Each year, when August rolls around, Mrs. Brown begins getting ready for another school year with her third graders--refining lessons, planning activities and setting up her classroom environment. Yet, as a veteran teacher, she knows there are always things one...
Packing an Impact: A Tool for Academic Success
Deanna Johnson anxiously stood at the check-in desk, waiting to receive her student ID for her freshman year at Owens Community College. The process may seem simple - possibly even a burden - to most, but it was a big...
Down, Never Out: Finding a Path that Leads Away from Rock Bottom
I sat across the table from the woman I’d been called in for. “Her name is Nikki,” my contact had told me over the phone. “She’s dealing with some tough times, not too dissimilar from you a year ago....
A Flood of Memories: Surrounded by Support During Times of Disaster
I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of rain pounding the roof and was glad Stan had fixed the leak last month. I looked to the clock on my nightstand, but its face was dark. “Stan,” I whispered. “I...
Advocating for Impact: Why the 2020 Census Should Matter to You
It comes every 10 years… asking questions about you and your household. Each decade, we can expect to see more communication in our neighborhoods and communities on participating in this “little” thing called the Census. You may not want to believe it, but...
Community Data: Taking the Complexity out of Your Social Support Decisions
Lately, buzzwords such as big data, data science, artificial intelligence, predictive modeling and analytics have been popping up everywhere. All of which are typically associated with producing insights, making data-driven decisions and even predicting trends. Yet, what do all these complex phrases really...
Becoming a Real Man: Building Relationships One Chapter at a Time
“Dominic, are you paying attention?” asked Mrs. Janice in a serious voice. To be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. I was talking to Daniel about the new toy car my cousin gave me yesterday. That’s more exciting than reading a story. I don’t...
A New Day of Hope: Affordable Child Care Solutions to Help Families Succeed
Exhaustion. That is the only word I could think of to explain how I felt walking into my Granny’s house that night. The day had begun bright and early, with an interior paint job in West Toledo. My next job took me to...
Kicked to the Curb: A Mother’s Tale of Finding Support after Eviction
The blaring of the ambulance siren as it leaves the station was my alarm clock, gas bills were calculated by the gallon, all my belongings were within an arm’s reach, and showers were only taken when I could find somewhere to bathe....
Deep Breaths: Healthy Beginnings Start with Support
Katrina was twenty-two and six weeks pregnant when I first met her. She asked me to call her Kat. “My parents called me Katrina,” she told me with a note of ambivalence and a deep breath. I recognized a toughness in her voice that...