TRS: facing adversity with grit and grace

EAST PALESTINE — Long before the Feb. 3, 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment, Threshold Residential Services was well-skilled in shaking off stigmas, overcoming adversity and advocating for the often overlooked and underestimated. Two years after the fact, those skills — and Threshold’s conviction that the toughest climbs reveal the most breathtaking views — have served as a blueprint to help the village find its way to the other side.
For 49 years, East Palestine-based TRS has provided individuals with developmental disabilities opportunities for personal growth, independence and overall improved quality of life through programs, housing, direct care, and employment opportunities. Those who TRS serves know better than most that life isn’t easy, but they also know it isn’t supposed to be. The ability to thrive when the odds are against you isn’t something to be pitied, but rather revered, and “EP Strong” isn’t so much a message as it is a mantra.
“Threshold Residential Services is an organization that is no stranger to challenging times. We come together as a team during the most difficult times and focus on the task at hand,” TRS CEO Chris Page said. “Working through our strong issues of the past and COVID prepared us for the train derailment. We rise up during times of adversity, ensuring our mission is being fulfilled.”
When the derailment sent the village into chaos, it sent TRS — the village’s second biggest employer second only to the school district — into action. Nineteen TRS residents were living in seven residential homes in the village. Upon hearing of derailment news, the Threshold team initiated its emergency response protocols for a state of emergency evacuation. While the residences were not within the immediate mandatory evacuation limits, out of an abundance of caution, TRS evacuated all of its residents and relocated them until it was deemed safe for them to return.
“Our staff went above and beyond their duties to reassure our clients and keep them safe. We’re incredibly grateful for our workforce who continue to be dedicated to the individuals we serve,” Page said. “Our staff never missed a beat in providing quality
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care in the hotel and the months that followed. They should also be commended for their resiliency for when they were given 30 minutes notice to pack clothing and medications for evacuation.”
TRS also commended its “robust Nursing Department for the amount of preventative checks and monitoring systems they put into practice” in the days and weeks that followed the derailment.
Getting the residents back home was just the beginning. After the derailment, TRS faced a staff shortage in the wake of the disaster. The unknown was daunting.
“We lost 19 employees over the seven months that followed the derailment and were only able to hire three,” Page said. “There were very few applicants who were interested in coming to work in town due to the fear it wasn’t safe from the chemicals.”
In a show of true resilience, TRS responded by establishing the DSP-U — an educational program designed to prepare high school seniors and adult learners for work in the Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities field as Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
In other words, TRS partnered with East Palestine Schools to create its own workforce pool. DSP-U provides a credential that is recognized in Ohio, and all across the nation. In Ohio, it’s accredited by the state’s Department of Education to serve as an alternative pathway to high school graduation, substituting for traditional testing requirements and adding to earned credits.
“It’s a wonderful program that connects the two largest employers in East Palestine,” TRS said.
TRS was also faced with economic ramifications of the derailment and, of course, emotional fallout. While the village continues to rebuild and rebrand in the wake of what happened, TRS worked to provide a space for those in the village to pause and process the trauma of Feb. 3, 2023. Utilizing a portion of two grants received with the aid of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OMHAS) and SAMHSA, TRS expanded its existing Community Sensory Garden.
“The sensory garden was an initiative we started in 2020, taking an overgrown lot in town and turning it into an inviting space for the individuals we serve and the community. We were very fortunate to receive a $30,000 grant in 2024 from the Columbiana County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board to develop the space even further,” Page said. “We were honored to have local socials and community partners join us for a ribbon cutting of the renovated garden.”
The improvements included new paint, ADA-accessible gardening beds and other ADA upgrades. Local East Palestine students helped with the project. Upcycled and new materials were used. The entire garden was layered with wheelchair-accessible grating, creating seamless movement throughout. An old fence was removed to improve the sightlines, while an existing fence was painted with a mural, and a sensory wall created under the garden’s pergola. The idea of the garden is to offer residents a place to reflect, relax and recharge and support residents with developmental disabilities.
TRS also launched EP Voices — a campaign to show the world and remind each other that “the images of black smoke and fire which covered broadcast and social media channels” do not define who East Palestine is as a community.
“EP Voices was our way of stepping up to lead with positivity during a time when the village was full of uncertainty and fear, while simultaneously advocating for our individuals,” Page said. “We felt it was our responsibility to provide a platform for the individuals we serve to have a voice. It was necessary for leaders to emerge during that difficult time, and we were pleased to be one of them. I do believe it helped since the messages were focused on positivity and community.”
Community members were encouraged to download and print a #EPVoices card — a template shaped like a caption cloud that allowed a blank space in which residents could write what they loved most about East Palestine. The words most mentioned on the cards were “family,” “friends” and “community.” More than 60 local businesses shared positive messages using #EPVoices on social media, turning the campaign into a symbol of unity and resilience.
“The initiative culminated in a community celebration that raised over $18,000 and drew 130 attendees, showcasing videos of our residents and staff to highlight their contributions to East Palestine,” TRS explained. “We developed business relationships from that initiative that have helped our organization grow. But beyond the metrics, the campaign rekindled community pride, reinforcing the idea that East Palestine’s identity goes far beyond the derailment.”
Two years later, Page reflects on both a terrible night and a beautiful journey. The village has come a long way and while it still has a way to go, TRS is filled with optimism — another commodity TRS possessed long before Feb. 3, 2023. Good things are ahead for the village and for TRS. Upcoming initiatives include a $500,000 day program space renovation which will be completed this month. A grand opening is planned in June, which will also serve as a celebration for Threshold’s 50-year anniversary.
“We are ecstatic for the opportunity to continue evolving TRS, focusing on technology to increase independence for the individuals we serve,” Page said. “We will also continue to focus on improving our culture. Our efforts to provide a positive work-life environment for our employees is the expectation.”
TRS team members have also been hard at work renovating bathrooms and building fences for clients in 2024 and 2025.
“Our facilities team has also provided environmental adaptive renovations in six counties across the state of Ohio, remodeling bathrooms to make them more accessible, improving outdoor living spaces, and adding ramps and lifts to properties,” TRS said.
Ultimately, TRS will continue to appreciate the value in the climb to see the vistas, choosing optimism every single time.
“Positivity is a core value of TRS and our staff exemplified that ideal before, during, and after the derailment. Negativity is infectious and our organization needed to be solid role models for our clients and a leader in the community when it came to navigating all of the uncertainty,” TRS said. “We are honored to be a part of the East Palestine Business Community and are excited for the opportunity to contribute to the economic growth and recovery of the community.”