SALEM, Ohio – A nonprofit that focuses on children moved into a new space that will allow it to brighten the lives of more youths.
The Brightside Project on Tuesday officially opened its new location at 1909 N. Ellsworth Ave. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“The last space was 3,200 square feet,” said Lisa Vittorio, co-director and co-founder. “This one is about 16,000” square feet.
The Brightside Project, a faith-based organization, started small, with Vittorio and her father distributing bags of food to children while on a street corner. It’s grown to offer food plus the Imagination Library, kids’ backpacks, back-to-school clothing, crisis relief, coats for children and Christmas and Easter gifts.
Vittorio and her father, Scott Lewis, founder and executive director, started The Brightside Project in 2016. The organization’s 2023-2024 biennial report says it served 75 children that year. The number has increased each year, with 17,800 children in Columbiana County and rural Mahoning County served last year.
The report also lists 3,200 children enrolled in Imagination Library of Columbiana County last year, as well as 460 winter coats, 621 backpacks, 535 Easter baskets and 573 school clothing vouchers distributed last year.
The founders determined that the former location provided only enough space to get children in, allow them to pick out food and hygiene items and then be shuffled out.
“There was no room to like, go on a deeper level with them, engage with them and their families,” Vittorio said. “And, in fact, most of the adults that would bring them would sign them in and then have to go wait outside because we just didn’t have space in the facility.”
The new building provides more space, specifically for Brightside’s twice monthly food events for children that draws large crowds, she said.
“But, in addition, we have added a student lounge, a learning lab where we can implement classes and career exploration and workforce development for the kids,” Vittorio explained.
The building also features a large multipurpose room, which will be the site of a March 15 youth summit. Vittorio said the added space allows the organization’s founders to go deeper with programming and to build relationships with the children.
Brightside also has a Sunshine Bus that visits schools, allowing children who can’t get to the facility to have access to the food, hygiene items and stuffed animals offered.
Vittorio believes it’s important for children to be able to pick their own food, hygiene and other items, both at the facility and from the Sunshine Bus.
“Every child can benefit from practicing making safe and healthy choices, thinking about, ‘What do I need at home to take care of myself?’” she said.
Making choices also builds relationships with their families as the children talk about the experience, and it fosters self-esteem and resilience, Vittorio explained.
Phase Two of the new building will involve transforming the pantry to provide children with an interactive shopping experience for a variety of items. It will include exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables that may be unfamiliar to some.
Phase Three will include an addition to the new building for a garage to house the Sunshine Bus and a boxtruck and an indoor recreation area.
“We’re looking at supporting the child as a whole, and we’re talking physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health,” Vittorio said. “So giving them an indoor space where they can run and jump and play and grow – that’s a goal for Phase Three as well – and then a couple extra classrooms as well.”
She emphasized that Brightside isn’t just for low-income children.
“We are for all kids, because all kids in this day and age could benefit from a little bit more hope and a little bit more sunshine in their life,” Vittorio said.
Pictured at top: A ribbon was cut Tuesday to celebrate The Brightside Project’s new location.