Project Rise

Over the weekend, a group of girls in the Project Rise program were able to share a meaningful and fun experience our Project Rise girls recently had through the “Softball Sisters” program with the Firestone High School softball team!

The girls were invited to spend the day at Firestone High School softball practice, where they got to meet the team and even participate in activities alongside the players. It was a wonderful opportunity to build confidence, try something new, and connect with strong role models!

Following practice, everyone shared lunch together and enjoyed some relaxing coloring and activity time. Each Project Rise guest was also gifted her own glove, softball, and a special commemorative ball signed by the Firestone players to remember the day.

To top it all off, the girls will be attending a Firestone game this week to cheer on their new “Softball Sisters” from the stands!

We are incredibly grateful for experiences like this that encourage mentorship, joy, and empowerment for our girls.

The Firestone Softball Players even teamed up to collect new, full size hygiene products for families served by Project Rise. Thank you so much to all who were involved in this amazing support!

Special shoutout to Akron Community Foundation for their generous funding of our Out of School Time Experiences for students!

A big thank you to SeibertKeck Insurance Partners for spreading some Easter joy! They generously donated 60 Easter bags to Project Rise, each filled with coloring books, art supplies, candy and treats.

Your thoughtful support helped brighten the days of the students and families we serve, and we are so grateful for partners like you who care!

Huge shoutout to Northside Christian Academy for their generous donation of 75 bottles of brand new laundry detergent to Project Rise.. with more coming after spring break!

This thoughtful contribution will make a real, everyday difference for families we serve—helping ease one of those basic but important needs that often gets overlooked.

What makes this even more special is how the connection came to be. Michael Lamp, librarian at East CLC, and Meredith Kelley, an English teacher at East, co-lead a student-run podcast focused on local community issues.

Ms. Kelley connected Jen Montisano of Project Rise to be a guest on the podcast. From there, a representative from Northside Christian Academy learned about Project Rise—showing just how powerful word of mouth and community connections can be.

We are so grateful for partnerships like this that bring people together to support our students and families. Thank you, Northside Christian Academy families, for your kindness and commitment to making a difference!