The Women in Transactions Volunteering Event at Chair-ity

Maria Paparella has a soft spot in her heart for the population of foster youth. As an only child, Maria has longed for a sibling and began researching foster care and adoption as a young child. By the age of 16, Maria understood the plight of many foster children, especially those who age out of foster care at 18 years old and are forced to live independently. When Maria learned that many of them find themselves living alone with little to no furniture or household supplies, she decided to take action. She approached Summit County Children’s Services, asked how she could help, and furniture was the answer. She quickly went to work accumulating used furniture and enough initial funding to buy mattresses and bed frames. At the age of 16, Maria outfitted eight apartments for graduating foster youth in her first year of operation. Each received a brand new bed, along with a nightstand, dressers, a dinette set, and family room arrangements. Since then, Maria has outfitted nearly 200 apartments and is expanding Chair-ity to other locations beyond Summit County.

Maria is a graduate of Kenyon College with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology. Additionally, Maria was recognized by Crains as 20 in their Twenties in 2021, and Local Forbes 30 under 30 in 2023. She graduated from the Cleveland Leadership Center’s Bridge Builder Program in 2023 and the Cleveland Foundation’s Foundation for Philanthropy program in 2022.