RE-LITE NiTE events will be held from 2-7 p.m. each Tuesday at Bethesda Temple Apostolic Church, 3701 Salem Ave. in Dayton, and Thursdays at the Northwest Recreation Center, 1600 Princeton Drive in Dayton, starting in May and continuing through August.
“This initiative reflects what our churches can do when we come together,” said Pastor Daryl Ward, project leader and founder of the CERO network.
Last year was an unusually dangerous year for the youth of the Gem City. Juvenile homicides quadrupled in 2024, according to police data, and there was a 56% increase in felonious assaults with juvenile victims.
A Dayton Daily News investigation also found a growing mental health crisis among youth in the region, stemming from things like trauma, stigma around mental health and the effects of smart phones and social media, with the latter creating constant access to interpersonal conflicts and sometimes negative content.
“Our youth need safe places where they are welcome, and this program is one way we can meet that need,” Ward said.
Program activities will include the following: open gym and basketball nights; STEM programming (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), cooking and art activities; weekly meals and live DJs; self-esteem and mental health support; and a Teen Ambassador Leadership Program.
“This is a youth-centered effort rooted in faith, community, and listening,” said Vanessa Ward, president of Omega CDC.
Omega CDC, which leads the Hope Zone Promise Neighborhood in northwest Dayton, will serve as the fiscal agent and coordinating organization, handling staffing, logistics, data collection and support for program execution, the group said.
“Our role is to support CERO’s vision by coordinating resources and removing barriers so this work can flourish,” Ward said.
The program is funded through Omega CDC’s Hope Zone Promise Neighborhood grant with additional support from the city of Dayton and the Dayton Foundation.
The CERO group, which is a network of about 10 churches, has been meeting for the past two years to form a united, faith-based response to the needs of families in the Hope Zone, the group said, as well as to strengthen community support through collective action.
The group said it focuses on identifying and leveraging the existing strengths, talents and resources within the community, particularly within faith institutions, to drive sustainable change.
The RE-LITE NiTE project emerged from this collaboration and was shaped by conversations Omega CDC had with local youth who voiced that they needed safe, judgment-free spaces.
CERO congregations will provide volunteer teams, host enrichment activities and help identify youth participants and Teen Ambassadors through their ministries and neighborhood connections.
Participating churches include: Omega Baptist Church, Bethesda Temple Apostolic Church, Zion Baptist Church, Grace United Methodist Church, Agape Bible Fellowship, United Baptist Church, Fort McKinley UMC, Fellowship Baptist Church, All Nations Bible Fellowship and Fairview United Methodist Church.
Staff writer Cornelius Frolik contributed to this story.
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