Nonprofit Highlight: CityHeart

CityHeart’s mission is to serve as a ministry of presence in the heart of downtown Dayton to the needy, transient and homeless population of the city and surrounding communities. They strive to improve their lives by listening with compassion and care, responding appropriately to immediate and emergency needs, and connecting people with other community resources for long term solutions.

“CityHeart was thrilled to be accepted as one of the first Dayton area members of Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio! We have been very pleased with all the volunteer attorneys who have given their time on our legal projects.

We strongly believe that PBPO provides a valuable offering of legal advice to small nonprofits who might not otherwise have the financial capacity for such extensive professional services. CityHeart looks forward to the benefit of our continued engagements with this amazing organization in helping us to identify and apply best practices. Thank you!” – Kris Sexton, Executive Director

CityHeart works collaboratively with service providers in our community to help fill the gaps in emergency services and resolve crisis situations for people at risk of evictions and utility disconnections. CityHeart also works with case managers to address the underlying causes of homelessness for many of our most vulnerable citizens who experience or are undiagnosed with mental and behavioral health disorders. Roughly 77% of CityHeart clients are either homeless or live in areas of extreme poverty, suffering from lack of affordable housing and decent wages.

CityHeart had a record year in 2019 for client services and direct financial assistance provided on its behalf. Many of the people it served were impacted by the tornados that hit the Dayton area and the mass shooting tragedy. It was a challenging year, but CityHeart was able to respond with care and compassion, renewing a sense of hope for those affected and rejoicing with their clients in resolving many of their immediate needs. In 2019, CityHeart helped stabilize 2,007 households in Montgomery County that included 2,656 adults and 2,218 children.

Learn more about CityHeart’s programs and services on its website.