Changing Lives One Home at a Time

A version of this article was published in Dayton Beer Advisor May 28, 2023.

Last year, when a single mother of seven lost her home and a household’s worth of possessions to a house fire in Dayton, finding a house was one big step on the road back to normal. However, making that house a home without any treasured keepsakes or even the basics like furniture, utensils, or towels is a steep challenge. Under normal circumstances, these items are accumulated over the course of a lifetime – the coffee table from your childhood home, the kitchen scissors purchased for your first apartment, the duvet you snagged for half price – all gone in a moment. Starting over with nothing is not only devastating, it’s incredibly expensive. Where do you start when you’re starting over?

In 1978, another house fire caused a similar circumstance for April Alford-Barclay and her mother. After a period of time living on the street and in the homes of friends, one friend in particular stepped up to help them. This act inspired Alford-Barclay to give back to her community anyway that she could. In 2017, she founded Welcome Home Dayton, a nonprofit with a mission to furnish and decorate homes for men, women, families, and aged-out foster youth transitioning from homelessness.

In what was a bit of a full-circle moment for Alford-Barclay, Welcome Home Dayton was able to help the mother turn a few empty rooms into a home for her and her seven children. “I think back to the woman who helped my mother and me when we needed it most. She taught me that there are people in this world who will help you when you’re at your lowest point.”

Clients are referred to Welcome Home Dayton in a variety of ways, but all need help turning their new housing into livable, comfortable spaces. When Welcome Home Dayton gets a new client, the first step is to meet and go over how they want and need their new home to function. April and her team then get to work procuring furniture and other household items through donations, refurbishing thrift finds, or purchasing items with donated funds.

“The reason why this is so important to me is because once you transition and get your new space, it’s hard to keep the lights on, buy food, medicine, and clothing and have enough left over to furnish an entire home or apartment,” explains Alford-Barclay. “The service that we provide cuts down on the chance that our clients will end up back on the street because it’s one less thing that they have to worry about.”

For social media followers of Welcome Home Dayton, one of the most notable aspects of the work they do is in the details. Each space they design for their clients is carefully planned and stylishly executed. Without reading the descriptions, scrolling through their posts is nearly indistinguishable from browsing an interior design blog.

“Your environment impacts your life in a major way,” explains Alford-Barclay. “It impacts what you think and how you feel. We help transform four bare walls into a safe, dignified, and welcoming home, thus allowing our clients to focus on improving education, home life, employment, and building a better future.”

Welcome Home Dayton’s team of volunteers has helped several clients establish comfortable homes since its founding in 2017. People join in to help build and install furniture, shop for needed items, or even help lead the organization as board members. Welcome Home Dayton is always looking for volunteers, in particular people with grant writing skills, social media acumen, or warehouse space to donate. Anyone interested in lending a helping hand (or square footage) can learn more on their website WelcomeHomeDayton.org.

The future for Welcome Home Dayton could involve partnering with community members to offer workshops for clients as well as growing through grant funding to help even more people in the Dayton community. Follow their work on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube (@WelcomeHomeDayton). Learn more about their mission and how you can help at WelcomeHomeDayton.org.