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

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