“When I was placed into foster care, I arrived with nothing,. Project Joy gave me a backpack filled with clothes, pajamas, and a pink teddy bear. That bear gave me my first safe place. It wasn’t just stuff—it was a powerful message that I mattered, that I was seen, and that I deserved comfort.”

Today, the Marion County Board of Commissioners signed a proclamation recognizing November 11, 2025, as Veterans Day in Marion County, honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans through Operation Green Light.

Today, the Marion County Board of Commissioners approved a six-month pilot program with the Salem Fire Department to launch a new emergency co-response model in downtown Salem…