SALEM — The Brightside Project celebrated the official beginning of the next chapter in its mission to serve families and children in Columbiana County and rural Mahoning County with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

“It’s a little bit overwhelming in the best way possible when you have so much support coming at you not only as an individual, but as an organization. With this great dream to reach so many kids it really takes a community coming together, so the overwhelming love and support we feel from this community, there’s really no words to describe it. Heartwarming is an understatement,” said Brightside Project Co-Director Lisa Vittorio.

Brightside welcomed the community into its new building at 1909 N. Ellsworth Ave. for a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with both the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber. The new building has a long history with the Salem community, previously being home to an IGA Supermarket and Crossroad Ministries.

Memories of both remain within the building, including a preserved section of wall bearing the signatures of former IGA staff and a sign from IGA, and the renovation of the former office of Pastor Freddie Rodriguez into “Pastor Freddie’s Sunshine Spot.”

The Brightside Project initially intended to purchase the former Donnell Ford Lincoln building at 152 Continental Drive to renovate it into a youth center for Columbiana County children to meet growing space needs as the organization continues its push to serve 25,000 children annually by 2034. To fund the purchase, Brightside embarked on a capital campaign, which was suspended in July, after being unable to secure sufficient funding to meet the $3 million purchase price. However, Brightside Board of Directors Member William Dawes said the funding they were able to secure wound up being enough to buy the North Ellsworth property outright, meaning Brightside will not have a mortgage payment and can dedicate funding fully to programming and serving kids in need.

Brightside’s new location continues to prominently feature its hallmark choice pantry, in which children not only receive food and snacks, but choose their own items as part of Brightside’s mission to empower children by allowing them to recognize and make good choices in a safe environment.

The expanded space also features a central meeting space with a dedicated sound system; a learning lab that will be used for educational, career exploration and professional development programming, and as a multipurpose space for Brightside events; and a student lounge that features spaces for relaxation and several games, including billiards, air hockey and table-tennis.

Vittorio said Brightside is still aiming to expand services to 25,000 children annually, and the organization isn’t “that far off that target,” having served 18,000 children in 2024.