Meet Alyssa Banks, Peer Support Specialist at Leading Families Home. She works at Beach House Family Shelter with our kids through groups and programs to help them learn about emotions, exploring art, and becoming healthy, happy adults.

Hi, my name is Alyssa Banks. I’m a Peer Support Specialist. My job at the moment is working with the kids, and basically helping them find their voice but also who they are. I find that actually very enjoying to have a part in someone else’s life, definitely the younger generation.

Doing my paintings, I find peace and relaxation from it, so it’s a de-stressor for me.

I created my paintings with acrylic paint. These paintings are under the medium of paint pouring. Obviously, you can see, no one is the same. That can definitely be said about any of the pieces I create, but any of the other pieces someone else creates under this medium.

It’s basically mixing paint with the priming medium and then just layering in a cup and then just dumping it out, and then letting it create itself.

I had a great time making these. I am glad it’s going to our great cause of #GivingTuesday Winter Wonderland auction. If you are interested, you have a chance to bid and get these. It benefits you, and also our great organization.

This one, this was a first on different accounts for me. This was my first time doing a monochrome black-and-white. I also used something called silicone oil to create the cells or the dots you see in there all were done on purpose.

This is basically saying that with black and white you get gray, so that comes across in the world, but also in our organization. No person or no story is the same. So I definitely will say that this was made for this auction to represent Beach House itself.

It’s definitely now one of my favorites, so I will remember this, but I’m happy that it’s going to a great cause.

This one, I just went for it. I had some input on what colors I should use. You can see a mix of many colors, but only four colors were used: black, white, blue, and yellow. And it created itself. That’s what I love about this, paint pouring: that it creates itself. You don’t have to do anything except tilt the canvas.

So anyone who is interested in getting these, it will benefit such a great cause that we do here – helping families find housing.

For our current and future Participants, the need for comprehensive services continues to grow. To meet that need, we have big plans. And big plans call for big dollars. We need your help. Will you partner with us to meet the needs of our community? You can give by PayPal , or by mailing a check to Leading Families Home, 2910 W. Central Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43606.

Thank you for always being faithful partners in our mission — helping families transition from homelessness to permanent housing. Together we’ve got this.

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Leading Families Home is based in Toledo, Ohio. We are dedicated to fighting homelessness in our community – and we’d love your help! Please consider supporting our organization in one of the following ways:

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Leading Families Home

2283 Ashland Ave.

Toledo, OH 43620

Other Ways to Donate

When you shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. Learn more about AmazonSmile .

It’s easy to donate with Kroger Community Rewards – just shop at Kroger, and swipe your Plus Card! Join Kroger Community Rewards .

Every year we have a Match Campaign – an exciting way for you to double your impact. During this campaign, our match partners will match your monetary donation to Leading Families Home.

Match partners also include corporate sponsors who match their employees’ donations. If you’d like to participate, find out if your employer matches employee donations to 501(c)(3) organizations and contact us .

Do you love to plan events? You can raise donations for LFH by hosting your own event! Have fun and make an impact on our community. Ask for donations instead of birthday gifts or baby shower presents.

A Planned Gift allows you to donate in a very meaningful way. Contact your financial advisor or estate planner to learn more.