“We were put on this earth to look out for one another, not to look past one another.” Gloria Vanderbilt
Helping people is in Lisha Long’s DNA from her dedication to her church, the populations at the homeless center, the veterans, or any of the endless other causes or individuals to which she devotes herself. A family woman with three children and a grandson, Long is no stranger to service or giving back to her community.
Working as Chief of Staff for former State Representative Brian Kirkland, Long had the opportunity to hone her skillset even more by providing constituent services to residents of the City of Chester. Prior to her tenure as Kirkland’s Chief of Staff, Long worked in the healthcare field, caring for children with physical and intellectual disabilities. This was a job that clearly suited her not only in part due to her education–but more because of her kind, compassionate nature and gentle spirit.
Education is the foundation for Long’s success in helping people. She has a B.A. in Healthcare Administration with a concentration in Long Term Care, a Master’s in Healthcare Administration, and a Master’s in Public Administration. “I’ve always planned to use my degrees to help better my community and to be an example to people that you can do anything you put your mind to,” said Long.
“Working for the former State Representative was a tremendous opportunity, and the learning curve was steep, but it prepared me for forming my Non-profit ‘River of Life, LLC’ in 2018.” According to Long, River of Life, was formed to be a resource for the community and to help those most in need of help. River of Life got its name from a spiritual episode Long experienced. Praying for a name for her enterprise, Long says she kept hearing, “You’ve got a river of life flowing out of you,” hence the name River of Life.
Long believes that her ability to reach out and partner with other organizations in the community will be beneficial in achieving success, and she’s made a point of pursuing those partnerships in her efforts to bring the River of Life serv- ices and resources to the community. Long says, “My vi- sion is for River of Life to become an integral part of the resource network in the City of Chester as we move forward revitalizing our city and teaching and encouraging our youth about caring, investing in, and working within our neighborhoods for the good of all of us. I will work with the residents to help them understand the needs of the community.”
River of Life has sponsored Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, Resource Fairs, and distribution of meals and ,…
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