The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Ron Paydo, Market President of the Huntington National Bank Akron/Canton. Ron Paydo serves as Market President for the Akron-Canton area, having
previously worked as Dedicated Business Banking Group Director and Community President in Medina, Ohio. Ron has been with Huntington or previous banks since 1987, when he began his banking career as a Management Trainee with FirstMerit Bank.
previously worked as Dedicated Business Banking Group Director and Community President in Medina, Ohio. Ron has been with Huntington or previous banks since 1987, when he began his banking career as a Management Trainee with FirstMerit Bank.Ron began his presentation recalling his years as a Rotarian in Wadsworth and Medina. He still feels he is a Rotarian at heart. Over the years he and his wife have sponsored 6 Rotary Youth Exchange students.
Ron stated that he and his wife have been foster parents for 30 years. Over the years, he and his wife have fostered 200 children. Currently he works a lot with the Summit County Children Services Board. Currently Summit County has 900 children in Foster Care. There are many other children in need of foster care, but homes are not available. Ron stated that the need has never been greater.
Children stay in foster care from a few months to 2 years. The ultimate goal is to reunite the children with their families if possible or after two years, attempt to have the children adopted. Ron feels very strongly that children from the same family being placed in foster care should not be separated. It is traumatic enough that they are being removed from their home, yet alone being separated from their siblings.
Individuals wishing to consider being foster parents have several options. In addition to what Ron and his wife have done for 30 years, individuals interested in being a foster care provider can be a respite foster care provider which gives foster parents a break, or they can become a Guardian ad Litem. A guardian ad litem is an individual appointed by the court to represent the best interest of a minor child in legal proceedings.
Rotarians who might be interested in either fostering a child or serving as a guardian ad litem can contact the Summit County Children Services Board by calling 330.379.1990. Check out their website at www.summitkids.org.
