Sister Barbara Vano, vice president for Mission and Ministry for Lourdes University, stands by two values adopted by Lourdes - learning and reverence. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Lourdes University, MultiFaith Council to co-host Be the Light conference
SYLVANIA – Residents looking for ways to counter political polarization and other divisions are invited to a free conference themed around The Power of Words this Sunday.
The second annual Be the Light conference will be held Sept. 15 from 2-5 p.m. at the Franciscan Center of Lourdes University in Sylvania. The event kicks off with a keynote speech on The Psychological Costs and Benefits to Social Media from Dr. Jason Rose, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toledo.
There will also be a 15-20 minute presentation by Sam Nelson on the tension between free speech and hate speech. Sam Nelson is an associate professor of Political Science & Public Administration at the UToledo.
The MultiFaith Council is co-sponsoring the conference with Lourdes University and the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania. The theme was chosen “in light of the current climate in our country where it seems like it’s impossible to disagree without descending into conversations that don’t generate anything productive,” said Sr.Barbara Vano, a Sylvania Franciscan and vice president for Mission and Ministry at Lourdes.
“People aren’t listening to each other; they’re shouting at each other. ‘If I don’t agree with you, you’re wrong, I’m right, end of conversation,’” she said.
Breakout sessions are to specifically explore the role language and communication play in perpetuating violence.
“How does hate speech create narratives that then influence people’s beliefs and behaviors?” asked Jennifer Vasquez, executive director of the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio.
“A really obvious example in the news is immigration,” she said. “The language that is used and the stories that are told about immigrants tell a particular story that leads people to act a certain way. So how do you tell a story that is welcoming and inclusive and curious about others?”
Franciscan Center of Lourdes University in Sylvania, location for the Be the Light conference. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Guests attending the conference can choose two breakout sessions. Topics include:
Telling Immigration Stories with Shared Values, presented by Christina Staats, National Immigration Forum
Islamophobia and the Media, presented by Fadia M. Abaza, MD, a local leader in the Muslim community who serves as director of ING MidWest, a nonprofit pursuing peace and countering all forms of bigotry through education and interfaith engagement
The Political Polarization Crisis — What Can We Do?, presented by Nancy Miranda, Braver Angels Ohio State coordinator, who is to share a technique used for talking to people across the political divide;
The Story Told in White Christian Nationalism, presented by Deacon Nick Bates, JD, Hunger Network of Ohio
Art: Communicating Sorrow without Words, presented by Detroit artist Evelyn Hoey, who will share about her journey creating art that explores the issue of gun violence in the U.S.;
Practicing Nonviolence: Practical Strategies and Practices for De-escalating Potentially Violent Situations, presented by The Rev. Gayle Catinella, St. Michael’s in the Hills Episcopal Church.
Advance registration allows for guests to have first choice of breakout sessions, but walk-ins are permitted.
Vano said she hopes the event helps raise awareness of how communication can be used to limit violence and bring healing.
“Our current culture is just, unfortunately, rife with hate speech,” she added. “I think all of us benefit from just being made a little more conscious of how our speech, how the words we say and the way we say them can so much impact people.”
Members of the sibling band Girl Named Tom made a special concert appearance for Sunshine Communities' 75th anniversary celebration in Downtown Maumee on Saturday.
Girl Named Tom celebrates Sunshine Communities’ 75th anniversary
Story and photos by Kyle Brown
Maumee – To celebrate 75 years of supporting individuals with developmental disabilities of all ages in Northwest Ohio, Sunshine Communities closed out the year-long festivities with a concert headlined by local band and The Voice winner Girl Named Tom.
The band is a trio of siblings (Bekah, Joshua and Caleb Liechty) from Pettisville, Ohio who won the NBC reality TV show on Dec. 14, 2021. They returned home to celebrate Sunshine’s anniversary in Downtown Maumee on Saturday night.
The crowd listens to headliner Girl Named Tom during Sunshine’s 75th anniversary event on Saturday.
Bekah Liechty waves to fans during the performance. She’s one of three siblings in the local band a Boy Named Tom.
People flooded into Maumee to hear the now-famous band, as well as eat at food trucks and shop at merchandise vender booths and open storefronts on Conant and surrounding streets.
Before opening band Chloe and The Steel Strings took the stage at 5:30 p.m., I caught up with Toledoan Joel Shenk, a Sunshine Communities board member for five years. He said he was happy to support Sunshine in an event like this.
Joshua Liechty, of Girl Named Tom, the winner of The Voice’s 21st season in 2021.
“The community knows Sunshine pretty well. The legacy of important work and supporting the needs of our community is what Sunshine is all about,” he said. “The mission to create a community, not only with the people of our organization but with the greater Maumee community, as well, is what Sunshine’s about.”
Shenk was accompanied by his wife and two daughters, Roslyn and Lizzy, who had seen a few of Girl Named Tom performances on The Voice.
Girl Named Tom also met with me to discuss what led them to celebrate the anniversary and why they enjoy coming back to the area for local shows.
“We’re always looking for new opportunities to come back here, but we have to be strategic about spacing it out right. We don’t want to be overplaying our hometown … even our hometown can get tired of us,” they quipped.
When Sunshine reached out to propose a date, we were like, ‘Whoa!’ This early fall time looked really nice and it just kind of worked. The two worlds came together at the right time.
Girl Named Tom
The band also talked about their upbringing and how the Mennonite faith they share aligned with “what Sunshine does as a whole.”
Girl Named Tom commented that their dad was a chair member in the organizing of the Black Swamp Benefits, where they would help raise funds that went to Sunshine Communities. “I don’t know how helpful we were, but we were in the dunk tank, and the foosball tournament was always a classic!”
When it came to why they enjoy doing hometown shows, their response was, “This community raised us in many ways, so we want to keep those roots strong in this community. They were the first believers in what we had. They said ‘You have something special in the three of you, and you should take this as far as you can!'”
The band said they are always evolving and changing as a band and musicians, and that it is always nice to come back and display where they are now, and keep the community invested on where they are going.
The main event began shortly after 7 p.m., a presentation of $5,000 to Sunshine from Centurions MC and a three-song performance from Sunshine’s Bell Choir.
Pretzel donates $5,000 to Sunshine.
When Girl Named Tom took the stage there was a huge standing ovation. It was very apparent from the start how well loved the band is around this area. Throughout the night, Bekah, Joshua and Caleb would stop and chat with the crowd. Sometimes it would be about the background of the next song, and other times to ask the crowd questions, such as “Who knew of us before we went on and won The Voice?” Looking around, it was apparent much of the audience were fans.
When the band sang their song, In Your Shoes, they mentioned how the song related to Sunshine and it’s mission, saying, “It encapsulates Sunshine perfectly.”
Near the end of the night, fans got up and danced near the front of the stage when the band played their hit song Get a Little Lost. As people saw how happy it made the band, more joined in. By the end of the song, the area near the front of the stage was filled with people dancing, jumping and singing along. And lead vocalist Bekah greeted fans while continuing to perform.
Local band Chloe and the Steel Strings open for Girl Named Tom.
The crowd size was astounding. Hundreds of people filled the streets, all the way back to Georgette’s coffee shop. A very receptive crowd appeared constantly cheered and clapped during songs. When Bekah announced that 15 percent of each merch sale would be donated back to Sunshine, the fans made it known they appreciated the gesture.
A final bow came after a two-song encore, signaling an end to a great turnout to celebrate Sunshine’s 75th birthday.
As the crowd filed out, a fan from Pettisville, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that it was “one the the best local shows they have put on in the last five years. To see how much they have grown as musicians, it’s inspirational. Then, to be supportive of Sunshine and give back to their roots, how can you not love them!”
Sunshine’s Bell Choir plays one of three songs during the 75th anniversary of Sunshine Communities event.Jason Adodeely, CEO of Sunshine Communities, speaks to the crowd before Girl Named Tom takes the stage.
The Pregnancy Center with construction in the background in preparation for the Center's expansion.
Bella Vita Network is a local option in a post-Roe era
This is the first of a limited series. The Toledo Free Press will be reporting on stories about reproductive healthcare options and care for women in the Toledo area.
Story and photos by Erin Holden
TOLEDO – As we all should know by now, there are many different circumstances under which a woman might consider abortion. The question is, as the Ohio state law stands at this time, what are your options when you aren’t sure how to proceed?
For local women who aren’t established with an OB-GYN, the first step might be to do online research about her options in Toledo, and there is a lot to sift through.
The November 2023 election and the Heartbeat Bill
First, a little background on recent legislation. Senate Bill 23, also known as the Heartbeat Bill, became law in 2019, prohibiting abortion once there is detectable cardiac activity (the only exceptions are in the cases of rape and incest). That can be as early as six weeks.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, it took effect. However, last November’s approval of Issue 1 put a halt to the six-week limit, enshrining the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability. At this time, it is now legal to have an abortion up to 21 weeks and six days, though you have to receive parental permission if you are under the age of 18 (unless you can get a judicial bypass).
Exceptions for receiving an abortion after that gestational period include saving the pregnant individual’s life, or preventing other serious consequences to their health.
Abortion Access in Toledo
There is only one abortion clinic in Toledo: Toledo Women’s Center, which used to be more commonly known as Capital Care of Toledo. They perform surgical abortions but specialize in the abortion pill per their website. The pill can be taken up to 10 weeks after the patient’s missed period. They do surgical abortions up to 17.6 weeks.
Outside of this local option, the abortion pill can be ordered from various websites and delivered to women who need it.
Once you get past the results for the single Toledo clinic that provides abortions, resources from Planned Parenthood, and so on, The Pregnancy Center comes up as one of the first-page options for anyone researching abortion in Toledo. They have extensive information about abortion regulations and are very clear that they themselves do not perform abortions.
The Toledo Free Press sat down with Savannah Marten, executive director of the Bella Vita Network, a nonprofit organization that operates The Pregnancy Center, to learn more about the center.
Savannah Marten, Bella Vita Network executive director.
“We have what we would call a holistic assessment. We know that pregnancy affects a woman’s entire being, and I think when we look at the healthcare industry as a whole, it tends to be about how is this affecting this person physically?,” Marten explained.
“But it affects their relationships, their emotions, their jobs, their socioeconomic status … so the first thing we do is a holistic assessment that gauges where this woman is in all of these areas,” she said.
The services the Center provides are free and include information about abortion, pregnancy tests, a limited ultrasound, community support and referrals to help with the pregnant individual’s next steps, and pregnancy classes.
They even have resources for postpartum and beyond, like childcare, lactation consulting and necessary items from diapers to clothes. All of it is free, and the organization does not take government funding.
The Pregnancy Center website does not include any language like “prolife” or espouse any religious affiliation, but the Bella Vita Network (bellavita.org) is more direct. On the homepage, it states:
Bella Vita Network is a Christ-centered organization, transforming the prolife movement by collaborating with like-minded organizations to boldly provide sustainable solutions that empower and equip individuals and organizations to make abortion unthinkable in our community and country.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Bella Vita funds The Pregnancy Center, The Haven (a support organization for women who struggle with having had an abortion, as well as their partners), and Soul Purpose. The latter is an outreach program that focuses on abortion prevention through methods like “abstinence education” and “pro-life advocating” on college campuses (bellavita.org/outreach). The University of Toledo has a chapter.
Marten stresses that the Center trains their staff to be cognizant of biases, to inform patients of all options, including abortion, and to take a nonjudgemental approach to all intakes. She said she even hears from patients who decided an abortion was the best path, and that they appreciated the support they received at the Center while they grappled with their decision.
The Baby Boutique at The Pregnancy Center offers free clothing, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, and more to parents in need.
“They know that we’re a life-affirming organization,” Marten said, indicating their transparency. “They know that we’re a faith-based organization. They know that we don’t provide abortions. It’s on the website.”
When it comes to the language on the Bella Vita site, specifically the description on its homepage, Marten said, “We actually call that our brand positioning statement. The reason we call that ‘brand positioning’ versus ‘mission’ is that ‘position’ is a posture you take, whereas ‘mission’ is something you do. And we believe it’s such a massive conversation…that everyone, including us, are trying to get our arms around when we say that we want to make abortion unthinkable.”
She notes that The Haven is located next to the Toledo Women’s Center and that the organizations “have a great relationship. We have an awesome relationship with the abortion facility there. I know that they show up every single day and do what they do because they feel just as passionate as we do.”
The Toledo Women’s Center could not be reached for comment by the publishing of this story.
Expansion plans
If you’ve passed by The Pregnancy Center location at 716 N. Westwood Ave., you’ve likely noticed heavy construction. Marten notes there is a facility being built that will include the presence of Jobs and Family Services to create easy appointments for Medicaid enrollment. It will also include a shared space for the local nonprofit Mom’s House, which will provide childcare for up to 56 children. If a mom is at an appointment at the Center, she can have the option for childcare.
All of this expansion creates a one-stop-shop for struggling pregnant women who don’t have the resources to go to several different locations for assistance, though after receiving an ultrasound clients are immediately funneled into a system of care, whether they decide to go through with the pregnancy, or if they have complications, like an ectopic pregnancy.
The Pregnancy Center website states that it informs women about their three options if they are, in fact, pregnant. Marten clarifies that those are “carry and parent, make an adoption plan or have an abortion.”
When asked for expansion on the Bella Vita description of the Pregnancy Center’s purpose, which is to “share the truth about abortion and empower her to choose life for her unborn baby through services, counseling and abortion education,” Marten replied that “we will go over what is widely agreed upon as the potential risks.”
“We do see that go up again with the sale of the abortion pill,” she said. “There are bad actor websites. We want to make sure that, wherever she is, whether she’s walking through doors of an abortion facility or ordering those pills online, she understands the potential risks that are associated with it, just like any other medical procedure. When we share those risks, we’re never doing it in a way that is ‘this is what will happen to you.’
“We want them to think long-term about how they are going to feel about this decision. What do you believe about this? How do you anticipate this decision affecting all areas of your life?” Marten said.
Thomas J. Winston, president and CEO of Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Ohio economic developer annual summit held in Toledo for first time
TOLEDO– Toledo gained expanded business acumen from across the state when the Ohio Economic Development Association Annual Summit took place Wednesday through Friday in the heart of downtown.
Perry Surber, business development manager at the Cincinnati office of Patriot Engineering and Environmental Inc. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
It was the first time the professional summit was held outside of Columbus, and Thomas J. Winston, president and CEO of Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, was among the key reasons why. The summit, attended by over 450 people, hosted its meetings at the Glass City Center, where windows in the conference center provided views of Fifth Third Field and other landmarks.
Winston, who is also the 2024 chairperson of the Ohio Economic Development Association board of directors, explained that it is important to show and demonstrate the vibrancy of economic development across the state.
His idea got support, and while the 2025 site has not been determined the Toledo venue was certainly popular.
“It’s been a great success. We’ve had record attendance,” exclaimed Mark Barbash, executive director of Ohio Economic Development Institute.
Mark Barbash, executive director of Ohio Economic Development Institute. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
OEDA represents more than 600 economic development professionals in the state, from both the public and private sectors, and in fields ranging from utilities to city planning.
“Everyone has some connection with economic development,” Barbash said.
This year’s theme was Empowering Growth: Unleashing Ohio’s Innovation Economy in Your Community.
The schedule included a luncheon speech from U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio District 9, who presented on the role of economic development toward Ohio’s future.
Other speakers included Nathan Ohle, president of the International Economic Development Council; Yvette Brown, former Ohio State Supreme Court justice; and Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development.
The session topics included:
Considering water resources in economic growth
ProMedica’s community partnerships in the Toledo area
A discussion on middle housing, such as small apartment buildings
Social events included a Maumee River cruise on The Sandpiper.
Bowling Green State University’s Center for Regional Development was among the expo participants. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
The attendees could earn continuing education credit hours for Ohio economic developer certification through this conference.
“People are both encouraged by economic growth that is occurring, but they still understand there are challenges,” Barbash said as the conference began its last day.
Registration information during the Ohio Economic Development Association Annual Summit. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Those who said they were impressed with the venue and programming included Perry Surber, business development manager at the Cincinnati office of Patriot Engineering and Environmental Inc. His company is based in Indianapolis.
Surber said he signed up to meet economic development professionals from across Ohio. The clients his company works with are normally busy at their home offices, but a professional conference allows more time to network and learn about upcoming projects.
It was also his first time visiting downtown Toledo.
Surber said he had passed through via I-75 numerous times while traveling into Michigan, but never had a reason to stop in the city. During conference breaks, he walked around downtown to see first-hand the city’s development and revitalization projects.
While Surber joked that the beautiful weather certainly helped with his good impressions, this initial visit will certainly not be his last.
Raniyah Rogers, left, and Kristian Woods-Boykin, both seniors at Start, discuss how they want to arrange formal attire on fashion mannequins. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Start High School hosts former attire dress sale for homecoming, prom seasons
TOLEDO – A bright orange, long dress with a sari-style top is among the hundreds of dresses senior Raniyah Rogers and her classmates at Start High School have prepped ahead of a formal attire resale.
Racks are filled with formal attire for the My Sister’s Closet homecoming dress resale at at Start High School. The sale is hosted by Start Fashion Marketing – DECA II Club. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
The My Sister’s Closet dress resale officially takes place twice a year, just ahead of the high school homecoming and prom seasons. It is hosted by Start Fashion Marketing – DECA II Club as a fundraiser for club projects and trips, such as attending a sewing and quilt expo later this fall at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich.
The fashion marketing students and their teacher, Robinetta West, gave a show and tell ahead of the sale on Wednesday to news media.
Start senior Samantha Zadrazil works on a suit and tie display promoting the My Sister’s Closet homecoming former clothing resale. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Sorting and other preparations had been taking place for days, Raniyah said, although the students got somewhat of a head start in the spring.
“We get to organize the dresses, try them on,” senior Samantha Zadrazil said about the preparation time.
While Start’s fall sale is early this year, so are some of the dances. Start High School, for example, will host its homecoming on Sept. 28 with the theme of Bollywood.
In the meantime, West said the resale will expand this year into a year-round opportunity, with pictures of formal attire to be posted on the school’s website that can be purchased between the in-person sales.
“We’re always looking for donations,” West said. Gently-used formal attire, such as dresses, shoes, suits and ties are accepted in all styles, sizes and lengths.
Memorable pieces donated this year include bright yellow stiletto heels and a gown that was clearly a wedding dress. Start senior Kristian Woods-Boykin said someone even donated a pair of Kade Spade brand shoes.
Raniyah said “old is the new” among today’s high school girls who like fashions from the ’80s and ’90s; and Kristian gave a mention to Regency-era styles inspired by the show Bridgerton.
A selection of suits, shirts and ties are also available during the My Sister’s Closet homecoming former attire resale. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
However, high school boys tend to favor modern and trendy formal attire. With that in mind, the DECA students tried different combinations of a shirt, tie, vest and jacket on a display mannequin as they considered how to present such a look.
“Always take a risk,” Kristian noted about the options.
By the way, the mannequins were donated as well.
The intent of the resale, in addition to practical experience for students who are considering retail or fashion careers, is to provide area high schoolers with affordable, special occasion attire.
It’s not just students from Toledo Public Schools who benefit. Over the years, shoppers have come from Whitmer High School in Washington Local School District; St. Ursula Academy and Central Catholic High School in Toledo; and State Line Christian School in Temperance, Mich. Shoppers also come from Defiance, Findlay and even Akron.
Sale date and time
The My Sister’s Closet sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7-8 in the main lobby of Start High School located at 2010 Tremainsville Road in Toledo.
Dresses sell for $25 each, with varying prices on other attire. Cash only.
Start High School teacher Robinetta West shows fabric purses her junior students are making in fashion marketing class. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)Start junior Jakyra Fisher checks dress sizes in advance of the My Sister’s Closet homecoming dress resale. (TFP Photo/Paula Wethington)
Sister Nancy Surma, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, listens to Beth Schardt during a workshop on the Bridging to Belonging program. The event was offered Aug. 24 at Olivet Lutheran Church in Sylvania. (TFP Photo/Laurie Bertke)
Program gives residents tools to bridge divides in community
SYLVANIA– How do you interact with people who don’t think the same way you do?
In a deeply polarized society, there is a growing tendency to avoid hard conversations, to categorize others by their politics or other group affiliations, to “unfriend” or “snooze” the people with whom we disagree.
Mike Linehan saw it at his family reunion over the summer. “We all huddle in our own safe little camps of thought. We exchange pleasantries in the beginning and the end of the reunion, and nothing happens in between,” said Linehan.
Linehan and about a dozen others attended a workshop Aug. 24 in Sylvania to learn about Bridging to Belonging, a program to empower communities to create spaces where every person belongs and contributes together.
The MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio hosted the event at Olivet Lutheran Church to introduce the program that was originally developed for the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit.
Donna Mens, a member of the MFC and Olivet Lutheran Church who attended the workshop, expressed interest in gaining the tools to effectively listen to people who have different opinions.
“I feel the polarization, especially politically right now, and it is so emotionally charged,” said Mens. “So how do we bridge that? How do we listen to each other, and what people’s thoughts and values are without that defensiveness and that emotion?”
Rachel Cannon, a psychologist specializing in organizational development and behavior and co-creator of Bridging to Belonging, spoke on the science of belonging. She explained how the program helps participants learn to build genuine connections with people from groups outside their comfort zone.
Kali and Bill Sawaya listen to Rachel Cannon speaks about the Bridging to Belonging program Aug. 24 at Olivet Lutheran Church in Sylvania. (TFP Photo/Laurie Bertke)
The opposite of belonging is “othering,” Cannon said. This emphasizes the differences between groups of people and can often lead to extreme forms of hate. Whether looking at race, faith, age, socio-economic status or another characteristic, “othering begins simply when you flatten someone’s identity and only see one aspect of who they are,” said Cannon.
Rachel Cannon, a psychologist specializing in organizational development, discusses the Bridging to Belonging program during the community workshop. (TFP Photo/Laurie Bertke)
According to Cannon, humans naturally do this as a way of trying to explain the world around them. “We see one thing that happens, and we try to fill-in the rest of the story,” she explained. “The challenge for us is, can I stop my natural tendency and can I become more curious?”
Cannon cited research from the nonprofit More in Common that revealed Americans often have a distorted understanding of what people on the other side of the political aisle really think. “Our sense of division, our sense of polarization, is really truly about perception,” she said. “The gap between where, say, Democrats are, and where Republicans think they are, is very big … and vice versa.”
This perceived polarization “leads us to viewing others as a problem, because we think we know the story,” added Cannon. “So our efforts are focused on others rather than starting with ourselves.”
Bridging to Belonging started several years ago in the wake of the pandemic, and Cannon estimates a couple hundred people have participated in the Detroit area.
Diverse groups consisting of six to eight people meet four times over the course of eight weeks to share stories, and explore their values and dialogue on how to collaborate. They also view online learning modules between meetings to learn skills they can practice to foster belonging and build bridges between different groups.
Jennifer Vasquez, executive director of the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio, listens to another participant during the workshop. (TFP Photo/Laurie Bertke)
Jennifer Vasquez, executive director of the MFC, said the next step is for a small local group to train as moderators by going through the eight-week program together this fall. Once they complete the training, the plan is to begin forming other groups in the Toledo area.
“We’re hoping that other organizations and faith communities, and maybe even businesses, might be interested in going through the process and then apply the skills they learn to the work they’re already doing,” said Vasquez.
Cannon said the real impact of the program is measured by the “ripple effect” individuals have on the people around them.
“We might think that ‘I’m just one person,’ but you have connections to many different communities,” she said. “You don’t need to be the bridge to everything — the ones where you already have connections is where you start.”
