DAYTON, Ohio — On her biweekly visits to the Hope Center for Families, Sha’Kiesha Thompson feels like family. Roe Wallace greets her with a smile and the two get down to business, celebrating her latest successes and setting the stage to accomplish even more before they meet again.
What You Need To Know
- The Omega CDC launched in 1997 to serve northwest Dayton.
- The nonprofit offers wrap around services like food, housing, childcare and educational opportunities.
- The Hope Center puts many of those services under one roof.
- Many client families go through family coaching to set and achieve goals.
Many client families go through family coaching to set and achieve goals.
Thompson has been getting family coaching through the Omega Community Development Corporation for several months, one of dozens of families the nonprofit’s been able to offer wraparound services to since the Hope Center opened last year, and one of thousands served in the CDC’s 25 years of service.
Omega CDC launched in 1997 with the vision of improving the quality of life for families in northwest Dayton.
In the years since, it’s offered wrap around services to improve food access, housing, educational opportunities, child care or whatever else families in the surrounding community may need.
The Hope Center puts many of those resources under one roof, through collaboration with partners like Sinclair Community College, Dayton Children’s, and Mini University.
“It’s more than just me,” Wallace said. “It’s our intake coordinator, our scholars of hope program. It’s really a community where we are actually able to wrap around our families and it’s like whatever you need, we can help you try to figure it out.”
For Thompson, the journey is focused on strengthening her family relationship and securing safe and affordable housing as a first-time homebuyer.
“Roe is my cheerleader,” Thompson said. “She encourages me, inspires me. Like there’s no hurdle, there is no roadblock that comes that Roe is not going to help me around it or to get over it.”
Thompson came to the Hope Center after hearing about the services through a social worker at her daughter’s school. A single mother of three, Thompson wanted to ensure her kids had the best possible opportunities to succeed and a safe, stable home for her family.
“I would like to get an education, have multiple streams of income, building a foundation for my children, breaking generational curses while building generational wealth,” Thompson said.
The property manager of the home she was renting approached Thompson with the opportunity to buy, but Thompson wanted to work with Wallace and the Hope Center to ensure she’d have the knowledge, financial security and leverage to manage the deal.
“The house needed some serious renovations,” Thompson said. “If they were not completed, I was not going to buy.”
The Hope Center helped Thompson undergo a first-time homeownership course, apply for down payment assistance, and gave her the resources to advocate for herself. The renovations were completed and now Thompson’s an inspection away from becoming a homeowner.
“It’s always been a goal, and it’s really exciting to see that,” Thompson said. “All of my hard work is paid off.”
Wallace gives all the credit to Thompson. She said her job is simply serving as a sounding board. She asks Thompson to set goals, points her in the right direction and challenges her to take the steps to improve her life.
“We are all about empowering our community,” Wallace said.
Wallace has also worked to help Thompson take advantage of other Hope Center services like counseling to ensure her mental health improves as she continues to meet her goals and build up her network.
Thompson’s next goal is heading to school to study culinary. She’s already applied for financial aid through Wallace’s help and is working with Sinclair College to find and apply for scholarships.
When Omega CDC celebrates its 25th anniversary Monday evening, the nonprofit plans to highlight stories like Thompson’s as a sign of community resilience and a drive to succeed. The gala is tonight from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. All tickets are all reserved at this point. For more information on Omega, click here.
