An impassioned sermon about purpose, a history of helping others and support from her community-led Columbus resident Tarra Waker to create a non-profit of her own. Credit: Visionz of Love and Step in The Right Direction.
An impassioned sermon about purpose, a history of helping others and support from her community led Columbus resident Tarra Waker to create a non-profit of her own.
Waker’s idea for her non-profit organization, Visionz of Love, began in 2005 after she realized her true purpose of helping others while a pastor was speaking at a church conference. In 2019, she launched the organization with the goal of inspiring the youth in her community to become healthy individuals — mind, body and soul — through acts of love.
Originally from Springfield, Ohio, Waker said she is the oldest of six siblings and always felt she had a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She moved to Columbia, Maryland when she was 12 years old, where she grew up in the suburbs and went to predominantly white schools. Two years later, she moved to Atlanta.
“My stepdad at the time was abusive,” Waker said. “I ended up moving with my biological dad who I didn’t know from the beginning, but it allowed me the opportunity to get to know him and become closer to his side of the family.”
Waker said soon after she moved to Atlanta her life changed completely. She was exposed to a different kind of street life that she hadn’t seen in the suburbs of Columbia.
“I was able to mingle with people in the streets and mingle with people in the suburbs,” Waker said. “It has given me balance.”
Waker was led back to Springfield in 2016, where she worked on the board for the NAACP as a community coordinator before moving to Columbus in 2018. Waker said the Columbus community is filled with people who are willing to lend a helping hand and collaborate with her.
“Columbus has shown me so much love,” Waker said. “There are so many people here that are willing to give and I am grateful for that.”
When the pandemic struck, Waker said it was challenging to meet new people and much of the organization’s work stopped, aside from accepting donations. She said she began using her basement to collect and sort through clothing to ensure the quality before washing and preparing it to be given away.
“Helping people gives me substance and makes me feel good,” Waker said. “So that is how I came up with Visionz of Love.”
In December 2020, Waker said Visionz of Love was able to package and donate 100 boxes of food to the community of Springfield.
Along the way, Waker met Kayla Davis, creator of A Step in the Right Direction, another nonprofit organization in the Columbus area centered on helping restored citizens –– formerly incarcerated individuals –– successfully re-enter the Central Columbus community and surrounding areas, Davis said.
Davis said the two met at an event hosted by Central Ohio Restored Citizens’ Collaborative in February 2020. After the event, they began collaborating and volunteering together.
“We are able to discuss ideas and get each other’s opinions, create partnerships for events and business advice,” Davis said in an email. “She is very passionate about helping her community and is willing to put the effort in to perfect her craft.”
Davis said she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Franklin University in 2019. Throughout her life, Davis said she has dealt with issues involving addiction, poverty and the prison system.
“The addiction and prison system is very close to my heart due to many of my family members and friends dealing with it,” Davis said in an email. “This allowed my passion to grow to help my community.”
Last month, A Step in the Right Direction launched their first Street Outreach event of the year, which takes place every third Sunday of the month. They were joined by Visionz of Love to distribute hot meals, clothes, gloves and blankets to over 50 people.
Beginning in June, Waker said Visionz of Love will be doing a Love Outreach event on the second Saturday of each month to distribute gently used clothes, hot meals, snack bags and resources to those in need.
Waker said she is also launching a program called Connect Inside, which is a group mentoring program for adolescents that meets once a month to discuss challenges adolescents face and teach them how to cope in difficult situations. Visionz of Love is currently accepting donations and is actively looking for volunteers and mentors to help with their programs.
Davis and Waker said they are working on creating a “Welcome Backpacks” event this year, which will collect supplies to be donated to Alvis House — a nonprofit organization that helps restored citizens get back on their feet.
To donate and learn more about future events, visit the Visionz of Love and A Step in the Right Direction websites.
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that Waker moved to Columbus in 2020. This is not correct. Waker moved to Columbus in 2018. The story has been updated.
