Pathways to Opportunity

On a spring morning at MetroHealth’s Buckeye Health Center, community leaders, neighbors and partners gathered to celebrate something powerful. The Pathways to Opportunity Celebration marked the next chapter in a growing partnership between MetroHealth and KeyBank, centered on expanding access, strengthening stability and opening doors to opportunity.

The event honored the impact of MetroHealth’s Opportunity Centers, neighborhood-based hubs operated through the Institute for H.O.P.E.™ (Health, Opportunity, Partnership and Empowerment). Located at Buckeye and Vía Sana in the Clark Fulton neighborhood, these centers bring financial coaching, workforce training, digital access and community partnerships together in one welcoming, accessible space — meeting people where they are and helping them move forward.

The celebration also marked an exciting announcement: a $1.5 million investment from the KeyBank Foundation, building on its original 2021 commitment. This three-year investment will strengthen staffing, deepen community partnerships and enhance programs designed to address the social drivers of health and promote long-term economic stability.

For Renee Harris, a Financial Coach with the Institute for H.O.P.E., that investment translates into everyday impact. Renee works one-on-one with neighbors to stabilize income, budget, build credit and navigate systems that can often feel overwhelming. Her work isn’t just about numbers. It’s about trust, confidence and creating a sense of possibility.

“People don’t come in asking for a spreadsheet,” Renee says. “They come in needing someone who listens, understands and helps them take the next right step.”

That approach made all the difference for Linda Hunter.

When Linda first walked into the Buckeye Opportunity Center, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Transportation challenges, financial stress and uncertainty about where to begin had made things feel unmanageable. With Renee’s support, Linda started small – organizing bills, stabilizing income and learning how to use digital tools to stay connected. Over time, those small steps added up to something bigger: improved credit, renewed confidence and a belief in what was possible.

“What I learned here didn’t just change my finances,” Linda shared during the celebration. “It changed how I see myself. Now I tell other people about this place, because it works.”

One message rang clear: health doesn’t begin or end in a clinic. It’s shaped by stability, access and support — and strengthened by partners willing to invest in people and places.

Through renewed partnership and shared purpose, MetroHealth and the KeyBank Foundation are building pathways that help neighbors move from crisis to confidence — and toward healthier futures that last.

YOUR IMPACT

To support the Institute for H.O.P.E., contact Greg Sanders, Vice President of Philanthropy, at 440-592-1319 or gsanders@metrohealth.org. Or, click here to make a donation.