An Evening with Thana Hickman, Simmons CEO of Viola's House

In 2007, Thana moved to Dallas and, founded Viola’s House in 2008 as a mentoring program for teen mothers. Her passion was to provide support and educational opportunities for these young women to ensure their success in raising their children. In addition, Thana soon recognized the need for housing assistance among teen mothers in Dallas and established a residential program for homeless expectant teen mothers.

.Viola's House opened its first apartment with two beds in partnership with Cornerstone Baptist Church in 2015. Within six days, the program received ten applications for the available spots. The organization grew, providing a safe home and resources for hundreds of homeless teen mothers in South Dallas.

Viola's House now operates from a state-of-the-art facility, offering 24-hour staff support, licensed counselors, mentors, and educators to ensure the growth and success of its residents. In addition, the Viola's House Baby Benefit Boutique (BBB) was established in 2022 to further serve community needs by offering voucher-based shopping and educational parenting classes.

Since its inception in March 2022, the BBB has served over six thousand participants and has seen over seventy-three thousand visits. Thana holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, is a certified Life Coach, and has a license of ordination in ministry. She has worked in the insurance industry for 20 years as a catastrophic claims manager.