In the mid-1990s, after the genocide in the African nation of Rwanda, the House of the People became a shelter dedicated to refugees and asylees from that country.
“We can shelter up to 24 individuals at a time at the House, and once the refugees get their bearing and are ready to transition from the House, they often locate in the Dayton area, now the largest concentrated Rwandan community in the country,” said David Leach corresponding secretary of the board.
“Our annual goal is to provide incoming refugees a place to live, to help them acclimate to their new situation, and to help coordinate their immediate needs such as finding schools for children, obtaining jobs, language skills and education for adults,” said Leach.
“We strive to enable men, women and children to achieve a sense of normalcy despite the difficulty they have experienced in the past. We believe that we are using a holistic approach with the Rwandans themselves and with the collaboration of supporting people and agencies.”
Special partnership
The house is currently partnering with is HTC (formerly Hannah’s Treasure Chest), the local non-profit agency that provides care packages of children’s items to families across 20 southwest Ohio counties. These packages include clothing, linens, school supplies, books, car seats, toys and many extras.
“We became an HTC Partner agency in 2025 and have been invited to continue into the coming year,” said Leach. “These HTC items bring a sense of dignity and belonging to the families sheltered with us who have children from age 0-18, helping them with their schooling and their general integration within their new community in Dayton.”
The need:
Our readers are being asked to donate items for adult resident age 19 and older:
- New queen size bed sheets
- New towels
- Toiletries
- Blanket/comforters
- Gift cards for new mattresses, groceries, cleaning supplies
- Bus passes
- Cooking pots, plates, cups, spoons, forks, knives and spatulas
You can deliver items to 40 Holt St., Dayton, OH 45402. It would be appreciated if you would notify Jean Damascene Harelimana at (937) 367-0393 or jdamascene011@gmail.com if you will be delivering items.
To learn more about The House of the People, visit thehouseofthepeople.org or our Facebook site at facebook.com/house.ofpeople.12.
Volunteer opportunities:
- There is always a need for those who can help with repair work. If you have construction skills or can get a group together to tackle some special projects, that would be appreciated.
- Love to clean? A group could take on particular rooms.
- Do you have connections with suppliers who would be willing to give discounts on building materials?
- Other jobs include interior painting, lawn and garden care in the spring and summer.
- If you’d like to help, call board president Pio Ngilik (937-477-0034)
Meredith Moss writes about Dayton-area nonprofit organizations and their specific needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredithat meredith.moss@coxinc.com. Please include a daytime phone number and a photo that reflects your group’s mission.
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