East Liverpool's Way Station: Offering food, friendship, and hope to those in need

EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio — The Way Station is a faith-based outreach resource in downtown East Liverpool. It’s a place where the lonely can find friendship, the hungry can find food, and the hurt can find healing.

"We want to spread the love of Jesus on people through meeting their basic needs and just providing that shoulder to cry on, somebody to pray with them, or just to sit and listen to them,” store manager Christine Cianni said. “Because we want to meet people where they are and for who they are. "

The Way Station's mission is to provide people with spiritual, economic, and material resources.

"In Columbiana County, we have so many people who are living in that poverty zone and sometimes just get stuck there,” Director Tammy Blackburn said. “We have found a lot of times that they don't have a support group. They don't have anybody to come alongside them and help them.”

“I think it's just that lack of encouragement and support."

The Way Station offers discounted clothing for the community and operates a 50-cent clothing program for eligible individuals, determined by their household size compared with their income.

"People will say well why don’t you just give them away?” Blackburn said. “Well, we have found that for them to even pay that small amount they come in and it gives them a pride that they might say, 'Hey, this is the outfit that I bought yesterday,’ and they're really excited about being able to do that. And, so, that's our desire to help them to feel good about themselves. And to be able to help them get them to the place where they can provide for themselves."

Additionally, The Way Station offers programs like the transitioning to triumph initiative, aiding formerly incarcerated individuals, transitioning veterans, and those performing community service. They also provide the Pathways to Independence program.

"It's about you learning about you and how to better yourself and deal with situations in a whole different way,” attendee Tifiney Jones said.

The East Liverpool Glow Program stands for girls leading our world. This program is designed for 5th through 12th grade girls to help build strong minded, confident independent women. It is considered a pregnancy prevention program.

"It's to help them build self-esteem and to feel better about themselves,” Blackburn said. “To dream of a future. Often times people in poverty just think that they're faded. And they don’t have a future so the program is to help them look and see they can be whoever they want to be."

The food distribution at The Way Station occurs every third Thursday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Those unable to attend can receive leftover food items Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the rest of the month. Young mothers can access diapers twice monthly, wipes once a month, and feminine products as required.

The Way Station is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.