You may be familiar with the work we do at YPOP, but Parma actually has many other great opportunities to get involved. Many of the organizations below would value the fresh ideas and energy young professionals bring, so consider your interests and talents and reach out to get involved!

Nature and outdoors

West Creek Conservancy
WCC’s mission is to enrich the lives of people in Greater Cleveland by conserving natural habitats, restoring the ecological value and sustainability of urban lands, and expanding neighborhood opportunities to experience nature.

Friends of Ridgewood Golf Course
The Friends of Ridgewood is a non-profit Historical Organization dedicated to the preservation and history of Ridgewood Golf Course. Ridgewood Golf Course dates back to 1925, developed by Howard Stahl as a way to attract future residents to a developing Parma, Ohio. This valuable and beautiful greenspace should be preserved for future generations. The Friends of Ridgewood’s purpose is to raise funds for physical improvements and support programs connected to the golf course like the junior golf league.

Big Creek Connects
Big Creek Connects’ mission is to conserve, enhance, and bring recognition to the natural and historic resources of the Big Creek Watershed and develop a recreational trail network that connects these resources to each other and the community.

Parma Animal Shelter
The Parma Animal Shelter works to prevent animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect; educate the public on the importance of spaying/neutering to control pet over-population; increase public awareness and appreciation of companion animals; assist in providing a stress-free, healthy environment for lost, abandoned, neglected, and stray animals;  provide emergency and wellness medical care for PAS, Inc. animals; find permanent placement into new homes.

Ridgewood Garden Club of Parma
The group’s mission is to encourage interest in gardening, environmental issues, landscape design, and flower design; promote Civic beauty and the conservation of natural resources; perform community outreach projects; provide financial aid to the GCO Scholarship Fund; affiliate with the Garden Club of Ohio and the National Garden Clubs. It is currently 63 members strong, but is always looking for others to join. (Elaine Mekruit tripelaine1@yahoo.com)

Parma Area Dog Park Association
Right now Parma does not have a dog park. PADPA is working with the city to obtain a spot while fundraising for the complete cost of the park. While we are moving forward, we do need help from the community. We are looking for volunteers and we are looking for donations. It invites messages and questions and invites all dog lovers to come to one of its next meetings. 

Doggy community events are the best! People who have dogs, and meet in one place, become instant friends. It would be great to have some dog community events in Parma/Parma Heights! -Amber on Facebook

The Parma Area Dog Park Association is trying to create that here! Although our events are mostly fundraising right now, we do plan on having a dog friendly event soon! The dog loving community is awesome! -Claudia on Facebook

Business

Parma Area Chamber of Commerce
The Mission of the Parma Area Chamber of Commerce is to develop, encourage, promote and protect the commercial, professional, industrial, financial, and general business interests of the Parma Area.

Shop Small Parma
Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter and city council actively encourage residents to participate in Small Business Saturday and recognize local businesses. 

Parma Bar Association
The association was formed to advance the system of jurisprudence, to assist in, to safeguard and improve the administration of justice, to promote reforms in the law which are for the benefit of the courts, of the legal profession, and of the public, to foster and strengthen the relationships among members of the bar, and between the Parma Municipal Court, the bar of the public generally; to dignify and to enhance the position of the bar and of its members as leaders of the community; as an organization, to participate in civic matters whenever the bar can contribute to the general public welfare; to aid and to stimulate all forms of legal education and to cultivate cordial relations and acquaintance among the members of the bar.

Arts, history and culture

Young Professionals of Parma 
The Young Professionals of Parma is a network of community-minded individuals striving toward the enhancement of the Greater Parma area (including Seven Hills and Parma Heights). The group provides civic, philanthropic and social opportunities, while supporting and fostering local businesses. Its goal is to promote positivity and city pride. Participants don’t have to live in the Parma area, anyone who is in their 20s or 30s and loves Parma and pierogies is encouraged to get involved. 

Parma Area Fine Arts Council 
The Parma Area Fine Arts Council is dedicated to creating, producing and enjoying the arts. Its purpose is to bring the art community together for enrichment and pleasure of its people. The group hosts many affordable art classes for all ages. 

Parma Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra is a self-supporting community orchestra maintained in cooperation with Parma city schools. Membership is by audition and open to the public. The Orchestra is comprised of approximately 75 individuals from all walks of life and is in its 48th season of providing residents of Cleveland’s southwest suburbs with live classical music in their own neighborhood.  

Parma Observer
The Parma Observer brings fresh local news for the Tri-City area, written and produced by local residents. Those interested in volunteer writing, or paid sales positions should contact Dan McCarthy at mccarthydaniel02@gmail.com. 

Friends of the Parma Library
Like many libraries, Cuyahoga County Public Library benefits from the support and advocacy of its Friend of the Library members. 25 individual Friends of the Library groups volunteer their time and energy to raise funds in support of Library programming, exhibitions, special events and activities. Friends groups provide valuable support services to the library. They assist in maintaining historical community records, publish newsletters of their activities, develop community calendars, and even sponsor public forums on civic affairs.  They also act as cheerleaders, spreading the word to friends and neighbors about the great services the library offers.  For information about Friends of the Library membership and activities, please inquire at your local branch.

Parma Area Historical Society/Stearns Farm 
Sterns farm is always looking for volunteers, whether it’s a museum or tour guide, extra help in the country store or animal care. The Parma Area Historical Society provides feed and care for all the farm animals and maintains the homestead through  animal feed sales, animal adoptions, items purchased in the Country Store and generous donations from farm friends.

Ukrainian Village Association 
The group’s mission is to preserve, empower and advance Ukrainian Village as a thriving neighborhood by celebrating the culture and heritage of Ukrainian Americans and to collaborate with the City of Parma in creating business and economic development within its boundaries.

German Central Foundation
Parma, Ohio was first settled by Germans. Hence, it seemed totally logical that the founding fathers and mothers of German Central would settle on a location in beautiful Parma to establish their home away from home. The organization was designed to help its members with matters of American citizenship, to provide them with a social center and to provide material help to its needy members.

Southwest Italian American Club
The Southwest Italian American Club was founded in 1984 for the purpose of being a social club to promote Italian heritage by fostering and promoting brotherhood, good will among the Italian American community and for the pleasure, recreation and fellowship of its members. In 2017, the group made the former fire station on Snow Road its new home. 

Old World Parma/Polish Village Association
Old World Parma is a non-profit organization committed to facilitating the ongoing development and revitalization of the Polish Village community by uniting and empowering residents, institutions, businesses and governments with plans and initiatives focused on enhancing the area’s business climate and long-term economic viability.

Polish Village Volunteers is always looking for volunteers to help out with the Polish Constitution Day Parade and after party, Ward 2 garage sale, Treat n Greet and events in the works.  –Kathryn on Facebook

School and family

Community Business Schools Partnership (CBS)
The Community/Business/Schools (C/B/S) Partnership was created in the early 1990s to enhance mutually beneficial personal relationships among communities, businesses, and schools. The group has developed into a powerful catalyst matching community resources with the needs of the district, the students, the teachers and administrators and providing mutual benefit to the community and its businesses.

Parma Area Family Collaborative
The Parma area Family Collaborative is a social service organization that serves eighteen local communities. The collaborative’s objective is to link families with resources that meet their needs and focus on well-being, safety, academic success and the stability of the children within the communities it serves. 

Parma Council of PTAs
The council’s mission is to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.

Parma Early Childhood PTA
The Parma Early Childhood PTA is a non-profit group for parents with children from newborn to age six. We are part of the State and National PTA organizations and not affiliated with any preschool or church. Expectant parents and non-Parma residents are welcome to join. The group focuses on community service, educational opportunities for families, family outings and enrichment.

MyCom Parma
My Commitment, My Community is a grant funded project funded through the Cleveland Foundation. It provides leadership development, service learning and positive social opportunities for Parma Area youth ages 12 to 17. The Parma MyCom Youth Group, Parma Area Teen Community Helpers (PATCH), is involved in social, community projects throughout the area during the year. The MyCom Teen Group will meet every Thursday from 3:30-6:00 p.m. for food, fun, homework help, and service learning projects.

Others

Friends of the Parma Police
The Friends of the Parma Police endeavor to advance the interests of the Parma Police Department through advocacy, education, fundraising and community awareness, to rally like-minded concerned citizens to support the Parma Police Department with the ultimate goal of maintaining a safe community and to ensure the Parma Police Department is able to utilize the best equipment and tools to do so.

Parma Rotary
The Rotary Club of Parma has provided over 50 years of noble community service, of unselfish volunteerism and of unwavering devotion to world peace and international understanding and cooperation. The group has touched thousands of lives during these years with thousands of dollars in charitable donations, hundreds of scholarships to community schools, goodwill project after goodwill project, untold hours of living up to its motto, “Service Above Self” and so much, much more.

Parma CERT
CERT was developed and implemented by the city of Los Angeles, California Fire Department in 1985. They realized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster. Therefore the LAFD decided that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance could arrive. The City of Parma Community Response Program is part of the local and national Citizens Corps efforts to incorporate and utilize volunteers in the community.

Community Ambassadors
Community Ambassadors is a Christ-centered, compassion-driven nonprofit organization committed to promoting and facilitating greater collaboration in order to effectively empower lives, strengthen families, and build better communities.

Parma Area Kiwanis Club
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers committed to improving the world one child and one community at a time. The group meets in Parma every Wednesday. Please join us as a guest for breakfast or dinner.

Parma Hills Lions Club
Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world every day because they share a core belief: to serve their community. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Denny’s on Day Drive. 

American Legion Post 703 and 572
The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to fellow servicemembers and veterans.