Opening and Thanks
This month’s CNO 2.0 meeting was held at Underground Chuck’s, 2260 Miamisburg Centerville Road. Thank you to the team at Underground Chuck’s for providing the space and beverages. Special shout out to Coop for taking care of us.
Club Updates
Connie Risch opened the evening with updates from the recent board meeting. She shared that the board approved grants earlier this week of:
- $1,000 to Violence-Free Futures for teen dating safety curriculum
- $2,000 to Destination Imagination that supports 200 kids.
- $2,500 to CHS Hope Squad to support its activities throughout the year.
- $500 to the Rotary Club Golf Fundraiser
Connie said the Washington-Centerville Library’s Summer Library Reading Kickoff will be held May 30, 2026, and we need volunteers for the CNO table to talk about our club and to hand out candy.
Announcements
Game Night Social in April
Connie Risch announced that the next social event will be on April 11, 2026. It will be a game night featuring board games, card games, and other fun games. To register and get details using the Member Calendar.
Victory Project
Connie Risch introduced Caroline Comer, Development Director for Victory Project. Caroline said she spent the past 10 years in local television news, including five years at WDTN Channel 2, and first came to know Victory Project while covering it as a reporter. She explained that Victory Project was founded in 2009 by Monnie Bush, a Dayton police officer who saw too many disengaged young people who were not involved in clubs or sports and had too much time to drift into trouble.
About Victory Project (From their website)
Victory Project (VP) is a privately funded 501(c)3 after-school program mentoring disengaged young men, grades 8-12 in Dayton, Ohio.
Being open year-round six days a week allows us to build relationships and earn the right to be heard. Sharing dinner together every weeknight feeds us physically, our tutoring and working at our micro-enterprise feeds us intellectually, and our Bible studies feed us spiritually.
We can currently serve up to 100 youth at a time in our facilities, located at 409 Troy Street and 4519 Oakridge Drive, both in Dayton, Ohio.
The Mission of Victory Project
Caroline described Victory Project as helping young men pursue lives marked by self-sufficiency, self-awareness, and selfless service while working to tear down the pillars of poverty. She said the organization intentionally does not rely on government funding because it wants to challenge young people toward independence and responsibility. She also explained that the program encourages boys to focus on the choices they can control and on building a stronger future for themselves.
How the Program Works
Caroline said the curriculum is built around three major areas: education, entrepreneurship, and character development rooted in faith. Tutoring takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays are focused on worship. Thursdays also include acts of kindness. Mondays are centered on the Gentleman Series, where boys learn practical life skills such as eye contact, handshakes, respect, and how to carry themselves well. She said these soft skills are often missing and are an important part of preparing young men for life and work.
She also said the boys are taught to focus on what they can control, especially their attitude, effort, and consistency. Those daily habits, she explained, are the small decisions that can add up to major change over time.
Work as a Reward
One of the most distinctive parts of Victory Project is its Saturday work program. Caroline said the organization teaches boys to view work as a reward rather than a burden. Through Victory Project’s landscaping business, they earn the right to work and in the process learn punctuality, follow-through, listening, and how to do a job with a good attitude. She said that work ethic is one of the qualities that sets Victory Project participants apart.
Relationships, Meals, and Accountability
Caroline also spoke about the importance of relationships in the program. She shared that everyday conversations can become teaching moments about communication, respect, and social awareness. She gave an example from her own interview process with one of the boys to show how these small interactions become part of the learning experience.
She said Victory Project serves dinner every Monday through Friday evening and tries to keep those meals personal and distraction-free so trust can be built. That regular time together helps staff and volunteers develop meaningful relationships with the boys.
Growth and Expansion
Victory Project currently serves boys ages 12 to 18 and operates two campuses, one for middle school students and one for high school students. Caroline said the organization now serves roughly 60 to 70 youth and can accommodate about 100 while still keeping relationships personal. She also announced that Victory Project will expand to serve young women, with a new girls campus expected to open in August of 2026. She said the girls program will begin with a smaller group and grow over time, with some of the first participants likely to be sisters or relatives of boys already involved.
Volunteer Opportunities and Results
Caroline outlined several ways the community can help, including tutoring, providing meals, and helping supervise Saturday work crews. She said many youth come to Victory Project through school relationships or through friends already involved in the program. During the question and answer period, she added that Victory Project has served more than 700 alumni since 2009, with many going into the military, skilled trades, college, and other forms of service and leadership.
Thank You
Thank you, Caroline Comer, for sharing the mission and work of Victory Project with CNO 2.0.
New Member Readings and Inductions
- Melanie Adams, Second Reading, Sponsored by Jean Pummill
Volunteer and Social Event Signups Available Online with the Virtual Clipboard
Did you know you can now sign up to volunteer or participate in social events using a simple online registration form from your phone or PC? The Member Calendar has a complete list of upcoming volunteer opportunities and social events.