Susan Myers-Sutton expands support for teen and early mothers through The EMBER Project

By AI, Created 10:27 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Susan Myers-Sutton, founder and president of The EMBER Project, is building a nonprofit in Salem, Ohio, to help teen and early mothers access education, mentorship, and financial literacy. Since launching in December 2024, the group has added new programs and broadened its reach across the Mahoning Valley.

Why it matters: - The EMBER Project is aimed at helping teen and early mothers break cycles of generational poverty through education, career readiness, and financial empowerment. - The nonprofit’s model is built to support long-term self-sufficiency, not short-term relief. - The organization now serves participants across the Mahoning Valley, extending its local impact.

What happened: - Susan Myers-Sutton founded and leads The EMBER Project in Salem, Ohio. - The nonprofit launched in December 2024 and has grown quickly under Myers-Sutton’s leadership. - The EMBER Project provides structured, evidence-based support for young women building stable futures. - Myers-Sutton also works as a Regional Partnership Manager with Oak Street Health, part of CVS Health.

The details: - The EMBER Project centers on education, mentorship, and financial literacy for teen and early mothers. - The organization uses a four-phase mentorship model focused on academic achievement, career readiness, and financial empowerment. - Myers-Sutton has more than five years of experience in community outreach, program development, and relationship-building. - She manages daily operations for The EMBER Project in addition to her full-time job. - Her nonprofit duties include program intake, volunteer coordination, grant writing, fundraising, sponsorship outreach, podcast production, and strategic partnerships. - Myers-Sutton is a former teen mother. - She says that experience shaped her commitment to helping other young women overcome similar barriers. - She says persistence and goal-setting are central to creating meaningful change. - She encourages young women to value mentorship, perseverance, and education. - Myers-Sutton says returning to school and pursuing professional growth is possible even after early motherhood. - In 2025, she received the Gem of the Valley Award and launched The EMBER Project. - She was later named an Athena Award finalist. - The organization added two initiatives during this growth period: The Childcare Fuel Fund and the EMBER Family Pathways Workshop series.

Between the lines: - The EMBER Project pairs personal lived experience with a formal support structure, which may make the program more relatable to the young mothers it serves. - Myers-Sutton’s dual role in healthcare outreach and nonprofit leadership suggests the organization is being built with both community access and operational discipline. - The new childcare and workshop initiatives point to a broader strategy: removing practical barriers while reinforcing family stability.

What’s next: - The EMBER Project is expected to keep expanding its programs and partnerships as it builds out its reach in the Mahoning Valley. - Myers-Sutton is continuing to balance nonprofit leadership, full-time work, and family life while growing the organization. - More information is available through Susan Myers-Sutton’s Influential Women profile.

The bottom line: - Susan Myers-Sutton is turning personal experience into a growing support network for young mothers who need education, mentorship, and a path to independence.