top of page

Our History

Divine Dignity was incorporated as an Ohio nonprofit in November 2022, but the seeds for this organization go back many years earlier. We have always had a desire and a passion to help others and have come to understand that dignity and hope are critical for a person’s well-being. Hygiene is essential to a person's self-esteem and hope is essential for a person’s self-worth. Hygiene is often a largely unmet need in low-income communities. Many organizations provide food, shelter, and clothing to those in need, but hygiene is not one of the recognized needs. The lack of hygiene — soap, toothpaste, deodorant, those basics we take for granted — can mean the difference in a person’s dignity. After much prayer and discussion, our staff and board had the vision to establish a ministry to serve our neighbors in need throughout the Columbus area. We found a centrally located warehouse. We developed a strategy that focuses on working with like-minded nonprofits to distribute hygiene to their community members. We established two programs: our hygiene centers and our hygiene closets.

 

The results have been amazing. Every week, we receive requests from communities and organizations who want to partner with us, and we are looking forward to adding more hygiene centers and closets throughout the Columbus area.

 

We also created our DigniTeens program which offers local teens from churches and service organizations to help teens in low-income communities receive dignity and hope through dignity bags filled with personal care hygiene items. This program has a huge opportunity to grow and expand.

ivana-cajina-dQejX2ucPBs-unsplash_edited.jpg

About Us

Divine Dignity staff photo

Who We Are

We are champions of transformation, committed to empowering individuals by providing dignity, hope, and hygiene, and sharing God’s love. We believe that self-worth is the key to unlocking true potential, and we tirelessly strive to help those at risk transform into thriving members of society.

Milestones Achieved

In this past year, we distributed over $120,000 worth of hygiene to our neighbors in need through our 6 Hygiene Centers and 14 Hygiene Closets located throughout high-risk Columbus communities.

We serve over 600 people and families — giving out more than 5,000 hygiene products each month.

As generous individuals, companies, and organizations support our work, we will continue to grow and offer dignity and hope to those in need.

We have a total of 20 Hygiene Closets and Centers we serve each month, with a growing wait list of 12+ organizations. We look forward to expanding the number of communities we serve in the coming months and years.

Our Board

photo of mountain at night
Nancy Gillette

President

photo of mountain at night
Lindsay Wylie

Secretary

photo of mountain at night
Matthew Nordman

Treasurer

photo of mountain at night
Loren Geistfeld

Board Member

photo of mountain at night
Marty Igel

Board Member

photo of mountain at night
Alicia Overmyer

Board Member

photo of mountain at night
Elaine Pierce

Board Member

photo of mountain at night
Mike Short

Board Member

packing bags in divine dignity warehouse

Why did we start Divine Dignity?

“I believe that Divine Dignity is a God-ordained organization that will not only impact thousands of lives in our low-income communities through hygiene but will also share God’s love and hope with people who may not know Him. Sharing His love gives us hope of impacting people with better lives and helping them to know that they are loved.”

—Terry Starr

Our Team

photo of mountain at night
Terry Starr

Founder & Executive Director

photo of mountain at night
Lesley Tate

Operations Manager

photo of mountain at night
Chris Bumpass

Resources Manager

photo of mountain at night
Elizabeth Adams

Executive Assistant

photo of mountain at night
Patti Grill

Warehouse Assistant

photo of mountain at night
Bonnie Johnston

Warehouse Assistant

photo of mountain at night
Pam Shelley

Warehouse Assistant

photo of mountain at night
Sue Ellen Shoup

Hygiene Collection Coordinator

Corporate Sponsors

Our collaborations with corporate sponsors are significant to our mission to transform lives in Central Ohio, and we deeply value these relationships! Our commitment to uplifting our community members with dignity through hygiene is crucial, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide that to those who share our dedication to serving our neighbors. By working together, we can positively impact more of our neighbors and extend the reach of our mission to share dignity and hope through hygiene.

Cleaning Icon Pattern_Blue 2.jpg

Our Values

Dignity
Integrity
Trust
Reliability
Faithfulness
Empathy
Gratitude
bottom of page