A program for unwed fathers is helping the City of Lima and its residents on two very different fronts. Daddys at Work helps unwed fathers gain custody of their children by overcoming the obstacles of what a father may need to provide for their family, including housing. With the help of local contractors, they have started rehabilitating run-down homes as a way to provide affordable housing in the city. Their first home on South Union Street will be up for sale in a couple of months and will help provide funding for the program.
“With projects like this, we are able to take some of the funding we have accrued from the sale of the home, or renting or leasing, however, we can get people into the low to moderate housing,” says Thomas Smith, Founder and President of Daddys at Work. “It helps the longevity of our program, to where we are not one of those programs that are here today and gone tomorrow.”
Councilman Derry Glenn sees this as a "win-win" for Lima as it addresses the neighborhood problems in the city.
“We need to have all of our community grab a hold of this and rebuild one house at a time. We are going to get it done,” adds Dr. Derry Glenn, 6th Ward Councilman. “It is going to take the corporations in our community or incorporated business here that are going to buy into Lima and that is what we want them to do. Start buying into Lima.”
Smith says they are looking for donations and partners for additional houses, for more information about the program log on to
