VIP Café Show – Youngstown, Ohio – Local Guests with Amazing Impact to Our Community
Friendships begin based on numerous circumstances. Many are created because of similar interests and hobbies. For example, being part of the same sports team or maybe being a member of the same academic club. Other friendships are formed based on proximity or what neighborhood you grew up in. Whatever the reason, having a good solid friendship is a wonderful thing.We believe Podcasts are very similar to friendships. They are many times created by a few people who have common interests and share a similar vision. They are generally formed to help “inform” others about a variety of topics and subject matter. The question many Podcasters ask themselves is….why me/us? With so many options to choose from as a listener, what makes one Podcast better than another? We believe it all begins with….a good host or pair of hosts! That is exactly how The VIP Café Show came to fruition. Two friends, Greg Smith and Brian Blasko had a conversation while enjoying a cigar on a cool crisp January evening and the rest as they say…is history.The VIP Café Show was created to inform, educate and entertain listeners from the great city of Youngstown, OH. Although The VIP Café Show listeners reach far beyond the Youngstown area, the primary focus of the show is to highlight local “Youngstowners” and to hear their story. The Podcast also dives into a variety of fascinating topics besides Youngstown. Greg and Brian love discussing leadership, public speaking, customer care, team building, and life in general. They are always fascinated by what makes people tick and how people became (or are becoming) the person they are today! The VIP Café Show is a fun and informative program that engages the audience with every interview, conversation, and dialog that transpires.
VIP Café Show – Youngstown, Ohio – Local Guests with Amazing Impact to Our Community
E8: VIP Café Show featuring Jimmy Sutman from Big Purple Cat
Jimmy Sutman is our guest from Big Purple Cat.
HTTP://www.bigpurplecat.com
Improving the quality of life for many adults with disabilities. The Purple Cat has been helping Valley residents living with disabilities for almost two decades. Their farm in Coitsville allows clients to work with animals and spend time in nature.
In the last year, they’ve expanded the space for even more of their clients, those bound to wheelchairs.
The Purple Cat at Farmer Casey’s Ranch is a place for anyone with disabilities to work, learn and grow with nature.
Jimmy has immeasurably improved the lives of hundreds of challenged individuals and their families. But it started with Joe. “I saw Joe’s big smile as he got off that bus and knew we were going to be friends,” Jimmy Sutman recalls.
Nearly 20 years on, and Jimmy has befriended many Joes. As the progenitor of The Purple Cat.
Since that first day in 1994 at MASCO, Jimmy and Joe were instantly inseparable. Before long, Jimmy was taking him to ball games, movies, and meals, and befriending his family. Joe increasingly became difficult for his family to handle, so Jimmy dedicated himself to providing him a home.
That act of kindness begat ISLE (Iron and String Life Enhancement), a nonprofit Jimmy started to provide residential, respite, advocacy, transportation and vocational services to Mahoning and Trumbull County individuals with various disabilities. Today they employ over 400 professionals who oversee numerous activities. They also house and care for 88 individuals in 22 separate apartment buildings and homes throughout the region.
“Problem-solving is our primary responsibility to our clients,” Jimmy states. “For some, we have to make all decisions for them. For those more able, we offer Adult Basic Education courses, teaching
them daily living skills, like cooking for themselves, balancing their checkbook, computer skills, whatever they need to learn.”
Various components form the whole of Jimmy’s outreach to the disabled: Iron & String provides residential, respite, advocacy, transportation, and vocational services to individuals with disabilities in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. Iron & String is the parent company of the other components.
GOLDEN STRING helps adults and children with disabilities realize their fullest potential, and offers community-based activities, recreation, and socialization. Five ‘Habilitation Centers’ in the region serve their clients, including Purple Cat Productions, where clients perform in theater and music; Farmer Casey’s Ranch in Coitsville, where clients tend to a large menagerie of animals; and Golden String Radio, where clients become disc jockeys and format all genres of music and communicate through the internet.
THE PURPLE CAT provides creative day programming services to adults with disabilities. It offers practical learning experiences, daily living skills, and activities, which provide education and employment.
TOUCH THE MOON CANDY SALOON on South Phelps Street in downtown Youngstown, Ohio, offers functional employment and helps those with disabilities to participate in a wide range of vocational job opportunities.