YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — People gathered Monday on Youngstown’s South Side to honor a former judge who was instrumental in starting addiction services in the area.
A crowd of 40 people stood outside the Meridian Healthcare Building on Chalmers Avenue for the dedication of what will now be called the Judge Joseph Donofrio Center.
The center is part of Meridian Healthcare’s addiction services of which Judge Donofrio was a pioneer.
Gene Donofrio spoke for the family, his father having died four years ago at 94.
“He’d be very proud and overwhelmed,” Gene Donofrio said. “I think the roots was when he was a young municipal court judge in the mid-60s and he saw the revolving door of the public intoxication cases.”
Judge Donofrio was seeing the same people month after month and he quickly realized jail was not the answer.
“And I think him being a compassionate person and having empathy, he wanted to do something about that,” said Gene Donofrio.
Judge Donofrio helped create the Mahoning County Mental Health Board. At the ceremony were pictures of the first addiction centers on Parmalee Avenue and McGuffey Road. The center on Chalmers — the site of the original Assumption Nursing Home — serves around 80 people at a time.
“So right here’s a 24/7 walk-in detox. So no matter what time of day it is, if you think you’re ready and you need help, show up,” said Meridian Healthcare CEO Larry Moliterno.
After the ceremony members of the Donofrio family took pictures under the new sign and toured the inside, knowing all along that Judge Donofrio would be proud.
“He’d be in awe. He wouldn’t believe it. I’m sure it would be very overwhelming to see where these services have gone,” Gene Donofrio said.
The big thing that changed was the name of the building, but for the family of Judge Donofrio, it was a big deal since he was one of the people who pioneered addiction services in the Mahoning Valley.
