr. George Beelen, Phil Dennison, Christine Dennison, Patricia Syak, Dee Crawford, and Lou Zona.
      General co-chairpersons are James Pazol, Mark Munroe, Tony Mancino and Donna Bricker.
      Sister Jerome’s Poor operates from The Ursuline Center, 4280 Shields Rd., Canfield, (330-792-7636).
      In addition to Sister Jerome, the Advisory Committee for Sister Jerome’s Poor includes Donna Bricker, James Colella, Sister Nancy Dawson, Sister Mary Dunn, Charles T. George, Joseph T. Joseph, Tony Mancino, Sister Mary McCormick, Mark E. Munroe, James L. Pazol, Gerald A. Peskin, Clarence R. Smith, Gere Weller, and Joan Yanchick.