Posted February 07, 2024
Meet Ben Hughes, Program Director at the Fatima Family Center.
For the past 30 years, Ben has helped support the center in meeting its day-to-day operational needs.
"My task at Fatima, or in life in general, is to help people," Ben said.
The Fatima Family Center is a staple of the Hough community in Cleveland, offering recreational and educational programs for all ages.
The center changes the lives of many, and it shows.
"The favorite part of my job is when somebody comes back to thank me for affecting their lives," Ben said, "It happens at least once or twice a year."
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Ben and his brothers from the Zeta Kappa Kappa chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity hosted a Young Men's Summit to discuss their cardinal principles: manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift.
"We had 60 young men and 20 of my fraternity brothers… so we had a room of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and we ended it all in our senior room with a dinner for uplift and fellowship," Ben said.
Because of his fraternity's involvement with black history, Ben has an interesting take on Black History Month.
"The tradition of Black History Month started at the National Conclave in Nashville, TN in 1919." Ben said, "The brothers [of Omega Psi Phi] discussed how to uplift and highlight the achievements of black people."
Also, at this conclave, Dr. Carter G. Woodson was named the chair of the committee and later became known as the "father" of Black History Month.
There are many contributions African Americans have made in history, and the Fatima Family Center continues to acknowledge this by hosting its annual Black History Museum at the end of the month.
From February 26 through 29, visit the Fatima Family Center to learn more about African Americans' accomplishments. This event is free and open to the public.
Want to learn more about the Fatima Family Center? Click the button below to access a complete list of programs the center offers!
Part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
