800th 'Wall of Love' built in downtown Elyria

ELYRIA — A local charitable initiative that provides toiletries and cold-weather gear to people in need reached a big milestone Thursday. The Cleveland-based nonprofit organization Walls of Love built its 800th wall in the form of necessities bagged and tied onto a fence along Secondnd Street. People who need those items can now take them off the wall anonymously at any time. Members of the after-school and summer program Save Our Children had the honor of building the 800th wall. Guided by Executive Director Chase Farris, teen program Director Stacie Starr and several other leaders, a group of students eagerly attached the necessary supplies to the fence outside the City Hall parking lot. "This is our second year doing it, and once a month we come out and we place the items on the fence," Starr said. The kindergarten through 12th-grade program started working with the walls after a teen student discovered Walls of Love on Facebook and suggested collaborating as a community service project. City Hall gave the group permission to use the fence monthly. Farris said he has watched the students in Save Our Children develop a deeper appreciation for service through the group's partnership with Walls of Love, which has included the Second Street wall becoming the first permanent wall in its history. It usually does not take long for people who need supplies to gather around the wall, even while students are still hanging items there, Farris said. The kids routinely ask what the guests need and hand them items like socks, scarves, gloves, hats, soaps, shampoos and more. "The partnership that (Walls of Love) formed with S.O.C. has been amazing," Farris said. "The fact that they're able to help these children realize what it means to pay it forward to other individuals and take time out of their day no matter what to do good." Founded by Lorain County native and current Cleveland resident Holly Jackson in 2018, Walls of Love has gone nationwide. Jackson was once homeless herself and came up with the idea for the walls after seeing children and adults in the cold without basic necessities. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder to keep the walls stocked, and Jackson is seeking donations to keep the initiative going. Donations can be made via Cash App at $walloflove, Venmo at wallsoflove, Paypal or Zelle at wallsoflove216@gmail.com, or by purchasing items from Walls of Love's Amazon Wish List. More information is available at www.wallsoflove.com. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.