2026 BILL HARPER DAY OF SERVICE

A playhouse gives a child a place to imagine, explore and make memories, with opportunities to build motor and communication skills along the way. During this year’s Bill Harper Day of Service, United Way of Greater Lorain County partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cleveland for its Playhouse Project. The idea is simple: sponsors like Avient Corporation purchase playhouses for local families, and the proceeds support Habitat’s work to build affordable housing. Avient volunteers brought three playhouses to life, turning a day of service into both a special gift for a child and an investment in another family’s future.

For us at United Way the partnership and energy of the day reflected the spirit of the person this annual Day of Service was established to honor, our very own former president and CEO, Bill Harper.

Bill brought United Way to downtown Lorain and introduced many of us to a new way of thinking about community through collaboration and collective impact. He helped shape our work around the understanding that lasting change requires organizations and people to come together to solve the challenges our neighbors face. His leadership left a lasting impression on our community and on those who continue to follow his example.

This year’s partnership with Habitat put that belief into practice, and felt like a fitting way to honor a leader who has helped our community see the potential in simply working together.

We are grateful to Avient Corporation and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cleveland for making this year’s project possible and meaningful. Together, they helped bring Bill’s vision to life and reminded each of us that the work of building a stronger community belongs to everyone.