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COLUMBIANA -- The Threshold Residential Services (TRS) community came together Thursday to thank those who supported the residential home through the turmoil caused by the Norfolk Southern train derailment with a night of dinner, dancing and diversity at the Barn at Firestone Farms.
"This celebration is our way of bringing positivity back to the East Palestine Community after everything we've been through," Threshold Residential Services CEO Chris Page said. "We are grateful to have the opportunity to come together, share our collective voices, and celebrate our developmentally disabled community and all who support it."
Threshold Residential Services, which is "dedicated to providing individuals with developmental disabilities opportunities for personal growth, independence, and overall improved quality of life," owns and operates nine Licensed Residential Facilities throughout Columbiana County. Four of those homes are located in East Palestine. When the train derailed, all 21 of Threshold's East Palestine clients had to evacuate.
But it's not the Threshold way to dwell on what the nonprofit called "its darkest days" in the hours that followed the rail disaster. Instead, Threshold looked on the bright side and found the silver lining in the black cloud that blanketed their village on that February night. Thursday's event was billed as "A Celebration of EP Voices" and it aimed to bring positivity back to the community and to "raise funds to provide renovations, technology and innovations to the members of our community with developmental disabilities." It also brought attention to its EP Voices campaign which seeks to show the world the resiliency and grit of East Palestine -- the bedrock on which the village was built long before the train derailed. TRS invites all East Palestine residents to visit epvoices.org and download an #EP Voices card and write what they love most about their hometown and then snap a selfie with the card and add it to social media with the hashtag #EPVoices.
The TRS community also took a moment Thursday to recognize two longtime employees of Threshold -- Patty Mesmer and Larry Schromofsky -- who are retiring after years of service. Mesmer is stepping down as Threshold Corner Store manager while Schromofsky is retiring as TRS Lawn Crew Supervisor.
"Tonight is a night for fellowship, smiles and celebrating the strengths in all of us. Nowhere more evident than in the interactions between our dedicated staff and wonderful individuals that we serve," TRS Program Director Seth Walker said. "Our staff are teachers, mentors and confidants to our clients. Patty and Larry have gone above and beyond for each of our individuals and truly made a difference in the Threshold family."
The evening also included welcome remarks from Pete Moore, the president of The Ohio Provider Resource Association.
TRS offers residential homes, day programming and vocational opportunities to individuals with developmental disabilities and neurodiversity and values "integrity, mindfulness, evolutionary and positivity." It is also the largest non-government employer in the village.
As East Palestine continues to walk the road of recovery in the wake of the rail disaster, who better to lead the village on that journey than the residents who have made a habit of overcoming obstacles, shaking stigmas and seeing the rainbows in the puddles.
"Our clients truly make us appreciate all the positive things in our lives," Page said.