Woman shares vision of center for women and their children

A broken air conditioning unit on a hot Friday (Sept. 6) afternoon didn't stop Stephanie Goode Laffoon from enjoying her day at work.

Laffoon, formerly of Tupelo, continued on in her enthusiastic manner in a worn, two-story office building in north Jackson (Tennessee). She spent time talking to the women who visit the building seeking a new way of life, and then worked on fundraiser plans that would support the women as they pursued their dreams. She even stopped downstairs to serve blackberry cobbler and ice cream to a visitor.

Later, she drove three miles to an 11-acre grassy lot where a vision has been planted. Someday, a home will be built there to replace the office building and give the women and their children a safe place to live.

"It's 11 acres of beautiful land right in the middle of the city," Laffoon said while scanning the property. "You're going to feel like you're living in the country."

Laffoon is the capital campaign manager for the Dream Center of Jackson, a faith-based nonprofit in Jackson that provides educational, job and family support opportunities and housing for women who are homeless or going through personal struggles. The center offers classes to help the women become self-sufficient in their lives — emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

"I have a heart for women who've gotten caught up in drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, just trouble in general," said Laffoon, a 1993 Tupelo High School graduate. "The Dream Center is all about giving them a fresh start."

Once a practicing attorney, Laffoon began volunteering at the Dream Center in 2005. In early 2017, the center's board of directors asked Laffoon to join the staff full time.

Laffoon is grateful for the two-story building that serves as The Dream Center's current business office....