One company in Marion wants to improve the lives of at-risk locals while leaving Marion a little better than before.
JR Ailes founded Nehemiah Marion LLC, a company which rehabs blighted homes around the city bought in land bank or sheriff’s sales. The name Nehemiah Marion comes from the Biblical story in which Nehemiah rebuilds city walls to help the community flourish.
Ailes considers himself a “second chance employer:” He hires people who have struggled with addiction or have been to prison.
“I was a Delaware police officer for 10 years and then a pastor for 10 years,” Ailes said. “And so, I always had a heart for this: people who have made bad decisions in life but need a second chance.”
Nehemiah Marion rehabs the houses to sell them on the open market. Any proceeds go toward buying more homes to rehab, help others in the area or to buy homes for Ailes’ employees as their own home.
Ailes said some of his employees struggle to find a place to live after prison due to credit problems. So, Nehemiah Marion purchases the home and the employees pay back the zero-interest loan after fixing up the property themselves.
Joshua Moore was recently released from prison after six years. He moved in with fellow Nehemiah Marion employee Wyatt Robinson Jr.
“When I got released November of ’25,” Moore said, “I immediately started working and helping them rehab the houses, and just being involved in that and the whole just trying to build the city back up and give people a little bit of hope, and just spread the word of God around a little bit through our work.”
The group began rehabbing properties like 332 Quarry St. in Marion. It took them about six months.
Robinson worked in construction before but felt a call to begin rehabbing blight after seeing other residents buy rehabbed homes — only to learn later the work wasn’t done carefully.
“I’ve seen heartbreak in people’s face when you tell them, ‘All your sewer lines collapsed underneath your floor and you’re on a slab and it’s going to cost you 30,000 to fix it;’ and they just paid $200,000 for the house,” Robinson said. “So, I just want to get people good homes. It might sound cliche, but that’s the truth.”
As the group rehabbed the Quarry Street property, Robinson noticed neighbors making renovations to their own homes.
“People, they see a little bit of the sun is shining through and they want to be a part of it,” Robinson said.
Regional Planning Director Evelyn Warr-Omness explained that many developers doing the same kind of work as Nehemiah Marion have found that fixing blighted houses can stabilize value for the entire neighborhood. As homes on the same street begin to look more uniform with improvements, the neighborhood benefits.
“We had a handful of people stop by that were like, ‘I used to live in this house. I can’t believe what you guys are doing,'” Ailes said. “So, we remodeled a house on the street that could have been torn down, paid guys, three or four employees the whole time, and we made a little bit of money to help buy one of our guys a house. I mean, it was just a win-win.”
Nehemiah Marion is working on its fourth property and Ailes hopes to do more in the future, especially to create transitional or recovery housing.
Moore was able to secure a home of his own through Nehemiah Marion and will just need to repay a $21,000 interest-free loan after fixing the property. He said Robinson and Ailes have been mentors to him, showing him how to lead a more positive life.
“It’s not hard to achieve that now that it’s shown to me, you know what I mean?” Moore said. “Not seeing that before, you don’t know, but now you see it, and you know that you can make a difference and then your story can give someone else hope that has your background or that has been in your shoes.”
Robinson hopes to make an impact for people leaving prison looking for a different life.
“It’s encouraging for people like that, like me, you know, I’m a felon myself,” Robinson said. “I’ve been to prison numerous times. I wish I would have had someone like me in jail around me years ago to be able to help guide people coming out.”
And what would Robinson tell people like himself?
“Don’t let the devil in … You just gotta go to work,” Robinson said. “Learn to enjoy life again. That’s the biggest thing. That’s the biggest thing: You have to learn to enjoy life. Walk outside and listen for the birds.”
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Nehemiah Marion giving homes and people a second chance
Reporting by Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star / Marion Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Abby Bammerlin, Marion Star | USA TODAY Network
