COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Gift of Opportunity:
How One Contribution to Families Can Open Doors to the Future
by Jason Russ, Pastor Church of the Open Door Lorain Campus
"just a kid from Lorain"
It was a warm and sunny day when cars lined up in the parking lot of the Lorain Campus of Church of the Open Door. The lot off of Tower and Oberlin was the location to pick up a free desktop computer for families of Lorain City Schools. In a time when the unexpected caused many people to clear the shelves of necessities at stores, the people of Lorain rallied together to provide the precious commodity of technology - something that every student desperately needs in a time of stay-at-home orders and Google Classroom. The impetus behind the effort was Bart Gonzalez, "just a kid from Lorain," and owner of Techne, LLC. His business focuses on helping others gain digital literacy through classes at local computer labs like Goodwill of Lorain County. At the onset of students beginning to complete their classwork at home, Gonzalez noted, "You can only do what you have the needs for. So, what began as trying to help one family turned into ten families, and quickly into - HELP!" Gonzalez first placed the need with the Lorain Proud group on Facebook, a community movement he had a hand in starting. They did not disappoint. "Lorain Proud citizens began sponsoring, and 50 plus families were adopted," Gonzalez said. With that spark of need, a fire began to blaze as the Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County joined in to sponsor $175 per family for up to ten families who attend their local club. Then, leaders of Lorain City Schools got involved by raising awareness of the opportunity to Lorain families and donating toward the effort. Soon, there was community grant funding approval by Mayor Jack Bradley and Lorain City Council. On the day of the distribution, Stephanie Carrell, Children's Ministry Director for Open Door's Lorain Campus, was there with her colleagues to help greet families, place computers in their cars, and provide gifts from the church family.
l a c ol ni a r ol e h t @ | m o c .l a c ol ni a r ol
The opportunity for Carrell hits close to home as she is also a kid from Lorain. Growing up in a single-parent home, she is now able to give back to her community by providing for her Lorain neighbors' physical and spiritual needs. Carrell said,
Photo by Jason Russ
Lorain Local Magazine | page 14
"These computers give opportunity and voice for the kids to have a chance at seeing the world and being heard,
