Draft:Bricks for Good

Bricks for Good is a regional nonprofit organization based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that focuses on child protection, social welfare, education, and empowerment through the use of LEGO toys and play experiences that promote STEM.

The organization was incorporated in Pennsylvania in August 2023. Their primary source of funding is received through monetary donations from individuals, businesses, and community partners.

History
Bricks for Good was created by Lee Barber, president of East Shore Technology, a Harrisburg-based IT consulting company. Lee is a self-proclaimed Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL).

Bricks for Good's first public event was titled "More-than-a-Brick" and held in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The event was hosted by LIV E-town, a partner with the Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce. During the event, a total of $1,026 was raised from community donations in which over 45 LEGO sets were purchased for children in need.

As of December 2023, the organization currently supports 23 underprivileged children by providing LEGO sets for their birthday and Christmas at no cost to the families. The organization's aim is to independently serve over 100 families annually.

Notable Successes
One of the children served by Bricks for Good is Isaiah Houssou from Camp Hill High School. He was declared one of two Grand Champions at the Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair (CASEF) in March 2023 for his work using RF Convolutional Neural Network and multispectral Lidar to classify tree species.

Structure
Bricks for Good has pending 501(c)(3) status with the IRS and is governed by a board of directors which includes Lee Barber (Chairman; President, East Shore Technology), Alex Piscioneri (Vice Chair; Head Coach, Girls Varsity Soccer Team, The Harrisburg Academy), Cheyenne Brubaker (Treasurer; Accounting Manager, Faithward Advisors), and Kate Lippincott (Secretary; Buyer, Boeing Global Services).

The organization's Executive Leadership Team includes leaders from central Pennsylvania, including:


 * John Anthony (Branch Manager, Fairway Independent Mortgage)
 * Stephen Hickey, Esq. (Attorney at Law, Griffith, Lerman, Lutz & Scheib)
 * Dr. Anthony Stultz, Ed.D. (Founder and Director, Dragonfly Sangha)

Partnerships
Bricks for Good has partnered with Hershey Public Library and is scheduled to host their first LEGO building workshop in June 2024.

Media
Bricks for Good was featured on WGAL News 8 in November 2023 by photojournalist Paul Callender. The segment included an interview with the nonprofit founder, Lee Barber, who described his inspiration behind starting the organization as "I want to be the Mr. Rogers of LEGO."