Trending
A characteristic of so many folks in our area is their sheer benevolence. Find a reason to help others and many will respond. You see it during the holidays when families are scraping to get by. You see it during times of distress such as the recent train derailment in East Palestine. A good cause prompts good deeds from our residents.
A structured source of kindness that radiates throughout the year is The Brightside Project in Salem. It serves all of Columbiana County. You likely have read or heard about the organization. We like to promote it because of all the goodness provided, most recently on a large-scale when hundreds of East Palestine residents received water, food and personal items from The Brightside Project. Comprised of dozens of volunteers, it was on-site to provide not just day-to-day necessities but some good will, too. It stood tall as crisis relief several years ago during the local COVID outbreak.
The Brightside Project is a faith-based 501c3 non-profit organization. It was launched in 2016 by a father-daughter team, Scott Lewis and Lisa Wallace. With more than 20 years of combined experience working with low-income and underserved families they decided to launch a non-profit that would reach out directly to children.
"Children in Columbiana County and surrounding communities in Northeast Ohio are hurting. They are struggling to see a bright future as they battle against hunger, poverty, drug abuse, neglect and complex emotional and mental health issues," reads an entry at brightsideprojectohio.org.
"The Brightside Project was launched to meet the needs of these children. We know that they have basic needs that need met with food and personal care items. We know they have social emotional needs that can be met through mentorship, friendship and love. We know that these children experience dark moments in life but even in the darkest times we can show them there is a brightside."
Scott and Lisa have certainly done that in an ongoing variety of ways. Thanks to donations of money and gifts -- most for children -- and plain old sweat equity, The Brightside Project has served over 10,000 county residents.
Some examples of helping kids:
-- Qualifying children can come the The Brightside Project building in Salem and pick out food items to take home twice a month.
-- A partnership with the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library that gives one book a month to enrolled children, ages birth through 5, in Columbiana County.
-- Backpacks for Kids give K-12 students in Columbiana County a backpack of their choice filled with grade appropriate school supplies.
-- Clothes and shoes voucher program for Salem students to get them ready to go back to school come the end of summer.
-- Coats for kids. Children receive warm coats and gear for the upcoming winter season.
--Bright Christmas. Helping children have a bright Christmas by giving toys and gifts to qualifying families. And chances to sit on Santa's lap!
-- Bright Easter is a program that gives Easter baskets filled with goodies to qualifying children in Columbiana County. There is one coming up April 1. Yes, the Easter bunny will be on hand.
Donations and volunteer help are always accepted and put to wonderful uses. Those interested are encouraged to visit brightsideprojectohio.org and gets details.
A vision pursued by Scott Lewis and Lisa Wallace now casts a bright light over the whole of Columbiana County. We certainly are thankful for The Brightside Project. As are so many local residents.