Community Engagement

Exiting COVID has challenged and inspired us to discern evermore intentional ways of being God‘s love in the world. Our community partner relationships continue to grow and thrive with renewed excitement. In the spring, we welcomed Trinity member Jesse Reese as our community engagement intern as part of their PhD program. In December we hired George Benson as our new Director of Community Engagement with the expectation of expanding our work, relationships, service and transformational growth in the coming year.

Food For Thought Mobile Pantry

In April 2022, we began our partnership with Food For Thought (FFT) serving as a monthly mobile pantry for downtown, an often referred to ‘food desert’. Food and fresh produce is available to all. Monthly, Trinity volunteers and FFT staff welcome shoppers to our first-floor living room. Amazing volunteer help was also given from our neighbors at ProMedica and other businesses.

Supporting Toledo Streets Newspaper

Every Thursday, Toledo Streets Newspaper holds a vendor/staff meeting and lunch. Teams of volunteers gathered at Trinity to prepare and deliver 30+ lunches for our friends in their UpTown office. Trinity’s vestry also renewed our 3-year financial commitment supporting the vital services and opportunities Toledo Streets provides.

Toledo Pride

After three long years away, Toledo Pride was back and better than ever! Over 40 Trinity volunteers staffed our Promenade Park booth, served as guides at Trinity, marched in the parade and donated candy. Volunteers distributed 1,000 bottles of water to participants and we opened our doors for cooling stations and bathrooms. Thank you to Jolene Miller, Donna Steppe, Fritz and Susan Hany and Jamie Paul for heading up volunteers.

Equality Toledo

During October, we encouraged all to support Equality Toledo’s Community Pantry with donations. This was another way of responding to being in community with our LGBQTIA+ friends.

Bell Tolling For Covid Victims

Honoring and mourning COVID-19 lives lost continued into 2022. Bells tolled each time the milestone would increase by 100,000 lives lost. As of November 2022, 1.1 million people in the U.S. have died, and we continue ringing for each milestone.

Downtown Toledo Fireworks

Our partially resurfaced plaza allowed us to enjoy a perfect bird’s-eye view of Toledo’s Fireworks. Over 60 gathered for food, fellowship, board games and sidewalk chalk. This perfect summer evening left us excited for the possibilities for our whole plaza.

Leadership Toledo

Our ministry and building partner, Leadership Toledo, is in full program mode with their Signature Program, Community Leadership Series, YiPEE and Youth Leadership Toledo. Several times a month our building hosts team building meetings. Our quarterly Lunch and Learn has returned so that we may best support each other’s ministries.

Actors Collaborative Toledo

Our building partner, ACT, moved to the 2nd floor (former Food For Thought space), allowing them more creative and storage space. They presented seven productions in 2022 and will be partnering with Trinity in 2023 for “Winter Rain: Six Images of Thomas Merton”.

Noontime Aa

Daily AA meetings at Trinity celebrated its 30th anniversary. We are grateful to offer a safe space for this crucial community resource. Our AA friends are most appreciative for the monthly mobile food pantry.