I’d like to welcome volunteer Terri FitzHarris today to the interview. Terri is a volunteer here at Daybreak. How long have you been involved with us?

Since January of 2024. I met Travis [Rindler] in December 2024 when—I’m the service of philanthropy chairman of my sorority, the Dayton alumni chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha—I reached out to Travis to see how we could help him at Christmas.

When I met him, I felt like I knew him my whole life and we became friends after that. He encouraged me to volunteer, and I’ve been here ever since.

Awesome! You say you’re the chair of philanthropy for who?

The Dayton Alumni Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha the only women’s fraternity in the United States. We’re all about service and scholarship, that’s the reason why I joined.

So, that’s how you got connected with us, how have you seen Daybreak change since then?

Well, it’s been interesting. When I first came here, 701 was flooded with people and staff and then slowly it just became down to me. I worked with Tena Mitchell in the mom’s group and the parenting group.

Tena was such a ball of energy and welcomed me and encouraged me to help the moms, she really wanted me to serve there. I didn’t know where I was going to serve, and I ended up serving with moms and children. I have a master’s degree in counseling, and I did my internship with teenage girls in crisis, actually.

So, coming here was like I was meant to be where I was, and it’s just been a wonderful experience helping young moms and their kids. I’ve always been a volunteer for children all throughout my undergrad to graduate school till now.

I mean that sounds like very much the perfect fit and a great way to use your strengths.

Oh, yeah. I couldn’t have asked for a better fit. It’s like I always believe things are meant to be and when the time is right the time is right. I should say I always wanted to work at Daybreak. I haven’t even told you this.

Ever since I graduated from Wright State in 1982 with a degree in rehabilitation education. When I wanted to volunteer at Daybreak, it was because 50 years ago—I should preface that I had a very abusive childhood. You can put this wherever you want. My dad always threatened to kick me out of the house, and I didn’t know where I would go. Then I found out about Daybreak.

Unfortunately, I lived in Greene County, so I wasn’t eligible [at the time] but I said, “if I ever have a chance, I want to help.”

Then I got my master’s degree. Long story of it, when I came here a year ago, I finally got to make my wish come true to volunteer for Daybreak.

Yeah, that’s amazing! I feel like a lot of the people that are connected whether as staff or volunteers have some sort of personal connection that brings them here.

I should add this too. My sister lives in California now. She’s a schoolteacher, she moved out to California and escaped our family when she was 18 years old. She told me maybe about 6 months ago that she contacted Daybreak when she wanted to leave during high school.

We’re eight years apart and I knew it was bad, but I had no idea she contacted Daybreak. Unfortunately, she lived in Greene County, so she wasn’t eligible. She graduated from high school and then she moved to California.  Now she’s teaching little kids and giving her time.

So, this place has a real special meaning for me.

Yeah, I can see that. What has surprised you the most in your time with Daybreak or since you’ve seen it over the years?

How comfortable I feel here. How easy it is for me to talk with everyone. I’ll just be frank, I thought, “you know, I’m this old white lady from Centerville. Would I be received well?”

I knew that my heart was in the right place because I’ve been to other places and let’s face it, I have a privileged life. I live in a nice house in Centerville and I’m doing okay. But I just found working with Tena, she made it easy for me.

She had a connection with all the moms, and I think they learned to trust me because they could trust her. But I made these connections immediately with moms and they told me how easy it was for them to talk to me. What a difference I’ve made in their lives.

I wasn’t surprised by that, but it happened so fast. I’ve never made such connections as quickly as I’ve had here with staff and clients. I just feel like I fit here, and I’ve never really felt that in any other job before. That was a surprise to me.

Yeah, I love when you find that place that feels like you’ve always been part of it.

I feel like this is a home to me. The Rabbit Hole [book shop] and this place are like my second home.

Yeah, I’ve definitely seen some of your interactions with clients. They do seem very much at ease.

That’s nice to hear. I contacted a client two weeks ago. I haven’t seen her in a long time, and she thought I had gone. She goes, “Miss Terri, you’re still there?” And she just burst into tears. I wanted to cry, too, because I have really connected with her in a big way.

She grew up from where my husband grew up. I just immediately connected with her and our lives are as diametrically apart but at the same time she goes, “Wow, you’re so easy to talk to.”

When I talked to her two weeks ago, it really meant the world to me because being a volunteer, it’s not like you want any reward or anything but when you know you’ve made a difference. That’s what volunteering is all about, knowing you can make a difference.

Whenever I leave here, that will be something I remember. I know I’ve accomplished something if that makes any sense.

Yeah, definitely and I think it’s not just the impact but it’s also that connection. The impact of having that connection, being seen and heard by someone.

Exactly and that is everything no matter who you are. Everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to be accepted. You hit it right in the head.

You definitely provide that. I’ve seen it.

Thank you, so do you. I thought I connected with you right away too when I first met you.

Totally! Yeah, I think that’s one of the things that I’ve noticed with some people here. You’re just a human and I feel like a lot of times we forget that we are just humans cohabitating in the same space. It’s nice to share that.

 What do you most enjoy about Daybreak?

Oh, absolutely working one-on-one with clients! Making that connection, talking with them.

I used to have a booth in an antique mall, I love entrepreneurship and so working in the pantry is so like me. I know I was able to organize this, to help Tena.

She asked me to pick out books and I love to read. I’m a writer. I wrote a book on play therapy when I was in grad school. It was sold at conventions and so that was the coolest thing.

Being able to buy books and be able to share them with clients and just ask them what I can do for them and make up the bags and just make sure everyone has what they need.

I had my daughter later in life and I didn’t know how to be a mom. I can’t even imagine—I was 42—I can’t imagine being a single teenage parent wondering where you’re going to live much less raising a child.

I think that’s the best, the greatest thing, is making a connection and making sure they have everything they need.

Yeah, and with doing the preparation that you do with organizing and getting the bags ready, you see the people that those go to. Knowing that that’s going to be used, that’s really cool.

Yeah, when we had Baby Days, I was the philanthropy chairman for my sorority, and we have a State Day. So, I was the representative as the statewide service chair so everyone from the state of Ohio donated baby products. And they were sitting there for a while. I was like, “How can we get them these products?”

Then Kristie [Director of Clinical Services] goes, “Let’s have a baby shower.”

That was something I have to tell you. Working with these young med students—I used to work in the medical school at Wright State when I was an undergrad and just to see the young woman here who wanted to go in Gynecology and Pediatrics.

I know women especially women of color are so underserved for their gynecological and maternal care so that has been a real joy. It’s brought back a lot of fun memories for me.

I got to work with one of the med students, and we connected on that, and my maiden name is Day and her name was Day. I was like, “You got to be kidding me!”

So, that was another thing. I connected with a medical student who’s 10 times more brilliant than me, but no one here has any aura of superiority either. Really everyone feels welcome.

That’s very much what I love about it too. I understand exactly what you’re saying. It’s like I feel like my difference and weirdness is appreciated in this setting.

Yes, and I feel that here too because I have to tell you I always felt like an oddball. I always felt weird in my own family. It’s funny you should say that because I can be myself here.

I very much feel the same. Thank you so much for your time today and all the work that you do for us here. We’re definitely very happy to have you as part of our community.

That’s another thing, I feel appreciated. You make your volunteers feel appreciated and I don’t always encounter that. A lot of things I do, I don’t I don’t get that a lot. So, thank you, that means a lot.

We wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the things we do without you.

 

A huge thank you to Terri for her time and the monumental work she does for pregnant and parenting mothers at Daybreak.

Make sure you’re all caught up on #50faces50voices interviews here and stay tuned for the next one.

If you have a story you want to share about how Daybreak has impacted your life, please message Gina Soldano-Herrle at Soldano-herrleg@daybreakdayton.org.

As always, thank you for being  a shining star in our constellation of support for Miami Valley’s homeless youth.🌟🏡♥️