Dennis Hawley of Dayton has been the executive director of Jeremiah’s Letter since 2020 and took over the helm, not only in the midst of a global pandemic, but also just a few years after the original home of the organization – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – closed its doors.
“We started out as a branch of St. Paul’s and used their non-profit status,” Hawley said. “We became independent in 1997.”
Hawley’s path to becoming involved with Jeremiah’s Letter is like many personal journeys – with many turns and forks along the way. He grew up in a farming community in Preble County and there he developed fundamental values and character that helped guide him. After graduating from high school, he attended Ohio University and studied music for two years before leaving college to join the Army.
“It wasn’t a straightforward course – my life,” Hawley said. “In fact, the last time I did my resume, I had listed almost 40 different jobs!”
In the Army, he got involved in the medical field but also in behaviors he now regrets. He got married and had two children but was soon divorced. Then he began to hop around to different jobs in the medical profession, including clinical specialist and paramedic.
“I was approached for a position with the juvenile court in Preble County,” Hawley said. “I worked with high-risk offenders.”
After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Hawley began working in the security field but was eventually injured, leading to several surgeries.
“I had bouts with opioid addiction,” Hawley said. “It seemed everything was falling apart, but by the grace of God, I was given a second chance.”
Hawley returned to college to study social work and felt called to help others. And while going through a rehabilitation program and living in transitional housing, he was introduced to Jeremiah’s Letter. He took advantage of the free lunch offered at St. Paul’s and said he heard a small voice in his head that told him this was where he needed to be.
“I knew nothing about the organization when I first volunteered to help,” Hawley said. “I was going to Sinclair Community College in the morning and could volunteer for Jeremiah’s Letter in the afternoon and that worked for me.”
Hawley started out washing dishes and, after years of volunteering, Jeremiah’s Letter offered him a paid staff position in 2013.
After the move to the current Xenia Avenue location, some positions were cut, and volunteers became even more important to the organization. Today, Hawley is the only remaining paid staff person at Jeremiah’s Letter.
“I never aspired to lead the organization,” Hawley said. “But when the former director retired, the board offered it to me, and I accepted.”
Hawley returned to school to study as a lay minister and chaplain and today is proud of the organization he leads and gratified to be helping anyone in need, regardless of race, gender, age or circumstance.
“We discovered that most homeless people don’t have copies of their birth certificates,” Hawley said. “It seems like a simple thing, but if you are on the street and transient, these tend to get lost and you need them to get an ID and to prove who you are.”
Jeremiah’s Letter works with county case workers for referrals because Hawley said people who are already connected with a service provider have a better chance of successfully moving beyond homelessness and out of poverty.
“We know that sometimes we get them birth certificates and we may never see them again,” Hawley said. “But we continue to try to build good relationships because it’s so great to see the little victories they have in their lives.”
Statistics show people with access to good, stable support systems experience not only continued growth but the ability to overcome the struggles in their lives. He is grateful for the people in his life who have helped give him his second chance.
“We all have a story to tell,” Hawley said. “My journey is one of struggles and celebrations, which is guided by faith and hope. We are all loved and have a purpose on this Earth.”
For more information, log on to jeremiahsletter.com
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