Initiative urges residents to put neighbors before politics
TOLEDO – Green signs emblazoned with a large magenta heart atop the words “your neighbor” led visitors to the Glass City Metropark pavilion for food, children’s activities and a concert featuring crowd-pleasing hits from the last several decades.
The free community party on Aug. 25 was put on by Neighbor to Neighbor Toledo, an initiative urging residents to show care for their neighbors — especially in the discordant months leading up to a hotly contested presidential election. Originating earlier this year at St. Michael’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, the effort has gained momentum, with at least 40 churches, businesses, organizations and institutions signing on as community partners.
“Our tagline at St Michael’s is ‘love, learn and serve.’ So we thought we would create a series of events that would embody those things in terms of neighboring,” said The Rev. Gayle Catinella, rector of St. Michael’s.
“The first thing we decided to do is have a party because you can’t be mad at people if you’re dancing and singing next to them, right?” she asked.
Not everyone who showed up knew about the party in advance, but a good time was had by all, and many left with additional green yard signs tucked under their arms. The group is on its second round of signs after distributing the first 1,000 in just two weeks earlier this month.
“We just want people to come together, have a good time and have a sign in their yard. That is a very concrete way of saying ‘let’s love each other and get along as neighbors,’ ” said Steve Wipfli, the sign’s designer and a member of the initiative’s original planning committee. “It’s satisfied a thirst that people have for a lower temperature during the political season.”
The colors red and blue were purposely avoided in the sign’s design, as was the mention of a specific church, Wipfli noted.
Spreading positivity
As neighbors on the opposite ends of the political spectrum, Carol Nichols and Dave Karmol have put up competing political signs in their west Toledo yards for years.
“He tells his friends that he knows any time he puts a yard sign in, that the Nichols’ will have the opposite the next day,” Nichols said of her neighbor.
“And by the way, he’s right,” she added with a laugh.
The tense political divide reflected in this back-and-forth is what led Nichols to approach Catinella in January to ask if the church could do something to bring people together, especially during election season. Her pastor responded positively to the notion, they formed a committee at St. Michael’s, and Neighbor to Neighbor Toledo was born earlier this year.
“There’s a tradition in every faith, every denomination about loving your neighbor, caring for your neighbor, being a good neighbor. We thought that might be a thing people can relate to that’s positive and hopeful,” said Catinella.
We’re not trying to change our neighbors. We’re trying to change ourselves and become the people that we want everyone else to be.
Gayle Catinella
Looking around the gathering at Glass City Metropark, Amichai Stout said the initiative was an easy cause for the Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo to support as a community partner.
“This is the right message — make connections that are genuine. Look past the labels, right?” said Stout, who serves as director of the Jewish Community Relations Council. “Look past whatever you identify with religiously, politically, and just spread the positivity and love for everyone.”
As for Nichols and Karmol, both were in attendance on that Sunday and they now share at least one yard sign in common. Karmol said his Catholic parish, Christ the King, also joined the initiative as a community partner after he brought it to the attention of his pastor.
They still disagree on politics, but Nichols and Karmol describe each other as good neighbors. “While we do have significantly different views and opinions, I think everybody wants to be a good neighbor, and everybody wants to live with a good neighbor. It’s just decency,” said Nichols.
Neighbor to Neighbor Toledo has several more events planned leading up to the election. On Oct. 8, nationally-renowned commentator and columnist David Brooks is to speak at Lourdes University about his book, How to Know a Person. Tickets are expected to go on sale Sept. 1. Catinella says Brooks will touch on the themes of being a good neighbor and listening to the stories of others.
Organizers are also asking residents to participate in a week of “intentional acts of kindness” by performing small, positive neighborly actions from Nov. 1-5. After the election, the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio is co-sponsoring a dinner to promote healing, fellowship and reflection. The event is planned for Nov. 17 at Glass City Metropark.
Election Day “doesn’t have to be the disaster the everyone is predicting. It doesn’t have to be violent. It doesn’t have to be scary. It can be a lot of people trying to do some good things for each other, because when this is over on Nov. 6, we will still be neighbors,” says Catinella.
She marvels at the support and generosity the initiative has received from the community since it began.
“We never expected it to be what it’s become, but I can tell because of what it’s become that it’s a good thing,” Catinella said.
