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WINTERSVILLE -- Social work has been Russ Curry's obedience to a faith calling as much as his career and means to earn a living.
That 55-year commitment puts the Wintersville resident in the spotlight when he will accept the Region 4 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers today at 7 p.m. through a virtual presentation on the website of what is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world. It boasts more than 130,000 members nationwide and 4,700 in Ohio.
The Youngstown Area Region 4 covers Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Geauga, Harrison, Jefferson, Lake, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
"Each year the NASW Ohio Chapter recognizes exceptional social workers, students, agencies, public citizens and elected officials whose work, in service to their communities, reflects the values of the social work profession," website information notes. The Lifetime Achievement Award category "celebrates an Ohio social worker's lifetime of accomplishments."
Regional award winners are selected from the nominees of each of the eight NASW Ohio regions. From them, one statewide award winner will be selected from each of the social award categories with that news announced come January.
A board of directors member for A Caring Place Child Advocacy Center in Wintersville, Curry was nominated for the honor by Doug Knight of Steubenville, who worked under Curry in years past, but news of the achievement was brought to the newspaper's attention by Amy Lingerfelt, the new director of A Caring Place, located at 705 Canton Road.
Curry became the volunteer interim director of A Caring Place Child Advocacy Center in August, remaining in that role until Lingerfelt was appointed director in September with Curry then appointed to its board of directors.
"In two months' time, Russ was able to secure new funding streams and improve community relations on behalf of the agency," Lingerfelt notes. "He was able to update agency policies to better care for staff and the families the agency serves.
"Russ always puts doing the right thing above all else," Lingerfelt commented. "He has always worked selflessly and tirelessly to improve our community. This award is highly deserved, and I am personally so proud to work alongside him."
Curry's connection to A Caring Place, however, dates back to its beginning in the county more than 20 years ago. Its mission to be a leading advocate in the healing and prevention of child abuse, the nonprofit provides "a safe, comfortable, private, child-friendly environment for child abuse victims and their families with a goal of minimizing the trauma of child abuse while providing an effective means to gather necessary information for successful prosecution of offenders," according to its Facebook information.
"While at Catholic Charities in New Castle, Pa., I was involved in setting up a Child Advocacy Center there, so I was familiar with it and recognized the need for one in Jefferson County," explained Curry, who was instrumental in its establishment here, commissioning a staff member to write the proposal for funding.
Learning at a board meeting in July that the program was shutting down because of a lack of funding and leadership, Curry said his first response was "this can't happen." He agreed to serve as interim director, citing his main focus "was to get funding for the continued operation rather than closing the doors, which I was able to do." He cited the Prevention Recovery Board and Jefferson County Job and Family Services as the primary funders.
In his nomination letter, Knight, a NASW Ohio Chapter 4 member, wrote, "Russ' responsibilities as interim director included victim assistance, personnel and fiscal management, public relations, policy development and administration, planning and evaluation."
Social work wasn't initially something that interested Curry, a Pittsburgh native, or a career he envisioned himself in.
"No it was not," he said during a phone interview earlier this week. "Actually I was majoring in mechanical engineering and then I made a commitment to serve through my commitment to the Lord and changed my major to psychology with the intent of getting my masters in social work," he said.
Curry graduated from Geneva College, a Christian college in Beaver Falls, Pa., with a bachelor's of science degree in psychology. "Interestingly enough, I was supposed to start working for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare on a Friday, and I received my draft notice on Thursday of the same week," he said.
Curry served in the Army from 1966 to 1968, that latter year refusing a direct commission as a second lieutenant in the military because he wanted to get his masters degree in social work. "I worked a couple years at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and the reason I was working there was a federal program called Professional Education Program that provided for you to go on to your MSW, which is a master in social work."
He graduated with that in 1972 from the University of Pittsburgh, he explained, noting that in 1979 he was hired to start a drug and alcohol outpatient program in Beaver County, Pa. "It was called Drug and Alcohol Services of Beaver Valley Inc., which is still in operation 42 years later," he said.
A licensed independent social worker with a supervision certification, Curry explained he was recruited to work for the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. "I was a county administrator in four of the six counties over a seven-year period, and then I was recruited to come to Jefferson County Children Services Board in 1991 and was director of social services and then became the executive director in 1999." It's now known as the Jefferson County Department of Job and Family Services, Children Services Division.
From there, Curry went on to oversee Family Services Association on North Fourth Street in downtown Steubenville. "The nonprofit mental health agency made it a priority to serve, through a variety of human services, underprivileged families within the city of Steubenville," Knight wrote in his nomination.
Curry worked there until 2016 when it closed. Established in 1905, it was the oldest social service agency in Jefferson County, he said.
"Russ then moved forward to providing counseling services to individuals and families in need within the Coleman Health Services, formerly known as Coleman Professional Services," Knight wrote. "Coleman Health Services, a nonprofit organization, currently provides a number of services such as clinical (mental health), supportive (guardianship/family care), residential (housing) and employment services to those in need not only in Jefferson County, but also throughout the northeastern part of Ohio."
Curry noted that his social work career and his skill set have been a means through which to serve God, fulfilling what he believes to have been his calling. It has brought him a sense of satisfaction.
"I think I have recognized through my experience that the Lord gave me some vision of being able to see the needs of the community and what kind of services can meet those needs as well as some leadership qualities in implementing those visions," he explained.
Given that he was an adjunct professor of social work for more than 20 years, Curry noted he had a two-job career that encompassed teaching as well as the practical application of social work.
"I used to tell my students to look for what your gifts are in your faith walk," Curry said of his time teaching at Geneva College and at Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Retirement doesn't mean an end to helping others.
"Russ is deeply rooted in the Christian faith where he and his wife, Cyndi, regularly engage in Christian ministry services at Crossroads Christian Church in Wintersville," Knight wrote in his nomination letter. "According to his wife, Russ' greatest service is to the Lord Jesus Christ and he truly loves serving others with this Christian foundation as the cornerstone to his service."
Asked for his thoughts on the award, Curry commented, "I was surprised. I didn't know I was going to be nominated so it's very much a surprise."
He added of his future plans, "I will continue to navigate my walk with God until he takes me home."