Image by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany from Pixabay
SYLVANIA – Mercy Health will host a Health & Wellness Fair with free services for attendees, including health screenings and educational resources. Hours are 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Many different organizations will be present to provide vision screenings, lead testing, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and even mammograms (the Mercy Mammography van will be on site).
Along with these valuable health services, the event promises to be a fun community event for families. It offers free giveaways, activities for kids, food trucks and live entertainment.
Mercy Health is located at 4126 N. Holland Sylvania Rd.
Jill Sobule performs on a makeshift stage in the middle of Stratford Place Monday evening.
Social B. Creative welcomes acclaimed singer Jill Sobule
TOLEDO – An otherwise quiet street in the Old West End came to life on Monday evening when three bands provided live music for neighbors on Stratford Place in the Old West End.
Performing on a stage set up in the middle of the street, Catlea, Sea Serpent and nationally renowned singer/songwriter Jill Sobule provided entertainment for about three hours.
Local band Sea Serpent performs during the OWE block party. The band is a unique and enigmatic musical duo, consisting of Kate Komuniecki and Jon Zenz. Their next performance is Sept. 20 at the Ottawa Tavern. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Jason Sheskey and Rachel Boes watch Catlea perform during the OWE block party. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
The block party was hosted by Swell Magazine/Social B. Creative, and drew a crowd of about 50 people sitting in provided metal chairs. Round, colorful, fluffy pillows were placed on many of the chairs but were confiscated by kids playing with them throughout the night.
Attendees could also shop at the Clearly Weird Tie Dye booth and eat mac and cheese at the Maybe Cheese Born With It food truck.
Swell Magazine/Social B.Creative was founded by its CEO Emily Rippe, who met Sobule playing in a local bar in front of about five people. Realizing it could be a missed opportunity, she asked Sobule if she would like to play an outdoor concert at the Old West End, and Sobule agreed to headline the show.
Rippe explained that Swell Magazine is the first issue for her freelance organization Social B. Creative. It is planned to be an annual publication with a second issue in the works for January 2025. She said the magazine sold most of its original 200 copies. Rippe wants to use to magazine to give a voice to people who have been underrepresented.
I want to shine a light on folks you might not have heard about but have something to say.
Emily Rippe
Kicking off the outdoor concert was Cincinnati-based indie band Catlea, a duo featuring Dylan Rippe and Max Shirley.
Next up was Toledo’s Sea Serpent. The local band recently released an EP called Black Blossom in April, which features four original songs. Sea Serpent’s performance drew thunderous applause from the small yet engaged crowd.
Greg Heldt and his daughter hang out on the grass as they listen to live music. Heldt said he came out to hear acclaimed singer/songwriter Jill Sobule, who headlined the OWE block party. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Shelly Varelli tries on a jean jacket she bought at the Clearly Weird Tie Dye booth during the OWE block party. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Kate Komuniecki, singer, writer and piano player for the band, discussed her musical journey. She said she was originally in the Violent Bloom band with bass player Jon Zenz for about six years before forming their current band. When forming Sea Serpent, the two added drummer John Hubbell. The three have played together for more than a year.
Komuniecki said what inspires her is to make music, and that she’s listened to a ton of it since she was a teenager.
“I used to listen to it so much; I’d study it and learn it,” she recalled. “I think it just always kind of hit me. I always tapped on stuff so my first instrument is actually the drums. I’ve played the drums for 20 years or so and then branched out to piano and songwriting.”
Komuniecki said she wants to continue playing in bars or DIY spaces out of town, and that her dream venues are small rooms.
Headlining the show was Sobule, who started her performance by asking audience members to move in closer. She said she came to this block party in Toledo for a change of pace after playing in Cleveland and Detroit.
Much like Komuniecki from Sea Serpent, her first instrument was the drums. She started playing when she was five but switched to the guitar per her parent’s request. Her brother inspired her to make music.
“I have a brother six years older than me who had the rock band in the neighborhood, and we had the cool parents who would let him rehearse in the garage. My brother was my hero and I wanted to be either an international spy or a rock star,” she quipped.
Max Shirley, the ‘coolest guitarist ever,’ Dylan Rippe, otherwise known as Catlea, kick off the musical OWE block party. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Emily Rippe Desmond, of Social B. Creative, left, interacts with acclaimed musician Jill Sobule who was holding one of her t-shirt merch for sale during the block party. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Sobule said she likes to write story songs that are mostly “little stories.” She referenced musicians like Bob Dylan, Lenard Cohen and John Pine.
Along with music, Sobule recently became involved in theater. She has an autobiographical show called F**k7thGrade. The show is about growing up as a teen in Colorado.
Sobule also discussed the kind of places she would like to play next. “I’ve done pretty storied places, maybe Royal Albert Hall. I’m just starting to think of more storied places. Maybe I’ll do a house concert for Barack and Michelle.”
One fan in attendance was educator and musician Dr. David Harms. He came to the show to ask Sobule to autograph a copy of Joan Osborne’s 2023 album Nobody Owns You. Sobule sang backup on the song, The Smallest Trees.
The original plan was to have Sobule play in Rippe’s backyard. But as she started to talk to local bands, including her sister’s band, Catlea, she opened the show to the street in front of her house to draw a larger crowd.
Sobule performed her hit songs Karen by Night, I kissed a girl, and F*ck7thGrade, as well as several of her theater songs.
She said she likes performing in Toledo because it has “a good vibe.”
Jill Sobule has fun with fans during her performance at the OWE block party. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Max Shirley and Dylan Rippe wave their arms as Jill Sobule sings. (TFP Photo/Lori King)A girl plays with sparklers while nationally acclaimed musician Jill Sobule performs in the background. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Kevin Hertzel, diesel instructor at Woodward High School, talks with his students near a truck after the CDL press conference at Rogers High School on Tuesday. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Rogers High School hosts commercial driver license training
TOLEDO – Toledo Public Schools students will be able to graduate from high school having already earned a commercial driver license (CDL) under a program that started this fall.
Three students are in the inaugural CDL class, which meets at Rogers High School. The plan is to offer one to two classes a semester, with up to five students in each class.
TPS superintendent Dr. Romules Durant announces a new CDL class for students. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Jeff Cole, CDL instructor at Rogers High School. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Students from the inaugural session, along with TPS staff and board members, and Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority representatives, participated in a press conference and demonstration Tuesday at the high school.
“There’s a lot of jobs available for them,” said Jeff Cole, a CDL instructor for TPS.
The program is the newest of several Career Technology programs within the district, a direction that the board of education and Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant have intentionally focused on in recent years. This particular idea came about during conversations between board members and administrators, which included how to address their own forecasted need for school bus drivers and CDL-qualified personnel.
“The CDL program is a notable example of Dr. Durant coming up with innovative ideas,” said Randall Parker III, TPS board president.
“I am very, very excited about this program,” added Bob Vasquez, TPS board vice president.
Any TPS student can apply to attend any of the Career Technology programs within the district. The process starts with the student making an inquiry at their school counselor’s office.
CDL may not be for everyone, but it is for somebody.
Dr. Romules Durant
“I want to try everything,” Rogers senior Ma’Niah Armour, one of the students, said about her interest in earning a CDL and what she could do with the credential. “Even if I do want to change my career path, it’s something I can fall back on.”
Ohio residents who are at least age 18, have a valid Ohio drivers license and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply for a CDL, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.
It will take 16 weeks or roughly one semester to compete the training, a total of 200 hours with 56 hours in the classroom and 144 hours of driving-related training. After that comes the tests, which Cole said can take a couple of times for a participant to pass.
TPS has two semi-tractors and two trailers for instructional use. A “practice pad” near Rogers High School was designed to accommodate the practical lessons in both CDL and bus driving.
“Our focus is going to be on safe driving,” Cole said.
According to remarks at the press conference, a CDL credential is useful not only to drivers, but for many of the support staff at the agencies and companies they work for.
TPS superintendent Dr. Romules Durant talks with TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski. (TPS Photo/Lori King)
TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski explained that about half of the 300 employees within the Toledo-area public transportation agency have CDL credentials. That list includes those who are managers, mechanics and supervisors.
“It really is a solid career, long term,” she said.
CDL student Maniah Armour, from left, Randall Parker III, TPS board president, superintendent Dr. Romules Durant and Bowsher’s Mensah Bishop share a laugh after the press conference. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Terry Lodge, of Veterans for Peace and the NW Ohio Peace Coalition, Chief Master Sgt. Russell Bacon and Ziad Hummos, of American Muslims for Palestine, confer outside of the 180th Fighter Wing in Swanton on Tuesday. Lodge was trying to deliver a letter to the base commander.
Veterans for Peace protest, deliver letter to ANGB base
Story and photos by Lori King
SWANTON – Armed with a letter secured in a manila envelope, two dozen members of Veterans for Peace and the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition marched to the front gate of the 180th Fighter Wing on Tuesday to present it to base commander Col. Chad E. Holeski.
The intent was not only to deliver the 11-page letter, but “to get the attention our federal government – to stop it from illegally involving genocide that’s ongoing in Gaza. This is a very serious time,” Terry Lodge said moments before heading to the front gate on Eber Rd.
“The United States is involved indirectly in two major wars, and there are saber-rattlings of nuclear weapons going on. The genocide in Israel is unspeakable. There are anywhere from 50,000 to perhaps 200,000 people dead,” claimed Lodge, who was the letter carrier and a Veterans for Peace member.
A deputy sheriff confronts protestors outside of the 180th Fighter Wing gate.
Veterans for Peace national director Mike Ferner blocks a vehicle from approaching.
Nancy Larson tries to hand the letter QR code to a driver.
“We’re going to deliver a letter to the base commander explaining why we’re here. Since the federal government seems to not be responsive to the majority of the public that is against the genocide and the U.S. involvement in the Middle East to defend Israel, that’s why we’re here … to send a message,” Lodge said.
Lodge, who is not a veteran, was accompanied by 22 other concerned citizens, including Mike Ferner, the national director of Veterans for Peace. The anti-war group is a global organization of military veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using their experiences and lifting their voices.
Ferner, a Navy veteran, said they were not only there to give the letter to the commanding officer, but to inform him of several federal laws violated by participating in the genocide that’s currently happening in Gaza. He accused the 180th of being a part of the military establishment, which is helping to supply arms to Israel and repair their engines.
“After we deliver that letter, a few of us are going to sit down in the driveway to prevent operations here and do our best to enforce the law that nobody else is enforcing,” he said.
The demonstration was part of a national September Days of Solidarity with the People of Palestine campaign. One of the actions was to deliver the VFP letter, which lists U.S. laws government employees and weapons makers violate with arms shipment to Israel. Toledo participants joined protestors in 25 other cities to deliver, or attempt to deliver, the letter.
Mona Abu Shaban, with American Muslims for Palestine, chants during the protest.
As part of the demonstration, the group blocked the entrance to the national guard base as they chanted and sang songs, which were, at times, drowned out by the thundering engine noise of F-16 jets flying overhead.
Veterans for Peace members block vehicles from entering the 180th FW.
They also held signs and banners. A few of the signs read: ‘No defense of Israeli, U.S. genocide; No defense of genocide; Stop US military aid to Israel; and No more $$$$ to Israel for weapons.
Ferner predicted arrests would be made. However, that didn’t happen. One of the four deputy sheriffs on scene told the group they had every right to protest, and that they were more worried about their safety.
After nearly 20 minutes of protesting, Chief Master Sgt. Russell Bacon approached the group. Lodge tried to give him the letter but Bacon refused to accept it. He told Lodge he didn’t have authorization.
Meanwhile, deputies unsuccessfully tried to persuade the protestors from blocking the driveway. Ferner and Nancy Larson ignored them and knelt in front of cars trying to enter the base, forcing them to back up and drive around them on the grass. A few drivers showed signs of frustration by flipping them off and calling them idiots.
After about 90 minutes, Bacon, with the unit’s Security Forces Squadron, accepted it from Lodge and the group dispersed.
“Just at the end, I walked over to him, we shook hands and he said thanks. That was it,” explained Lodge. “But it’s absurd. This is typical. It’s such a symbolic way of saying ‘We don’t want to hear your message. There’s nothing to talk about.’ The military better start listening. They got to.”
When contacted by the Toledo Free Press in response to the demonstration, 180th Public Affairs superintendent Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker confirmed that the commander was not on base at the time. She then gave this official statement:
“The Ohio Air National Guard supports state and federal missions as directed by the governor of Ohio and the president of the United States. For operational security purposes, we are not authorized to disclose this mission.”
Holliker offered the phone number to the Air Force Press Desk because, she said, the protestors weren’t specifically targeting the 180th Fighter Wing, but the Department of Defense.
Chief Master Sgt. Russell Bacon, center, holds a letter delivered by Terry Lodge, of Veterans for Peace and the NW Ohio Peace Coalition. The letter was delivered about 90 minutes after the start of the protest.
Editorial cartoon by Don Lee for the Toledo Free Press.
Editorial cartoon is in response to the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, held in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
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 do not perform procedural abortions at this time, but provide the abortion pill, per their website, at five weeks to 11.6 weeks gestation. They have a sister clinic in Cuyahoga Falls, Northeast Ohio Women’s Center, that provides procedural abortions from five to 16.5 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.
