Providing Family Support
Since October 27th of 2018 The Lance and Aileen Porter Foundation has been providing support to families in Ohio. Since 2018, we have provided food and other essentials, such as socks and coats, to more than 4,000 youth.
The Foundation believes in education and in providing everyone, regardless of their economic status, access to education and career development opportunities. For that reason, we have established relationships with local colleges and universities to develop programming that allows those less fortunate an opportunity to succeed.
In June of 2019, we established the H.O.P.E. Project (Helping Ohioans Persevere by Empowerment) in an effort to empower residents of zip codes 43219, 43211, 43203, and 43205 to take advantage of resources and programs while simultaneously obtaining employment, housing, and access to primary care services. The Foundation has solidified relations with a number of community partners to help address these deficiencies in cities around Ohio.
The Foundation also established the Porter Athletic League (PAL). Since 2018 we have been providing a safe environment for youth ages 8-13 to play sports and study alongside volunteers (coaches) from local law enforcement agencies, including the Columbus Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol and The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. In 2019 PAL realized a 40% increase in the number of participants and a 75% increase in the number of volunteers. Our success can also be attributed to the support that we have received from local businesses and residents. During the 2022 PAL Basketball Fall League season, we continued to increase our numbers of participants and volunteers by 15%. Each year, local BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) – owned businesses continue to support PAL seasons through team sponsorship. In 2022, we were supported by two new businesses eager to join us in celebrating the accomplishments of youth in our community.
In 2019 we formed a creative partnership with the Ohio Media School, who agreed to broadcast the two Championship Games from the PAL League. The games were live streamed on YouTube and Facebook in real time. It was a huge success, and a one of a kind event in the Columbus community.
The Lance and Aileen Porter Foundation is passionate about educating the residents we serve. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, we understood what effect the virus would have on our communities, and the limitations that it would create. We knew that local neighborhood businesses and corner stores would play a major role in providing resources to individuals and families in the area. The Foundation began an aggressive education campaign fueled by handouts and flyers to provide a safe environment for both the consumer as well as the store employee.
Over the past five years, we have successfully integrated our programming into Ohio communities, providing youth and young adults access to athletics, STEM education, dance, and workforce training. It is imperative that our offerings stay relevant to the needs of the community. Therefore, we must develop trusting relationships with community members that provide insight into current living conditions.
Since 2020 (Post Covid) we have partnered with The Ohio State University, Ohio 4-H Youth Development, Google, and Apple to conduct STEM engagement programming for youth ages 8-13 in Columbus, Marion, and Chillicothe, Ohio. We seek to provide opportunities in neighborhoods that are generally overlooked and underfunded. Each year, our participant numbers increase alongside enriched mindsets about the power of education. By engaging with youth participants, we have learned that the children we work with desire the opportunity to learn more about technology beyond social media. They operate with curiosity, and a desire to understand how technology works. We have experienced the joy of witnessing children grow and develop into positive role models in their schools and communities.