🌲 LifeWise Tried to Use a Public Library for Recruitment — and the Community Spoke Up
A member of our Secular Education Association (formerly Parents AGAINST Lifewise) private group spotted something concerning this week:
👀LifeWise West Unity set up a “LifeWise Giving Tree” inside the West Unity Branch Library, complete with donation requests and staffing needs for their released-time religious program.
Public libraries are secular, publicly funded institutions. They cannot be used as promo space for a program that pulls public-school students out of class for religious instruction.
Several members respectfully reached out to the library to alert them.
Within hours, the Library Director responded and confirmed the display would be removed.
This is exactly how accountability works:
➤ The public notices
➤ The public speaks
➤ Public institutions respond appropriately
Shortly after the display was taken down, LifeWise publicly announced that their “giving tree” had to be moved to a private business — where it actually belongs.
We SO appreciate the Williams County Public Library for respecting community concerns, following their own policies, and keeping the library a welcoming, inclusive space for everyone. 💜
⸻
💛 Want to Thank the Library for Doing the Right Thing?
One of the most meaningful ways to support the library is by supporting the Friends of the West Unity Branch Library, the nonprofit that helps fund books, community programs, supplies, and events.
If you’d like to learn more or support them directly, here is their official page:
👉 https://www.mywcpl.org/content/friends-west-unity-branch-library
Supporting your public library strengthens the secular, inclusive public spaces that serve our whole community.
⸻
✊ Want to Get Involved?
This win happened because parents and community members were connected, informed, and ready to act.
If you want to help push back against RTRI programs like LifeWise in your own district — or stay in the loop on what’s happening across the country — join our private national SEA group.
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1KB3jbEThy/?mibextid=wwXIfr
What people are saying:
- Secular Education Association: Secular Education Association
- Facebook User: this is such a win!!!
- Facebook User: I appreciate Handyman Hardware for letting us know to never shop there.
Glad the library booted them! - Facebook User: Facebook User
- Facebook User: See something? Do something!
- Facebook User: Hooray!
- Facebook User: Good for the library doing the right thing
- Facebook User: I left a comment. Others should as well. I used a Bible verse, too, as it seems that is the thing that hits.
- Facebook User: so what happened to traditional Sunday School ajd youth group Wednesdays? don’t churches still have bible study on these days? aren’t these educational service already covered without missing school, and withiut all tje chainof custody issues? why can’t achools just say “no”? who is pressuring them to agree to this nonsense?
Leave a Reply