Program Director at Bright Side Opportunities Center, Isiah L. Perry is an important piece in helping people thrive emotionally, physically, and intellectually through his work at Bright Side.

The Bright Side team is giving him a high five for the impact he makes every day.

Another incredible week at Bright Side Opportunities Center! Aida Liz Rodriguez, our Community Liaison had the honor of accompanying a community member to Pennsylvania Furniture Mission, where we were able to furnish his entire home. From a comfy bed, dresser, couch, coffee table, recliner, kitchen table, chairs, kitchen items and even a TV – thanks to the amazing work of Pennsylvania Furniture Mission, our friend now has a fully furnished home to call his own.

Sally Winchell is all smiles as she teaches a Silver Sneakers class at Bright Side Baptist Opportunities Center on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Sally was recently named Ms. Senior PA, and will compete in the Ms. Senior America in Atlantic City in October.

It's the fourth day of Kwanzaa and Brightside Opportunities Center in Lancaster is honoring African American cultural and historical heritage.

Kwanzaa is a celebration that started in the 1960's. The celebration was created to give African Americans an opportunity to reconnect with their culture and dig deeper into their roots.

It was a night of celebration at the Bright Side Opportunities Center where community members gathered to pray, eat and dance as a fundraiser for a good cause, all in their favorite sneakers.

The organization hosted the Sneaker Ball as a way to have fun and recognize its achievements.

Willonda McCloud is a bold and brilliant example of the power of mentorship, using her computer science background to advance her career and empower multiple generations in her community.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Willonda is a straight-up truth-teller who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo if it means the betterment of her community. Like many women—Black women in particular—who seek to advance in the corporate sector, Willonda faced the challenge of others viewing her directness and honesty as too assertive for the roles she wanted.

Students in the STEM Girls Leadership Academy at Bright Side Opportunities Center are putting together special projects for Black History Month. Titled “Our Future, Our Past,” the goal is to explore Black female STEM inventors and trailblazers.

“When you see it, you can be it,” said Isiah Perry, program director at Bright Side. “It’s important, not only during Black History Month, but for women of color to see themselves celebrated and see themselves successful.”

Last year, the Lancaster County Partnership for Learning Equity launched All Star Code, a curriculum that teaches computer programming to Black and Latino teenaged boys.

It’s a fantastic program, said Willonda McCloud, president and CEO of Bright Side Opportunities Center. But, she said, as it was getting started, “I said … ‘we’ve got to do something for girls.'”

Bright Side Opportunities Center, a nonprofit that provides services to youth in Lancaster City, is hosting a back-to-school sneaker giveaway on Aug. 27. Since supplies are limited, parents have to register to pick up a pair of sneakers before the event. 

Aida Rodriguez, an administrative assistant at the center, said the first 100 sneakers she advertised were claimed in the first two hours, and she continually gets calls from parents asking if more are available. The center is seeking more donations to buy more sneakers to give away at the event.

Join Vincent "Derek" Smith, Assistant Director at the Crispus Attucks Community Center, a program of the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Lancaster County, as he sits down with Willona McCloud, CEO of the Bright Side Opportunities Center, for an intimate interview on their impact on the African American Community.

LANCASTER, (WHTM) — To celebrate Juneteenth, Brightside Opportunities Center in Lancaster gave away hundreds of boxes and bags of food.

"Hey, everyone!" Sally Winchell exclaims. "Coming to you live!"

As her class logs onto the Facebook Live stream by twos and threes, she looks into the camera and greets them by name. Meanwhile she gives a synopsis of the upcoming workout. A few minutes later, she's counting off deep knee bends.