A generous donor has pledged to match every gift 1:3 until we reach $1 million!

Washington Project

We are helping our community grow stronger by caring for our clients’ critical needs and empowering them with the tools to create a better life for themselves.

What’s happening?

• Neighborhood Alliance is currently undergoing a six-phase capital campaign to repair, renovate, and reimagine three separate service locations. 
• The first site is located at 265 Washington Ave. in Elyria, the site of the former YMCA. 
• It is intended that this location will serve as the hub for all human services programming including Senior Home Delivered Meals, Help Me Grow, Home Visiting, Early Intervention, and a gymnasium/community center. 

 

Why us? Why now? 

• We are the only contracted provider of Early Intervention services in Lorain County. 
• We have a waitlist in every program that can have a waitlist. (Home Visiting requires that we serve every child.)
• The United States Census shows that in just 11 years (2034) there will be more older adults than people under the age of 18 in our communities.
• We deliver meals to seniors in every community in Lorain County except one. (N. Ridgeville provides meals to its own residents.) – that’s more than 125,000 meals annually! 

 

What has already been done? 

Neighborhood Alliance is thrilled to have completed construction on a new commercial kitchen (opened in March 2023) located within our downtown headquarters, at 265 Washington Ave., Elyria. 

 

This means we will: 

• Eliminate the waitlist for Home Delivered meals to seniors. 
• Be able to deliver 350,000 (or more) nutritious meals annually by 2026. 
• Finally, be able to offer delicious and significantly more nutritious meals for seniors, children and shelter residents. 
• Be able to offer meals that encompass dietary restrictions, food sensitivities and cultural diversity. 
• The Kitchen will also become a host site for the externship program with Lorain County Community College and the Culinary Arts Program.

How will this project help the community? 

• Every family in Lorain will have access to education on infant growth, development, and parenting skills through an expanded Home Visiting program. 
• Every child under the age of 3 in Lorain County with suspected developmental delays or disabilities will have access to coordinated intervention services. More staff will equate to fewer families on each caseload per specialist, resulting in more individualized services through an expanded Early Intervention program. 
• Families will have access to Conscious Discipline training through parent education and support groups. Conscious Discipline can help mitigate a child’s exposure to toxic stress, offers solutions for social-emotional learning, discipline, and self-regulation through our Families S.T.R.O.N.G. program. 
• We will grow our Senior Enrichment program that provides not only weekly home delivered meals but also well checks, emergency pantry items and toiletries, socialization activities for seniors, and mobile senior programs (LINK). 
• Residents will see a return of YMCA programs like Silver Sneakers to Lorain County. 
• We will be able to offer a consistent, annual Warming Center during cold weather months. 
• The gymnasium and Neighborhood Nutrition Kitchen will be available for rent for community groups, youth sports leagues and nonprofit events.

Thank You To Our Donors

First Floor

Second Floor

What is the cost? 

• The total cost of the Washington Ave. project is $4.3 million. 
• The first $2.3 million has already been raised thanks to support from: 
  • Lorain County Commissioners
  • City of Elyria
  • The Stocker Foundation
  • The Turco Family 
  • Bill and Marty McFadden 
  • Neighborhood Alliance Board of Directors AND staff
  • Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems
  • The Norton Family Foundation
  • Meals on Wheels
  • And numerous generous individual donors

 

How can I help? 

• Donate to the Washington Ave. Project – don’t forget to check if your employer has a matching gift program! 
• Connect us with your Employer’s Corporate Giving Program. 
• Book us to speak to your service club or association. 

 

For nearly 100 years Neighborhood Alliance has been compassionately caring for our community. We are helping our community grow stronger by caring for our clients’ most basic needs. We provide emergency shelter, homeless outreach, daily meal delivery, and nutrition services. This includes an emergency food pantry and socialization activities for seniors, childcare and child enrichment programs, and access to family support programs such as Help Me Grow. 

Our Federal Tax ID Number is #34-0714471. Gifts to Neighborhood Alliance are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law and 100% of your dollars stay in Lorain County.