New and established nonprofits gear up for fourth annual Richland Gives on Nov. 27

MANSFIELD — The Richland County Foundation’s fourth annual day of giving is scheduled for Nov. 27. Richland Gives asks community members to give to local nonprofits that inspire them – all on the same day.

Richland Gives is designed to encourage people to contribute to local nonprofits they care about through a single giving platform/website. The Foundation sponsors the day to build capacity, grow philanthropy and make the community stronger.

The day of giving will allow 82 local organizations to raise funds and awareness as well as cultivate new donors and reinvigorate lapsed donors.

Each organization has an individualized web page to promote their cause.

Harmony House, a local homeless shelter in Mansfield, works to, “empower the homeless in Richland County with a clear path to housing and hope.” Harmony House offers safe clean housing for women, men, children, the elderly and families. The organization assesses each individual case and creates a plan and path to success. 

Plans connects individuals with transportation, job placement and eventually permanent residency. Harmony House also offers a unique service; housing for single fathers with children. It is the only place outside of Columbus to offer housing for this specific need. 

Kelley Blankenship, Harmony House’s CEO sees the life changing impact the program has on families in the community. 

“Jade came to us when I first started here,” Blankenship said. “She was recently sober and she was pregnant. Her partner was also an addict, and they were struggling in their relationship. She was alone and had no support system, no family or stable friends.” 

Blankenship remembers Jade as a girl who stood out from the crowd. 

“Jade would come and tell me her stories, hearing them I could see so much drive and desire to make a life for her and her baby.” 

Jade’s determination paid off. Through the Harmony House’s program and her hard work, Jade was quickly hired at Wendy’s. Blankenship remembers the day of the interview. 

“Jade was so nervous. Then something happened with her ride and she was going to be late, so I grabbed the keys and took her myself! Not only did she get hired, but they were so impressed Wendy’s fast tracked her to management!” 

A few months later Jade was offered a better paying position at Startek, had given birth to her baby, and was supporting herself.

Harmony House also operates apartments, open beds, and a large storage full of household items for those ready to move on. Harmony House receives funding from Co-Ohio through HUD. They also receive grant dollars from The United Way, Richland County Foundation, Title 20, and TANIF. Other funding comes through private donations. 

In previous years, Richland Gives has helped Harmony House raise about $1,000 dollars in donations. 

“Day-to-day operations take up a lot of the budget,” said Blankenship. “We need to address our building, so we’ve been working on a Capital Improvement plan. We need new windows and doors, new security cameras. Our washers and dryers see a lot of wear and tear, and we need those replaced as well.” 

Harmony House is always accepting donations in the form of daily necessities such as toiletries, bedding, and perishable items. 

Newly formed nonprofits can participate in Richland Gives as well.  

The Visual Bucket List Foundation co-founded by Steve and Christine Myers will be participating in the annual day of giving for the first time this year. 

“Awareness is half the battle,” Steve Myers said. “A lot of people, businesses, and other organizations may not know of us, but we share a story and see how life changing the experiences are, they want to be involved. They want to help. People believe in what we do.” 

Steve and Christine founded The Visual Bucket List Foundation after their daughter, Lizzy, was diagnosed with Usher’s Syndrome type 2 A. The rare condition causes hearing loss at birth and children with the condition are likely to experience severe visual impairment or blindness as early as age 10. 

When Lizzy’s story went viral, the family experienced an outpouring of support from people all over the globe. The generosity of complete strangers funded a trip for Lizzy and her family to Istanbul where Lizzy had a once in a lifetime experience creating visual memories Lizzy can revisit if her vision completely fails. The Myers were so moved by the incredible support from around the world they decided to start a nonprofit to pay their experiences forward to other children who deserve to create memories of a lifetime. 

The Visual Bucket List Foundation has helped other children around Ohio create their own special memories. 

Shelby residents Steve Stone and Carie Crenshaw have two daughters, Kenlee and Kylin, who were diagnosed with Usher’s syndrome. When the Myers heard about the family, they knew this was an opportunity to pay forward their daughter’s gift. The Visual Bucket List Foundation, through generous donations, is sponsoring an all-inclusive Disney Princess trip for the girls to Disney World in Florida. Here the girls will be able to have once in a lifetime experiences and create visual memories the children will never forget.

The Myers ambitions have also allowed them to raise money for three pairs of expensive e-sight glasses for local children. They are currently working on a night flight project arranging flights around Mansfield and Columbus. The project will allow children who qualify for grants to experience Christmas lights from a magnificent view. The Myers have a local pilot donating time and fuel for the experience.

Richland Gives helped The Mansfield Art Center (MAC) raise $1,650 in 2017. This year the MAC’s Board of Directors has pledged to match all the online donations dollar for dollar up to $3,310.

“This is the first year the board has set a specific dollar goal for matching donations, we’re pretty excited about it,” said Susan Duncan Gentille, Marketing/Development Director. 

The monetary donations from Richland Gives will go toward funding programs for children and veterans in the community. The MAC hosts a Free Art Saturday every month for children through pre-teens and their parents throughout the year. The donations help fund art supplies such as clay and paint. The donations also pay for the operating costs for these programs. The MAC partners with Friendly House and puts on a summer art program for children who attend the summer day camp. 

“The Mansfield community is so generous and great at giving,” said Gentille. “It’s so incredible to see the amount of support this community has for organizations dedicated to improving the lives of its citizens.”

Learn more and donate now at https://richlandgives.mightycause.com/search. Community members can navigate the website and find out more about each contribution they’re making. 

Take part in Richland Gives by stopping by the Nonprofit Showcase at OSU-Mansfield on Nov. 27 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Celebrate the donations made throughout the day at the Watch Party from 5 to 7 p.m. at Idea Works Ohio (40 W. 4^th Street, Mansfield).