One in four teens who have been in a serious relationship say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family. Does this apply to you or someone in your life?

This statistic, among many more, is provided by the Tina Project, an organizational collaborative that helps Ohio schools meet and exceed state laws in order to prevent teen dating violence and promote healthy healing.

The project assists schools by providing classroom-based education, professional training for teachers and school personnel, policy assistance, crisis intervention and support services and assistance in building relationships with domestic violence and rape crisis agencies. More recently, the project has launched a free educational webcast on topics of teen dating violence for educators and school personnel in collaboration with The Battered Women's Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties.

One of a Kind Pets is looking to turn one man’s trash into another’s treasure to find homes for homeless animals through the organization's 2nd annual Rummage Sale, which takes place July 7. Every Wednesday until then the nonprofit will host a drop-off from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the shelter's drive-through location next to the spay and neuter clinic at 1710 West Exchange St. in Akron.

If you’ve done your spring cleaning and have gently used clothing and other items, One of a Kind Pets encourages you to donate.

One of a Kind Pets lives up to its name: creating a safe haven for abandoned, abused, and stray animals in imminent danger of euthanasia. The group rescues more than 1,200 animals a year, giving 1,154 a home last year.

The Humility of Mary Housing Organization (also known as HM Life) is a non-profit organization that has provided supportive services and quality transitional housing to poor and homeless residents in the Akron area for more than 20 years. This is exactly why retired Army veteran Phyllis Flint, 56, felt that she was all wrong for the program when they reached out to her.

Flint, who describes herself as being “at the door to being homeless” just a few short months ago, asserts that she did, in fact, have a place to live and a job with a steady income. “The house I was renting had been foreclosed so I did need to move,” explained Flint. “I was only looking for assistance with the security deposit I needed to get into another place and that’s when H.M. Life contacted me about living in their new Glory House.”

Located within the building opened in 1987 as H.M. Life’s first location on Copley Road in Akron, The Glory House includes eight units – four of which were designated specifically for female veterans and their children earlier this year.

One of a Kind Pet Rescue recently hosted a “Sneak Peek” Open House for its new 9,000 square foot, state-of-the-art adoption center and retail outlet at 1929 W. Market St. For the past five years, One of a Kind Pets has operated its adoption and retail center out of a retail store front located on one side of a gas station at the intersection of West Market Street and Hawkins Avenue in Akron.

Imagine waking up at 3 a.m. every day to get to work. This is a reality for many of the clients at H.M. Life Opportunity Services in Akron who have recently escaped homelessness and have no individual method of transportation.

While the city focuses on job growth and creation, a recent study asserts that attention should be given to passion and love of place instead.

Social offerings, aesthetics and openness are more critical to residents than basic services and economy, according to a three-year Gallup study of Akron in coordination with the Knight Foundation.

As northeast Ohioans experience yet another winter-driving season, safety is of the utmost importance. Drivers, especially those with small children, take every precaution to avoid accidents. But one area agency recognizes that not all drivers have the knowledge or the means to fully protect children, and it is working hard to change that. Summit County Safe Kids Coalition, one of 280 Safe Kids programs nationally, works with local agencies to protect children from preventable, unintentional injuries.

Do you know what your calling is?Every person on Earth has one – something unique, something only you were born to do.That’s your real job: to figure out what your calling is and begin to honor it.

The Pajama Program is a New York-based charity that was founded in 2001 by Genevieve Piturro.For Genevieve, realizing her passion took a little bit of soul searching.As a marketing executive and single woman in her 30s, she focused on climbing the corporate ladder.Then at age 38, she met her husband, and the pair started settling into a life together – but something was missing.