Hope Lives Here Gala

On Monday night, you were either in the room or supported Omega CDC’s Hope Lives Here Gala with a donation or pledge. There are no words to express the impact of your support as we all witnessed a packed house of nearly 500! While we have yet to reach our $1.6 million 2023 campaign goal, we celebrate how much closer we are to being able to sustain our mission to impact 6,700 children and 3,400 families living in the Hope Zone of Northwest Dayton.. Your support and the other gifts we will secure by year-end will expand our after-school educational and overall wrap-around services at three Dayton Public Schools (Fairview Elementary, Edwin Joel Brown Middle, and Thurgood Marshall High Schools), the Hope Center for Families, and throughout the Northwest Dayton Community.

The room was embellished with 3-ft tall neighborhood landscape cut-outs, decorated by students, staff  and partners.  These colorful displays depicted the HOPE that we all feel as we imagine 17 Hope Zone neighborhoods filled with safer streets, excellent schools, food security, and a thriving community.  We imagine a transformation that makes northwest Dayton a DESTINATION that all will seek to call “Home.” 

There was a feeling of HOPE in the air that was magical on Monday night! We dressed in festive attire and greeted each other with warm smiles and hugs. We shared what we do and the good we aspire to do in the new year and beyond. We applauded and gave a standing ovation to the Scholars of HOPE as they sang HOME from the movie, The Wiz!  We witnessed the unforgettable story of our keynote speaker, Hasan Davis, a man whose tenacity to succeed despite being dyslexic and left to navigate life from the margins, inspired us all.

As we find ourselves in the afterglow of a wonderful gala experience, we thank you, our sponsors, and our partners for investing in this vision to inspire hope. I invite you to continue to keep us in your prayers and your hearts as you consider ways to remain in partnership with us in this life-giving work!

Let us … Keep Hope Rising!

Vanessa