Be Strong.Go On.
BSGO is a tiny, fierce nonprofit based in Ohio, built on the belief that no one should have to face life’s challenges alone.
— Terri Baker-Helton, Founder
Help neighbors carry the weight.
We exist to walk alongside individuals and families through life’s most difficult chapters—illness, grief, job loss, housing insecurity, and the quiet aftermath of trauma—offering practical support, care, and a reminder that they are not alone.
BSGO is named after Be Strong > Go On, the memoir by founder Terri Baker-Helton. Through a lifetime of personal challenges, loss, and adversity, Terri discovered a steady inner strength that carried her forward, along with determination—and sometimes humor—that helped her keep going. Over time, she felt called not only to navigate her own experiences, but to help others move through theirs as well.
What began as a personal story grew into a mission to support people facing difficult seasons of life. As Terri looked around her Ohio community, she saw people who were not being reached and began meeting needs wherever she could. As the work expanded beyond what one person could carry alone, she filed for 501(c)(3) status—because at some point, it had become bigger than one woman with a backseat full of coats.
Today, BSGO continues that mission—turning compassion into action and hardship into real support. We are run by neighbors, for neighbors. We are not distant or impersonal, and we will never make someone feel small for asking for help. We support people with dignity, respect, and care, and carry forward a simple reminder Terri has always held onto: be strong, and go on.
Be Strong > Go On
The memoir that started it all.
Before there was a nonprofit, there was a book. Written by founder Terri Baker-Helton, Be Strong > Go On is a deeply personal memoir that chronicles a lifetime of hardship, resilience, and the stubborn refusal to give up. Terri writes with raw honesty and unexpected humor about navigating grief, loss, and adversity — and discovering along the way that strength isn't the absence of struggle, but the decision to keep going in spite of it. This book is where BSGO began.
View on AmazonOur values, plainly spoken.
Dignity first
No paperwork gauntlets, no proving you deserve it, no small print. Help is help.
Real, not symbolic
We don't fund-raise for awareness. We fund-raise for backpacks, coats, and Christmas presents.
Humor is medicine
Terri laughs through hard things. So do we. Joy is part of the package.
Show up, then show up again
Consistency beats grand gestures. We're here in July as much as December.