“Sarah has encouraged us to help others through volunteering to help them with their homes, volunteering for food distribution during COVID, helping city workers with mulching they were behind on, supplying food and paper products for the Ohio Changers — a group that comes to our city to help people with their homes — and praying for our city,” Niess said.
Hope 4 Miamisburg, which aims to connect all sectors of the community to meet the greatest needs of the city, is one of several “Hope 4″ groups operated through non-profit Miami Valley Leadership Foundation throughout the region.
“We want to partner with people of faith and of good will,” she said. “We do believe that the church is to be the lead of that, but that we also want to partner with (entities) like the city and the schools and the businesses and all the non-profits throughout the community because we believe that if we work together, that is when we’re going to do the best work.”
Pelphrey also runs Empower, a group offering classes for single moms, and works to help women who have struggled with addiction.
She said she is “very humbled and honored” to be nominated as a Community Gem.
Pelphrey, a part-time Miamisburg schools teacher, organized a safe center for Miamisburg students during COVID’s remote-learning period. She also coordinates a mentoring program for schools that continues to grow.
“Parents and students love her,” Niess said. “Sarah pours her heart out to our community.”
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