American Legion supports local effort to provide school clothing

BELLAIRE -- Heart of Belmont County recently received a $1,000 check from American Legion Post 52 to help children prepare for the upcoming school year.

When Belmont County Job and Family Services originally announced a pause of its annual School Clothes for Kids Program, Amanda Lancione jumped into action.

She created a Facebook page that posts Amazon wish lists created by area parents to help prepare their children for the upcoming school year.

Originally started as a GoFundMe, Heart of Belmont County soon became an initiative where parents messaged Lancione their Amazon wish list links, which she then posted to the page.

She said she decided to take this approach so items could be shipped directly to families to streamline the process.

American Legion Post 52 Trustee John Hocker, who is Lancione's uncle, said that once he saw the program she was creating, he knew it was something the Legion would want to support.

"We're donating to my niece, to a great cause that she's doing, a donation for kids to get clothes for school, and we're more than happy to donate to it because we're always more than willing to help around town," Hocker said. "It's very important to help the community, and the American Legion has always been helpful, especially in high schools. We always donate and are always more than happy to pitch in whenever it's needed."

Lancione added that her uncle has always been a special person in her life, making the donation even more meaningful because it came from an organization he is part of.

"My earliest memories of being a kid, my uncle Johnny pulled me up over the waves in the ocean. Even when he didn't have it, he made sure the kids had what they needed," Lancione said. "He's a very special person, and he served our country and is still serving the community today. So I appreciate this especially. It's very special coming from him."

Since Lancione launched the page in late July, nearly 40 local businesses, churches and organizations have either donated or sponsored a child.

Lancione added that Heart of Belmont County also has an account with WesBanco Bank where anyone interested in donating can visit any WesBanco location and contribute.

She said all money deposited into the WesBanco account will be used to purchase items from wish lists that are not covered through residents purchasing items directly from the children's lists.

Lancione said she eventually had to set a deadline of July 31 for families to apply because of the overwhelming number of children needing assistance. Approximately 400 children have had wish lists submitted to her, and she said she refuses to allow any child to go without the supplies needed to start the school year.

"I don't accept a scenario where there are any kids left behind, and I won't stop until we cover them all," Lancione said. "We come from a really beautiful community, and watching this all unravel has just been such an honor, and I'll never forget this as long as I live. I just want to thank everybody for all the support. And kids, we got you. We're not gonna stop. I promise."

She said her goal is to have all items delivered before school begins but acknowledged that timeline may not be possible.

"I hope to have them all filled before school starts. There might be a scenario where some kids get a couple of items after that, but my goal, and I can't give absolutes, is to have them all filled by the time school starts, which is different dates for different districts," Lancione said.

She added that the community response has been overwhelming and she did not expect the number of organizations that stepped forward to help.

Lancione said that because of the outpouring of support, she has decided to turn Heart of Belmont County into a full nonprofit organization.

She added that she is considering organizing a coat drive for children in late October or November to ensure students in need have winter coats, gloves and hats.

Since Lancione created the organization, DJFS announced a plan to continue the annual School Clothes for Kids Program.

The program will operate on a smaller scale but was made possible through a partnership with the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.

The program is being funded with $100,000 through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program and $50,000 from the Belmont County Community Action Commission.