Team Member Bio
Charity Wheeler, LSW
Executive Director
I was born in Cleveland and raised primarily in St. Clairsville, Ohio by my mother and the only father I ever really knew, my step-father. My sister also had a significant hand in molding me at a young age, as my mom was a single parent for many years. I graduated from St. Clairsville High School and married my husband, John, shortly after. I attended college at Muskingum Area Technical College (now known as Zane State College) graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Business specializing in Paralegal Studies. In the years following college, I worked as a legal assistant for a local attorney’s office and the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. When my husband and I started our family, I left the legal world and became a secretary for a small private foster care and adoption agency. Through my experiences in that role, I learned that I had a great passion for helping children in foster care. I realized that as a result of my childhood experiences, I could relate to many of the issues kids in foster care face. As a mother of two young sons and with the help of my very supportive husband, I returned to college, receiving my Bachelor’s in Social Work from Capital University and subsequently becoming a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Ohio. I have over twenty years of experience working in various roles in the social work field, from beginning as a clerical and office staff member, to being a Foster Care Coordinator, an Adoption Assessor, a Therapist and now the Director of Journey Home Foster Care. I have a strong love for children and helping them realize their worth and the opportunities/options that are available to them. I often draw from my experiences to teach children that our past does not have to define our future. I believe that life is not about where we begin, or even where our final destination is, but rather our lives are shaped by the journey we take in between, with experiences that mold us into who we become. I also believe that foster parents are very special and valuable individuals that should be supported while navigating their challenging roles as foster parents. I often tell parents that there is a reason that I sit on one side of the desk and they are on the other – I can give them tools and guidance, but I recognize that I could never do what they do. At Journey Home we strive to make the experience for children in care and foster parents positive and supportive, so that this part of their journey can be valuable and life changing.