Charmaine is a resident of Cleveland, where she works as a procurement specialist during the day and in her spare time is a freelance writer, blogger, and community change agent. She enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering with the non profit organization Men & Women of Central to help make a positive impact in her community. She aspires to one day become a best selling author.

As local colleges reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, they’ve expanded efforts to provide food and emergency aid to students who are impacted by COVID-19—especially those who don't have family support.

Inventive entrepreneur Hikia “Coco” Dixon is taking 5th Street Arcades by storm with her two shops. Now, she's taken over 20,000 square feet in the Arcades to provide affordable studio space for entrepreneurs of color. 

A year after securing a storefront on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, Kandice Marchant is nearing completion of Marchant Manor Cheese Shop—with high hopes to be open for the winter holidays.

Our FreshFaces podcast is back with an all-new season featuring six innovators making positive change in Cleveland.

Members of the Democratic Socialists of America and other organizations are hitting Cleveland streets, making sure residents know their rights, and how to get assistance, when facing evictions.

Need a job? Check out the latest edition of FreshWater Cleveland's “Who’s Hiring” series, where we feature growing companies with open positions, what they’re looking for, and how to apply.

FreshWater is embarking on a new series, Community Development Connection, a year of exploring the efforts of neighborhood-based organizations, leaders, and residents who are focused on moving their communities forward during a time of unprecedented challenge.

Kathleen Osborne recently drove 18 miles to a gas station. Not to fill up the car, but to get a taste of the hummus all of Cleveland seems to be talking about.

While pregnant with her second child, Chasity Strawder was diagnosed with a digestive disease. She felt ignored, hopeless, and misinformed. Ten years later, Strawder is now a voice for other women who have lost hope during their struggles.

COVID-19 has hit Cleveland's travel and tourism industry hard. Hotel occupancies are low and one in four employees in the industry were laid off this past summer. While the hotel industry awaits Congressional help, local museums and tourist attractions have gotten creative in their programming.

Each night at 8 p.m. residents on Corydon Road howl to the sky—praising Cleveland's frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic.

Buenos Aires native, world traveler, and Gordon Square resident Marina Jackman has developed an app that takes a conversational approach to learning Spanish. 

The Cleveland Outpost's mission is to make outdoor adventure attainable for everyone. The new store offers used equipment, workshops, and other programs to eliminate the barriers to enjoying everything Cleveland's trails and shores have to offer.

Northeast Ohio is changing. These are the people shaping its future. Our latest installment.

Stephanie Vermillion is a travel and outdoor journalist with work published in National Geographic, Outside, and Travel & Leisure magazines. She covers everything from Midwest adventures to far-flung expeditions, and proudly calls Lakewood home. Connect with Stephanie on Instagram @bystephanievermillion or visit her website www.stephanievermillionstudio.com for more.

The much-anticipated official opening of the Lumen apartments in Playhouse Square—the largest residential building project in Cleveland in 40 years—happens today.

The Van Aken District's Entrepreneurial Initiatives program allows both food and retail entrepreneurs to take their businesses for a test run before deciding to open their own bricks-and-mortar establishments.