YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - An old church on the south side of Youngstown is getting a fresh start, thanks to a local non-profit and a group of volunteers determined to turn it into a safe place for people searching for hope.

Bess Purpose Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering families in need, recently received the former Gethsemane Church building as a donation. The group launched Operation Paintbrush, a community cleanup effort that began this week.

Each morning at 9 a.m., volunteers arrive to scrub, sweep, and paint the historic structure. Organizers say people are welcome to come and go as they’re able, with a goal of having the space ready before October.

Bess Purpose is the vision of President Rita Tate, who named the organization after her mother's middle name, Peggy Bess. Tate said her own experiences as a survivor of domestic violence inspired her to create a safe and supportive agency for others.

"What it is, is we help impoverished families, mothers, fathers, single mothers, single fathers and veterans," Tate said." We help them through other agencies find emergency housing. Once they find emergency housing or the funding to get emergency housing, then we as an agency here at best purpose, we help furnish with the basic essentials, just to give them a running start. We help with employment. We help with education, the FAFSA filling out the FAFSA, we help with them, just empowering themselves, just because you were a victim of domestic violence and or if you have some type of abuse, we're here for you. There are people impoverished that need help. And so how this came about was I wanted to I lived this life. I lived the domestic violence. I was a victim of it, and I wanted to make a change. So how do you make a change? You empower people. And then, in the meanwhile, while empowering people, I'm empowering myself."

Tate envisions the church as more than just a meeting place.

"This is a beautiful edifice, and we just want to brighten it up, make it comfortable, make it where people want to come here and be relaxed enough to talk about their issues and find help all in the same so we're just here, just it was empty for a little while," Tate said. "So, it just needs some tidying up."

Since its founding, Bess Purpose has helped more than 400 families in the Mahoning Valley. The donated building will give the organization room to expand its services and host events that generate support.

Marketing Manager Tiffany Robinson said the project is about meeting both physical and emotional needs in the community.

"She's doing an amazing job," Robinson said. "She's already helped over 400 families within the community. There's a great need for ones to be able to be empowered, to find the resources in the community that's going to help to build them up. So, this building and this donation that we received is really going to help us to snowball and to help even more families in the community."

To get the church ready, Home Depot and Lowes have already donated materials. They just need volunteers, sponsors or donors to help get past the finish line. 

"I need volunteers for painting, whatever you decide you want to do, it would be greatly appreciated, volunteers, sponsors, donors," Tate said. "We welcome them because we're 501c3, we run off grants and sponsors, and we truly need donations."

One young volunteer this week is Rayen Early College student Jariel Cruz-Garcia, who spent the day painting, eager to make a difference.

"Just to be able to have my time in the community to say that I've done something to provide for other people," Cruz-Garcia said. 

You can contact Bess Purpose in a couple of different ways. The phone number is 330-299-7000, or besspurposeinc.com, is the website. You can also email: besspurpose320@gmail.com