Today’s Speakers: Pastor Darin Weiss, CEO of Grace Centers of Hope, and Jager Carmos, Donor Relations Coordinator

Grace Centers of Hope provides vital support to approximately 400 individuals daily, focusing on people experiencing homelessness, abuse, addiction, and other severe life crises. Their mission is to restore lives through long-term residential programs that help individuals rebuild their families, gain self-sufficiency, and rediscover purpose.

Many of the women who seek help have survived unimaginable circumstances—some were enslaved in basements, others lived in cars without heat or air conditioning. Recognizing the complexity of such suffering, Grace Centers of Hope focuses not just on short-term relief, but on addressing the root causes that lead to these desperate situations.

Comprehensive Services Provided Include:

• Safe shelter, food, clothing

• Medical and trauma-informed care

• Counseling (trauma, substance abuse, job-related)

• Life skills training: financial literacy, home maintenance, job readiness

• Faith-based programs to help individuals find meaning and purpose

• A two-year aftercare program that extends support after graduation

Statistically, 35% of children who experience homelessness will encounter it again as adults. Grace Centers of Hope is committed to breaking that cycle.

The program is structured and demanding, but highly effective. If participants stick with it, most become self-sustaining within a year. The faith-based foundation helps people shift from surviving to thriving—learning to live for others, rediscovering their value, and restoring dignity.

Community Housing and Aftercare:

The organization has renovated 65 homes where program graduates can live with continued support. For the first two years, residents receive aftercare services including childcare and career development. They are required to be employed and pay rent. In the third year, support scales back slightly, encouraging full independence while maintaining accountability.

Grace Centers of Hope partners with other community organizations to provide telehealth counseling, transportation to school, and other critical services.

Funding and Volunteer Involvement:

Operating with an $8 million annual budget, Grace Centers of Hope is proud to be debt-free and receive no government funding. All support comes through donations and community involvement.

They emphasize that money alone doesn’t fix problems—people do. Thousands of volunteers play a crucial role, not only by supporting operations, but by communicating to those in need that their lives have value. Volunteers help individuals believe they are worthy of someone’s time and effort—a powerful step toward healing and change.

Upcoming Fundraiser:

Their next fundraising event, Pave the Way Run/Walk, will be held on September 6. Participants can run or walk to help raise funds for the organization. More details are available at: https://tinyurl.com/25fx7sct

Additional Ways to Support:

Grace Centers of Hope also operates four thrift stores and offers pickup services for donated furniture, clothing, and household goods. These items are repurposed to help repurpose lives.

Rotary Involvement:

Rotary has been a long-time supporter of Grace Centers of Hope, and there are many opportunities for members to get involved.

Jager Carmos’ Story:

Jager, now Donor Relations Coordinator, is a graduate of the program. Once a heroin addict arrested by a drug task force at age 18, he was given a choice between prison or the one-year program at Grace Centers. He chose the program, graduated, and has now worked at Grace Centers of Hope for over a decade.

He recalls feeling scared during his first month, but volunteers and staff reassured him he was worth their time. That sense of worth was key to his transformation.

Jager now offers tours of the facility and is happy to answer questions from those interested in supporting the mission.

Final Thoughts:

You can make a difference by being intentional in your giving. Support organizations that are committed to long-term solutions rather than reactive, short-term fixes. Helping someone on the street may feel good in the moment, but lasting change comes through sustained, organized efforts like those of Grace Centers of Hope.