In 2008, an expansion project for the Sylvania Area Family Services fell on some difficulttimes.
SAFS, Sylvania’s largest nonprofit, which operates without a consistent, sustainable source of funding, relies heavily on sponsorships and events to fund their organization.
Budget shortfalls brought work on a 5,000-square-foot facility expansion to a halt, as the entire region, like the rest of the country, was struggling through the Great Recession. Sponsorships and donataions that were once plentiful, dried up as businesses and families struggled to adjust to the new economy.
Local families, many who were struggling and needed help, turned to SAFS, but the nonprofit could not help them all, as their $750,000 project was far from complete.
Five years later, the Northwest Ohio Builiding Trades learned about the situation and volunteered their services to help SAFS.
Apprentices from the Piping Industry and other area trades stepped in and donated their time and services to complete much of the project in September 2013, helping the nonprofit serve a larger portion of the community.
In October 2013, the Piping Industry was one of the participating organizations to receive the Ray of Hope award recognizing a significant impact on the Sylvania area.