News of the Good: A town where people pay-it-forward as a community

Reader’s Digest just picked the Nicest Place in America, and they chose Columbiana, Ohio. It’s a small town of around 6000 people (at the 2010 Census) in northeastern Ohio. It only has one elementary school, one middle school, one high school, one Christian school, one public library, and a vibrant downtown.

The town’s claim to fame before this award was likely that Harvey S Firestone, yes that Firestone tire Firestone, used to live in the town. The main park in town – Firestone Park, natch – was donated land from the family homestead.

This little barely known town won the award because of all the ways people in town improve each other’s lives. It’s a community effort.

For example, one real estate person offers free rent for one year to entrepreneurs who just need a little help to launch their businesses. A microbrewery not only donates a day’s tips to different charities each month, but also gives their leftover grains to a baker. The baker makes bread with it and then gives hot dog buns to a fundraiser. The fundraiser collects money for a foundation that helps kids with special needs. Many other businesses and residents give generously to other support for people in the area.

The special needs population is one of the primary benefactors of the town’s pay-it-forward attitude. The local movie house was seeing dwindling ticket sales and so started doing theater. Then someone had the idea of special needs theater. And now many special needs residents contribute to the theater in whichever ways they can, and the town loves the plays they put on. Everyone wins!

Let’s have more communities like this. Pay it forward!