So when she and her family moved to the Miami Valley in 2021, they drove throughout the area every day. Navigating the main arteries and the back roads, they discovered the city and its “layers of possibility,” she said.
“The good was clear in the vibrant communities and rich history, while the potential was alive in the promise of what could be,” she said.
It didn’t take long for Ellis to feel called to act. Just two months after moving to Dayton she got a position at Omega Community Development Corporation, where she is now the manager of family services. The organization focuses primarily on northwest Dayton, working with partners to solve problems and end generational poverty.
“Every day I get to live out my vision and mission in life, which is to make sure the community is winning,” said Ellis, 37.
One of her strengths is gaining the trust of the community and letting their voices be heard, said Roe Woods, the managing director of family programing at Omega CDC who nominated Ellis as a Dayton Daily News Community Gem.
“She has this organic way working with our community,” Woods said.
Ellis is an inspiration to those she works with and a reassuring presence to the community, Woods said. She called Ellis both selfless and dependable, quietly working behind the scenes while always going above and beyond. What’s more, she does it with a smile, and often with her 7-year-old son.
Ellis now lives in Centerville but was born and raised in Macon, Ga. After marrying her high school sweetheart, Jarvis, the couple moved to Milwaukee where he was a pastor for more than a decade. When the opportunity to move to Dayton arose, she saw it as a place where they could plant roots with their son, Jarvis Ellis II, and make an impact. Her husband is now senior pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Dayton.
At the church, she aims to promote a legacy of both service and empowerment, a community “where individuals are uplifted, inspired and equipped to rise above their challenges,” she said.
Building community is important to Ellis, and Omega CDC is helping to transform lives, she said. Communities know what they need and want, and she says the organization is the bridge to make them a reality.
“With each initiative, we are not just shaping the future but ensuring that the legacy of service and growth continues to thrive, one community at a time,” she said.
Even when she first moved to Dayton, Ellis noted the city’s resiliency. She is happy to help make a difference in her new home.
“Dayton is truly a gem, and it has truly been a pleasure working and living and growing here,” she said.
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