And now the.

419 with Gretchen de Bakker might kill them.

And Kevin Mullin.

Hey, welcome to the 419.

I'm realizing that my clock, the volume was on, so that was going to get a little chaotic, but, hey, it's the 419.

We're still going.

Powered by GTP, presented by Retro Wealth Management.

I'm Kevin Muller, Gretchen de Bakker.

You know, sometimes the wheels come off before you even started moving.

I sounded like a ghost voice.

That's what startled me a little bit.

Oh, yeah.

It's, you know, that happens.

Yeah.

It's just it's it's not rich who's our floor manager today?

So it had to have been the machine over there.

Or an actual ghost.

It's possible.

Anything is possible.

Yeah.

It is.

I am so excited for the show today.

Yes it is.

Mystery guest today for, folks that may be new to this program.

This is sort of the the signature of our original podcast.

We can't take credit for it.

We stole it.

We stole it.

Smart list.

Right.

But we're only one of us knows who is going to be on the show today and today.

Literally one of us.

Because Matt's not here today.

That's true.

And actually.

You know, and I don't.

We could actually say that every day.

One of us doesn't know who the guest is, and that is Matt every day.

That's right.

But today, you also don't know no mystery guest.

And I, I love, getting a chance to meet people on this show, but I also love when I get a chance to introduce you knuckleheads to great people.

Yeah, you tend to bring people that I have never I know of, maybe, but I've never met or talked to, so that's always interesting.

We're going to see if we do it.

Yeah.

also continuing our partnership with the YWCA.

Yep.

Milestones.

We will have, another one of the milestones.

Awardees.

Yep.

Another fabulous leader in our community.

She's receiving the award at milestones for volunteerism.

Candace Harrison is going to be here to talk to us about herself and what she does.

So we.

Love it.

All right.

I got some interesting feedback from a friend and colleague of mine on the show.

Is that a friend and colleague of mine?

I don't think.

So.

I don't care.

His name is Kurt.

Really?

Sorry.

I just kicked you.

He's an attorney friend of mine, and he said I was watching the show.

He likes it.

And he said, I have a suggestion.

I was like, okay.

And he's like, I think that you should start eating, progressively hotter series of wings.

Oh, interesting.

Oh, so.

And let's see what happens if.

He just really wants us to take all of the most popular that's right on the internet and.

Just do it.

And then combine them all into one.

And so we're going to have a Hot Things episode.

Yeah.

Of the 480.

I think we do Hot wings.

And then we could also turn it into a dating show.

I mean, that's just selfish.

It's sort of, just throwing it out there for no reason.

The reason I would suggest that.

The whole point of this was for you to get to this is, you know, you want.

To say not true.

Before, and I do.

That's actually I actually.

Have you seen the show updating?

No.

Check it out on YouTube.

It is, largely not, appropriate.

Okay.

Just because it just delves into that, because it's adults, you know, being weird.

But it is a. And that's not what you do.

That's right.

No, not at all.

It's the opposite.

And then and then they let us on.

Yeah.

No, no, no, it is a blind dating like, live event.

That sounds very.

True.

I've thought that the three of us, hosting something like that terrible would be terrible.

No, it'd be so good.

Okay.

Fantastic.

Oh, yeah.

But you don't want to host it.

No.

You want.

No, no, I would want to host it only.

Yeah.

So are you going to give a couple a few few seconds of hints?

Oh, yeah.

Let's do it.

Oh, sorry.

So, this is someone that may be one of the best collaborators.

Wow.

Okay.

In our community.

A 20 year educator with two little public schools.

Okay.

Retired.

And it's.

She is one of those people that I met for the first time, and now I see her everywhere.

And I legitimately, when I'm in the same room, she is.

I know I'm in the right place.

Because she's one of those people that you just.

You want.

She knows.

Yeah.

She knows?

Yes.

Absolutely.

She is, uniquely connected to a, one of the most famous Toledo ins of all time.

Jamie farr.

Nope.

And, I think she's also coined one of my favorite phrases of all time.

Okay.

Which is, you can't be.

What?

You can't see.

Interesting.

Yep.

I have no idea who this is, so I'm excited to meet her.

It's going to be so much fun.

We'll find out who my surprise guest is on the other side of this break.

Stick with us.

It's a mystery guest edition of the 419, powered by.

Support for the 419 comes from Whetro Wealth Management, where we understand that your financial path is personal.

Advisory services are offered through capital investment advisory services LLC, securities offered through Capital Investment Group member Finra, SIPC.

More information at whetroadvisors.com The 419, powered by WGTE is made possible in part by supporters like you.

Thank you.

Welcome back into the 419, powered by GT.

It's a mystery guest edition, and it's my mystery guest.

And I'm so proud to introduce, one of our community's incredible leaders.

She was named one of the 100 most powerful black women in Toledo in 2025.

Wow.

I haven't seen the list in 2026.

And if you're not in the top ten, then that list is wrong.

Please welcome Christine Sweeney.

Welcome to the show.

It's so nice to meet you.

Thank you for having me.

Kevin, I'll have your payment for you after the show.

Perfect.

Perfect.

So you are the executive director of the Art Tatum Zone?

Yes.

And also, you.

Pastor.

I am a pastor at Tabernacle.

At the Tabernacle Church.

Along with your son Calvin.

Along with my amazing husband, Calvin.

Thank you for that.

Sure.

I love you, honey.

Okay.

He made you say that every day.

Yeah.

So with a name like Kevin, occasionally people try to pull off Kev.

Yeah.

And I tell people, like, if you have to ask, it probably isn't going to.

Work, right?

Christine is the only person in the world that calls me what she calls me.

No, no, no, she skipped right past Kev.

That was already too long.

Kevin calls.

Me.

I call him KP.

KP, I like that.

I know, I don't hate it.

Yeah, I heard I was like, Never thought about.

That.

You look like a KP.

Okay, I'll take it.

So tell us what the Art Tatum zone is.

And so the Art Tatum Zone is a neighborhood revitalization organization that is really focused on supporting kids and families in the junction neighborhood.

We primarily focus on educational outcomes, but we do a little bit of everything from leadership development to health and wellness.

So a lot of focus on neighborhood development.

I grew up in the junction neighborhood.

It is my home.

It is my mother's home.

It is the place I feel called to impact.

I love the city of Toledo, but I can't eat the elephant.

But I can impact the bite that I'm able to impact.

And the neighborhood is it for me.

Let's.

Let's talk about the journey to get there right.

So rarely is something linear where, you know, I was born here, I moved next door and now I'm, you know, two doors down doing this work.

And really.

Because that's my.

Expectation.

Yeah.

How how does how how did you get into this role?

Talk to me about, you know, little Christine growing up.

What did you what did you want to be?

We can't skip over little Christine.

That was so many awkward years there.

Grew up in the Jackson neighborhood, as I talked about.

Right on Belmont Street in between.

Joy, how are you getting junction?

I went to a private school until I graduated and went to the University of Toledo, where I met my amazing husband and majored in elementary education.

So did what a lot of people did.

Got into teaching immediately after graduating.

Taught in Toledo public schools for 20 years.

I will say my first, assignment was with the second grade class.

And I will say that the little boy went into the restroom and he called out, Mrs.

Sweeney, I need help.

And I knew second grade wasn't for me.

You know.

At that point made the decision that perhaps older children who were my forte.

And so I taught middle school math and science for 20 years.

So that's what fourth and sixth graders.

Six, seven.

Six, seven and eighth.

Yeah.

Okay.

The math.

Math to seventh graders.

You you must be a forceful woman.

Sarcastic sarcasm is my love language.

It is the way me and, middle school students united and connected.

I love math, I love sarcasm, I love, the period where people feel awkward.

And math often makes people feel awkward as well.

So I live in the awkward space.

After teaching for 20 years when the pandemic started, I read an article about a suburban family that was hiring a contract teacher, to create a pod for their neighborhood.

And, literally, my heart broke because I started thinking about kids in the neighborhood where I grew up that would not have that same experience.

Right?

And so really, at that point, we can have some conversations with my husband about just how my heart was breaking for the community and how I felt like I couldn't just continue to impact 25 to 30 kids per year and know that I was doing what I was called to do.

And so I really talk with them about stepping out to serve more children and families in our community, and then stepping into leadership of the nonprofit that we had formed in 2018.

And he, was like, so we're both going to be unemployed.

And I'm like, yes.

No.

We were both pastoring at the time, but he had stepped out of senior public schools, talk with Doctor Duran about what I wanted to do and that I wasn't stepping away because of his leadership, but because of the need for more support from the community side.

And so in 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, I stepped out of the classroom and really stepped in to supporting kids and families in the community.

And so were you set up at Tabernacle, like is you do have a physical space there, or are you someplace else, or are you everywhere.

Where a little bit of everywhere.

So we did start working out of the Tabernacle, I believe that's how I met here.

At one point he came to do, a time lapse video of all the different ways that we transform our church space to serve community.

I think he will tell you, it was a very interesting project that we started serving out of the Tabernacle, but now we work with a number of schools from Pickett Academy, MLK Academy, Stuart Jones Leadership Academy of Business, wherein all the schools within the zone.

And then we also occupy community spaces.

Our model is to go where the people are and to serve them there and to serve them well.

So let's can we back up just a little bit.

I'm sort of taking over.

Maybe Kevin's questions, but for people that don't know who who was Art Tatum and why is it important to, or did you want to name your organization after him?

That's such a great story.

So, as being pastors, one of the things that Calvin and I often focus on is getting outside of the church.

We feel like the church a lot of times as to and similarly focused, too focused internally.

And so we really began talking to our congregation about getting outside of our church and impacting the community in which we're situated.

And so one of the ways we did that was to be in community pickups and just community conversations.

So we were literally walking down City Park, picking up garbage and cleaning up the neighborhood when we saw the historical placard in front of the Art Tatum home.

And it was like, this probably is important, and why does it look like this?

So just for the for the audience, it's it's a dilapidated or at least at that time, I don't know what its status is now, but there is a historical placard in front of it.

But it is a dilapidated home that that no one was taking care of was it was okay, so great.

At that time.

So yeah, the house was in great disrepair.

All the windows have been broken.

The foundation was damaged.

There were no gutters, no drains on it.

Weeds were growing all across the house in the front and the backyard.

And so when we saw the historical placard, we just became dissatisfied with this being something that was meaningful for our community and being in the state.

And so my husband and I, our action takers, we don't really like to just have conversation for conversations sake.

So we as a, group just started cutting the grass, started doing some of the things externally to make sure that the homeless cared for, did that for a number of years.

And then someone, reached out to us and said, I know the owner of the property.

Would you like to be connected?

We said, sure.

We were in contact with Lucille Johnson, who was the last living relative of Art Tatum, his niece, who was actually born in the back right bedroom of the house.

Now, she was 84 at the time, and she was like, sure, I'd love to talk to you.

Just two conditions.

She said, I need a six pack of Pepsi and I need some hot tamales.

And we're like, okay, Hot tamales.

I think we can do that.

I think we can make that happen.

So we called our daughter's basketball coach.

She hooked us up with some hot tamales, and we went to visit Miss Lucille.

And we did that for a period of a year.

So hot tamales and Pepsi and every time she told us stories about her famous uncle and about their interactions.

And at the end of that year time, she said to us, there's been a lot of people that have had interest in the house, had interest in my uncle's name, she said.

But I believe you guys would do right by it because you were doing right before you even knew who he was or that I had ownership.

And so she turned over the house to us, asked us to maintain his legacy, and also asked us to use his story to, inspire kids and families in our community.

And so that caused us to change the name of the, nonprofit to the Art Tatum Zone.

So the area where he grew up and to inspire the kids and families in that community, that's amazing.

One of the, I, I heard you speak to junior Achievement, at one of their events and you said, you know, kids can't be what they can't see.

And I got to believe that's a big reason why telling the Art Tatum story is so important.

Because you've got kids in this neighborhood that may not see themselves ever getting out of the neighborhood.

And then insert the story of Art Tatum.

Yeah, absolutely.

Art Tatum grew up in the Jackson neighborhood.

It's it's where he was born.

He faced a lot of the obstacles and challenges that students and families face today and a lot more.

And he overcame them and became a phenomenal world force in music.

And so, yes, we talk to them about Art Tatum story and ask them to compare their start to his start and, and look at his outcomes and know that they can achieve the same things.

The other thing that I mean, when I say that statement is that a lot of times we ask our students, what do they want to be?

And they only can picture what they've seen and their own experience.

And so one of the things that we do at the Art Tatum Zone is really expand those opportunities.

We bring different people from different, employment areas into their space.

We bring different experiences, from the Art museum to the Toledo live Arts, to Metroparks, right into their spaces so that they can experience things that they have never experienced and expand their dreamscape.

Because that's the time frame that Art Tatum was living.

1909 to 1947.

Okay, so very early 1900s, very influential.

And there are so many people that still are captivated by him.

We had a gentleman come over from Germany when we first started fixing up the house, and he had a mason jar full of dirt.

He had been to the house 40 years prior and filled up that mason jar with dirt, because he was so inspired by the creativity and innovation of Art Tatum, and he placed this in his piano in his home.

When he found out we were starting to rehabilitate the home, he was so excited that he flew back over to get a good mason jar.

And so we've been able to do a lot to the home's exterior.

At this point.

We replaced the foundation.

All new windows, new drains, new gutters, the porch has been repaired.

We've painted the exterior.

Exciting, done a lot of work.

What's the dollhouse?

What's what's the ultimate goal for the use of the house other than a historic marker?

Maybe a museum type space, but how do you want to use it?

Yeah, so we want to use it in three different ways.

One, we want to have some space in the home to really relive who Art Tatum was and his contribution through an ongoing changing exhibit.

We also want to have an artist in residency, a place where people that are current artists can come and be inspired by Art Tatum's innovation and by his style, but create their own legacy.

And then we also want to have a space where people can come in and learn music and continue the legacy of jazz, which continues to influence all of the different genres that exist today.

That's wonderful.

We're talking about Christine Sweeney, the executive director of the Art Tatum Zone.

I mentioned in the intro that you are one of the best collaborators we have in our community.

Partnership is I would say partnership is so hard because I'll collaborate as long as it ends up on my side of the my side of the aisle.

Right.

But I've not seen that from you.

That you are a. Yeah.

Let's.

If it's what's best for the kids, we're going to do it.

Talk to me about, some of those early partners that jumped on board that had you realizing that, like, maybe, maybe this is going to be okay.

You know, collaboration for me is not an option.

That's a requirement, you know, as a start, nonprofit, as a smaller nonprofit, I've always understood that I can only do so much.

We can only do so much.

And so to go further, faster for the kids and families that we serve, we have to collaborate.

And and for us, it's about widening the scope of what our families can have exposure to.

So early partners where Junior Achievement, Jim Pollock, I called him one day and I was like, I want to do an entrepreneurial fair for our kids, but I want them to understand what entrepreneurship I want them to understand not how to rebuild credit, but how to build wealth.

And so Jim was one of our early partners, has partner with us for a number of years.

Another early partner was Adam Levine and Toledo Museum of Art.

During the pandemic, we opened up community learning centers and we helped kids connect with online instruction in the morning.

And then we had an amazing lunch served by connecting kids to meals.

And then they afternoon.

They're like, what can we do now?

And so TMA brought instructors into this space with us every single day.

And our kids got to express their frustrations and their challenges through creating art.

And that partnership continues.

Other partners like Tampa or Toledo Live Arts now has come in and provided instrument lessons, vocal lessons, dance lessons, everything that our kids have thought about and imagined.

First see, with golf, Toledo Metroparks has been an amazing, amazing partner.

I wish Matt was here because the first time we took our kids out to the park, they were like, what do we do?

And we're like, this is a park.

You you play, you explore.

They had never had that experience.

Even though we have city parks in our neighborhoods, they had never been in a kayak.

They had never walked a trail.

They had never intentionally looked for bugs.

You know, there are so many different experiences that our students have had with all of these different partners that have widened their experiences, that helps them with their reading comprehension.

It's hard to answer a question about what would you do if you've never been to a farm, if you've never been to a river, or if you've never been in some of the different places that our city has to offer?

And so what we've been able to do is widen the experience of our students and our families and show them what an amazing community we live in.

Over.

Christine Sweeney with the Art Tatum.

So we're going to take a break when we come back.

I know you are.

You're not just a collaborator.

You're also a dreamer.

And so I want to talk about the city of Toledo and, you know, not just the Art Tatum zone, but the the whole city of kind of what we need.

And I'd love to see through your eyes.

What you think is possible, in northwest Ohio.

We'll take a break.

We'll come right back on the 419.

To me, community means connecting to others.

I'm Dani Miller and welcome to the Point.

I lost it yesterday.

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Discover new ideas, dive into exciting subjects, and engage with the world around you.

I would send them personally a t shirt.

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Pass it on.

That's how we cleaned up the neighborhood.

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It's the 419 powered by W GT with Matt Gillum, Gretchen de Backer, I'm Kevin Mullen.

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A reminder of why this is a great place to live, work and play.

Where you come to watch, listen and learn.

Welcome back into the 419 a mystery guest edition.

And we're joined by my mystery guest, Christine Sweeney with the Art Tatum's own, in the Tabernacle.

Christine.

So, you know, we were talking about collaboration and some of the partners.

What was the moment that I guess let's go back to teaching, kind of you realize, like, hey, I'm on the I'm on the path I'm supposed to be.

Was there a moment in the classroom that you remember that had you saying like, this is.

Yeah, I know faith plays a big part in your role today.

I imagine it has your whole life.

Yeah.

There you go.

Our God has me exactly where he needs me.

Well, I think for the years I was in the classroom, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.

And just because there's always been a student or multiple students that have articulated that to me, and I know when I went into education, that was important because I remembered and reflected on my own childhood where there were different moments where teachers impacted me beyond just the curriculum.

And so that's always been important to me to become that person for children that I serve, that yes, I want them to make academic progress, but it's also important that we have those touch points that allow kids to recognize that they matter to someone, and that their life means more than the grades that are on the page.

Right.

And so that was always my focus as a teacher.

Yes.

I want to get you to make academic progress, but I want all of my students to know that they matter and that they matter more than the grades on the page, and that each one of them has a purpose and that each one of them has something that they will achieve in their future.

And I don't think that's changed.

And so even though I'm not a classroom teacher, I'm still an educator.

I'm still a person that's communicating to children and families that they matter and that they are greater than the marks that show up on the page or the statistics that represent who they are.

How do you and your husband, Calvin, take all this in and not allow it to, sadden you or to think, you know, that it's sad or unfortunate or too bad, whatever word you want to use that a kid doesn't in your from your neighborhood, doesn't know how to use a park.

How do you how do you keep doing it?

What makes you keep wanting to do this work when it all just seems?

First of all, people may not even know that that's the thing, right?

That that's that's a reality in our community.

And secondly, that that it even has to be that way.

How do you keep moving forward?

And at the same time, most people that see that don't do anything about it.

Yeah.

And that's and that's okay.

It's not great.

But but I think that's, that's the reality is most people will see a problem and not run into the fire.

Right?

I think, so I'll speak of faith.

I think God wired us differently.

And, and I don't think uniquely differently.

I think we've just stepped into that activation.

Right.

So I don't see problems as problems.

I see problems as opportunities.

I look at it very entrepreneurial.

Like that hasn't been solved.

That's an opportunity.

And so I want to step into that space.

And, and I think the reason that we continue to step into that space is because we realize people stepped into that space for us.

So, like I said, I grew up in that neighborhood.

I know there are people that stepped into that space for me.

I think about Doctor Helen Cook's with the Toledo Excel program.

I was at Toledo Excel Group number three student.

If she hadn't stepped into the space and said there was a gap between students that were first time college, you know, entrants, students and students that, you know, have parents and grandparents that have been in that program before and said they need support to be ready for that experience.

I would not have gone to the University of Toledo on a full ride scholarship.

So I know there were people that stepped into that space for me.

And so I'm determined to be one of those people.

The other thing that I am eternally optimistic but realistic.

And so I think hope is the key.

So for me, I'm filled with hope.

When I look in our community, I'm not filled with despair.

I don't think that our community is going to stay the same way, because I think when we work together, we can change it.

I think love builds up hope.

And so when you think about some of the core values of the Art Tatum Zone, compassion and love and relationship building is at the heart of the work.

And when we have relationships and that we realize we're working with the community and not for the community, and that we're empowering them to have agency, to believe that this can be different if we all work towards that.

I'm filled with hope when I walk out into the streets and I see things that look like they shouldn't look right now, when I have kids that have never been to a 3D movie, and then we take them to the Imagination Station and they're like, oh.

My God, the buzz and the.

Flowers.

That's exciting to me because now they have a spark that will carry them into the next day.

I get excited when our families go to the zoo for the first time, when the zoo has helped us get family memberships and they're like, I don't just have to go to the zoo on Monday, I can go to the zoo any day throughout the week with my family.

When they go to parks now and they're like, I don't just have to go to the park that's in my neighborhood, but I can go.

I can go to site, I can, I can go down to Glass City, and they're excited to experience their city.

And, entirely different way when they look at the art museum and they don't see it as a place where they're getting followed and people are like, don't touch that.

But where they're invited to create and see themselves as creatives.

That's exciting to me.

And so those things that fill my bucket outweigh the things that drain.

What's the practical way that, caregivers can get their kids involved?

How do how do they become a part of the program?

So all of the schools in the zone have the opportunity for kids to engaged in our afterschool program.

So again, we go directly to where people are.

So if they're, attending and they get the Toledo Public Schools, they have the opportunity to sign up right there in the buildings.

If they're not attending Toledo Public Schools, we have community sites like the Tabernacle, like our offices that are right there on the campus of the McLennan nuns, housing community, where they can come to our offices and sign up.

We also have the ability for them to sign up to our website, and so people can connect with us in a lot of different ways.

And I always say, if they can't find us, we'll find them.

Because we're always going out into the community.

It's the way that we stay grounded in the work.

We're talking with Christine Sweeney with the Art Tatum Zone.

As you talk about, you know, both you and your husband are wired differently.

You know, I like to say, you know, apples and trees, right?

So, you know, you think about what a kid looks like and their parents are a part of what made that.

Talk to me about that.

Your parents and and you know what?

What did they do?

Where did this.

I imagine a lot of, you know, a lot of what we see in you is probably reflected from them.

And so I'm gonna say her, my mother and father were married when I was born, but my father had addiction issues and left when I was three years old.

I was raised by a strong single woman.

I would give her full name right now, but she would rebuke me loud.

But my mom was a very strong woman.

She was a registered nurse.

She also did some insurance sales on the on the side.

She put us through private school from first grade, until we graduated.

She is the strongest person that I know.

My mom did not believe in summer breaks just for summer breaks sake.

So she would go to the library and she would check out school books, and she would create lesson plans for us throughout the summer.

We were constantly learning.

We were constantly pushed, we were latchkey kids, so we spent a lot of time on our own while my mom did her 12 hour days.

But even though she was at work, she was still present.

And so I would say, definitely my strength comes from my mother.

My sarcasm also comes from her.

If you ever have a conversation with my mom, you will know that Apple does not fall far from the street.

And you have siblings.

I do.

I have two brothers, that older brother, Brian, who lives in Detroit.

He's about ten years older than I am.

And then I have a younger brother, David, who lives in Houston, Texas, who's two years younger than I am.

I still claim that I am his second mother.

Yes, even to this day, yes.

Probably valid.

My daughter would claim that she's the second mother of both of her younger brothers.

Absolutely.

They need it.

Sometimes.

She claims she's also my mother.

Probably you also need it so very much.

I very much.

Needed.

Let's let's talk about City of Toledo.

Right.

When you when you look outside the window and, and you see the city and you see, you know, to to Gretchen's point earlier, some of the challenges that we're facing.

I mean, what's, what's your, what's your dream, what's your vision, what's possible.

Yeah.

So when I, when I look at the city of Toledo, I really think about neighborhoods.

For me, neighborhoods are the unit of change for the city of Toledo.

We can continue to look at the entire city, and we should.

Those that lead our city should look at that from that 30,000, you know, foot view.

But those of us that live in the city of Toledo need to start thinking of it as neighborhoods again, as communities.

And so when I think about the junction community, the junction neighborhood, I see that as one unit of change within our city.

And I think there's other neighborhoods that see themselves.

Similarly, Vistula is Toledo.

How can those units of change bring people together around their understood challenges and how they can overcome them together?

What kind of work do you do with those other neighborhood community leaders, if, if at all?

So we talk a lot about advocacy.

Junction coalition is a huge force in our community.

We talk about our faith community.

How do we rally those churches not just to be buildings in that location, but to see themselves as change agents as well?

How do we bring together anchor institutions like our schools, like our museums, like our our zoo, to figure out how we all can serve best together?

How do we bring national practices and models back to our neighborhood, and look at how we can institute change from within?

How do we empower children, young people, and our community members not just to be receivers, but to be contributors to change?

So we do a lot of we have a youth advisory council, we have a community advisory council.

We do a lot of meetings.

We have a pantry that meets weekly, and we engage our community in conversations every single day to make sure that this isn't just us, but it's us.

It's the biggest.

It's the biggest barrier.

It's the biggest barrier.

Money.

Categories are barriers.

And why is it Gretchen?

Oh, well, I would argue KP.

KP how are you funded and what what do you.

And so we have a funding mix.

We have some, corporations that work with us that provide some funding, and we have some grant funding and then we have some earned revenue.

We learned a long time ago that if we were only grant reliant, we would all only be grant reliant.

And that can only take you so far.

And so we were rapidly chasing how can we be sustainable without grants or with grants being the icing on the cake?

And so earned revenue for us is really important.

We think that our families want to have skin in the game, and that varies for our families.

But we ask our families to contribute to the programing that they participate in, so that the understand the commitment that they're making and that we're making.

It sounds to me like you really enjoy going to the zoo and seeing the stuff alongside the kids, going to the classes at the art museum.

But outside of that, what is something that you, like to do in your downtime?

What is like a guilty pleasure?

What does that what's like a ridiculous show on Netflix that you watch?

Like what?

What is something that you do when you're when you set aside everything and just want to and even get away from that?

Calvin.

Like, what is something that you do just for you?

I do not get away from cameras very often.

Anyone that knows Calvin and I, in fact, nationally we're known as the Sweeney's, the Sweeney.

Sweeney.

Okay.

But Christine, in her downtime, loves music.

I am a music fan.

I love to sing.

So music is is really my safe space.

It's really is how I decompress.

I love to write.

So I'm looking forward to writing some books in the near future.

I mean, what kind of subject matter?

Faith matters a lot to me, but I also talk about education.

I thought you were going to say like sci fi aliens.

Well, that's the only one I'm writing about, Kevin.

That's right, that's right.

Okay, okay.

All right.

There's no better transition than that.

What's now time for Gretchen's wacky quiz?

I know I don't endorse that.

You just participated the most I know ever have.

You made me.

I'm so grateful for rapid fire questions.

Gretchen's going to ask for your favorite thing in about Toledo.

And then she's going to work with you to describe Toledo in exactly nine words.

Okay, I guess all right.

Question number one.

What gift?

Calvin, listen up.

What gift would you most like to receive?

Okay, people that know me know this about me.

So I am a cheese fanatic.

Yes.

So cheese is my favorite gift.

Don't give me diamonds because I can't eat that.

I need cheese.

I love that.

What song have you listened to the most in the last week?

In the last week?

So I'm on our worship team at church, so, always on time.

There's a song that just talks about there's never been a day.

There's never been a minute.

There's never been a moment that God wasn't in it.

There's never been a time when he hasn't brought me through.

So I'll worship him.

So that's been on repeat for me.

Nice.

Name three adjectives to describe yourself.

Sarcastic, compassionate.

Don't have.

Driven.

So I appreciate that was the nicest way I could say short.

Yeah, but I appreciate Matt's not here.

It doesn't mean you need to.

If you had to swap lives with anyone for a week, who would it be?

Oh, that's a good one.

Geoffrey, Canada.

I'd love to talk with him.

Same without any kind of restraint.

That would be cool.

That would be very cool.

Yeah.

Okay.

What is your number one most favorite thing about the city of Toledo?

Okay, give you my real answer, and then I'm going to give you any answer that works for the pack.

Okay, I got it.

My real answer is the people of Toledo.

I absolutely love the people.

If I'm thinking about a thing, I'm going to go University of Toledo rockets I love rockets.

You got you and your husband go to games.

And oh, my husband is the chaplain for the University of Toledo Rockets.

In no.

Way.

I didn't know that.

Absolutely.

So you're there cheering them on and praying for them.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Now let's work our through our lists nine things that you would say or words that you would use to describe the city of Toledo.

Or it could be a sentence if you want.

It is because, you know, I believe in Michigan right there.

Yeah.

Go ahead.

So first of all Tatum Stout okay.

Second of all, resilient and gritty.

Uhhuh.

And then finally poised for a comeback.

Nice.

Well I love it when you prepare I love it.

It was so nice talking to you.

So nice.

Rare moments when I helped my guest.

Yes.

Prepare.

Yes.

That's so good that you said you sent your letter.

I shouldn't say I helped her prepare.

I just gave her notice that she.

That's right.

Where can people find him?

For more information about our Tatum's own.

If they want to get involved or reach out to you to give you a big bag of money, a wow.

So website would be the way to get that big bag of money.

Okay, so the Art Tatum salon.org, we also are on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and I will say X, though not as much there as I would like to be.

So please reach out.

Social media website.

Give us a call.

We're here to help.

Right.

Thank you Stephen Sweeney with the Art Tatum Zone.

Thank you so much.

No thank you.

I'm so grateful for your friendship.

I love everything you're doing in the community.

Please keep us, updated on and stuff you're doing.

You got events coming up, that we can help promote.

We'd love to have you back on the show.

And it doesn't need to be a surprise the next time, so.

Thank you.

When we come back, we'll be joined by Candace Harrison, one of this year's YWCA milestones honorees for the volunteerism.

That's right.

We'll be right back on the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419.

One of the things we're so proud to be able to do with this show is highlight incredible people making a difference in our community.

And we are so grateful to be able to partner with YWCA.

Highlighting their 2026 milestones awardees.

We are joined now by a friend of mine, Candace Harrison.

You are the 2026 YWCA milestones honoree.

It's a big title for volunteerism.

Yes.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Well deserved.

Thanks for having.

Me.

Yeah.

Thanks for being here.

Talk to us.

So you work full time?

You work at.

So.

Yes.

What do you do there?

So.

And what is SSA?

Okay.

So SSA we is a renowned architecture and engineering firm headquartered right here in Toledo, Ohio, downtown at 1001 Madison Avenue, to be specific.

And there I am, the director of inclusion and Community Impact.

I started there as director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

And over time, my role started to expand to take on a little bit more of things that we were doing in the community.

We started a foundation, and we increased our corporate giving.

And so, that falls under part of what I'm responsible, responsible for, as well as, building our volunteerism program because we volunteer out in the community.

But we really didn't have a strategy around how we do it.

So that was part of my responsibility and then still managing our efforts.

So why does the architecture and engineering firm need to have a strategy around involvement in their community and, equity and inclusion?

So one thing people don't know, some people do, but people, you know, I meet quite a few people that say, I see that building all the time.

I never know what did they take, what they did there.

And I invite anybody to come and visit and do a tour, because a lot of really great work goes on there.

But why?

It's important.

Well, first of all, is the business case for it.

You know, in an environment where creativity or, or just different thoughts are at the table, you just can build better things.

And so there's that.

And then just doing the right thing, making sure the organization looks like the communities that we live in and that, you know, not only do people, you know, want to come where they want to stay, you know, working there, they see themselves represented, they feel valued, they feel seen.

One of the things that's really, cool that we do, our employees, employee resource groups, and we have six of them.

We have an employee resource group around a multitude of, demographics in our company, including an interfaith alliance, which is something that, you know, a lot of people don't necessarily explore.

But we have people of all faiths in that organization learning about each other, and they serve the community together.

They do a lot of community outreach and activities, and then they support our employees internally and things like that.

So it's it's really nice.

And we've had a lot of success with the Dei work that we're doing.

But what I want to say, what people don't know is that we're not just in Toledo.

We have offices all over the United States and Mexico and India.

Wow.

I did not know that.

Prior to getting this phone call from from.

So we I mean, this is you were not, in the architectural industry prior to this.

Talk to us about kind of that I don't necessarily the path to get there, but as much as like that first conversation with, with Zoe about taking on this role and what you were most excited about with it.

So you correct.

I actually it was a bit of a career shift in a way.

I think all of the work that I had done prior definitely prepared me for the environment that I came into, because I had always worked in public service, or, you know, Levy funded organizations, nonprofit, that type of environment.

And so, it actually was a like a four month process, the starting to work there.

And interestingly enough, my first interview was with Vince.

Vince, the CEO.

And that was unique for me because normally the person at the top is who you would meet last, right?

And he, you know, felt very strongly about his vision for what I would look like in the company.

And he said before he would present me to anybody else in the company, he wanted to make sure I was a fit because I was going to report to him, and we did.

We were supposed to have an interview, and we kind of just hit it off in terms of, you know, our perspectives.

And what I was most exciting about excited about was I really felt like I was going to get a chance to come in and make a change because it started at the top.

And he had the commitment to it.

He had the commitment a solid commitment from a, visionary standpoint.

But he also, you know, put our finances.

He was willing to do the investment, to get around the work.

So I was excited about that because sometimes people, especially during that time, like we're talking 2021.

Right?

Going into 2022 when everybody was kind of on this like, you know, there's a lot of political violence.

You know, it was a lot happening at that time.

And people were kind of glued to their televisions.

So we were home, right.

And so people, you know, had perspective about what they thought we should do.

Some people stuck to that.

Some people pivoted away from it.

So it really felt like it wasn't performative.

It felt like it was genuine, and I was ready for a change.

And so it was time and some well.

It sounds like it.

I mean, it definitely was a commitment because now that in, in the current environment, people are that did it as window dressing maybe, or as an immediate response.

It didn't have the commitment, did away with it.

Yes.

Change the name, change the titles.

But it's and so we has maintained that commitment which is which is really remarkable.

And that's why you can't I'm sorry.

You know, that's why you can find on our website because people will assume that my title was changed because many people right to change their title.

But we, you know, outline on our website that we're still committed.

But my role was more than just the eyes, so it needed to reflect that.

Can you tell us a little bit about your early days?

Are you or are you from Toledo, your family from Toledo?

High school, College, that kind of stuff?

Yes.

Okay.

So I'm born and raised in Toledo, okay.

I grew up in North Toledo.

We spent some time in like Central City Toledo, like off door, kind of near the new my library.

Well, the old one too, is just across the street.

So we spent some time over there.

But I grew up in North Toledo.

My family's from Toledo originally, so my, I grew up with my paternal grandparents who raised me in their family, came from the South.

My grandfather migrated up here, from the south to work.

And then he brought his family with them, his siblings and things.

And then, my, my great grandmother, her family was from southern, Illinois.

And so they everybody's pretty much from some southern place and kind of migrated up here.

But all of my immediate family is from here, lived here still.

We had a couple people transplant to the Phoenix area or Atlanta, but for the most part, my family's here.

And your husband, Brandon, is a detective with the Seattle Police Department.

How did you two meet?

We met at a bar.

Nice.

Okay.

You know, what was the name of the bar?

Because I'm.

The blueprint is what it was called.

This.

And you had to choose one that doesn't exist anymore.

Right?

It was.

I'm going to go there tonight.

Yeah, we're talking with Candace Harrison.

You are one of the milestone award honorees.

Yes.

This year, talk to me about getting that phone call from the YWCA, telling you that you were one of the honorees.

Oh, my goodness.

So, honestly, I was leaving another awards ceremony that was celebrating women as well, a committee that I've been serving on for a few years.

And, when I was I was headed well, I actually was at home.

We were at our neighbor's house just kind of hanging out with them after.

And I got a phone, I got a text from Lisa McDuffie, who was like, can you call me really quickly?

It's about the milestone.

So I was thinking in my mind, she may want us to sponsor, right.

But it was late, so that was interesting because it was, you know, it was nighttime.

And so I said, what is it like right now?

Like now or tomorrow?

She said, no, if you are up, call me now.

And it was late.

Late?

Yeah.

It was like 930.

Okay.

Yeah.

I would have gotten up the next morning at.

Five on that late, late for me.

But, you know, for, you know, I just like I said, I was like, I call you now.

And so she was, you know, are are you busy, are evasive.

And, when she told me, I was very shocked.

And it's interesting because I wasn't shocked.

Like, I felt like I didn't deserve it.

Because I certainly feel like I've earned it, but I think I've sat at the milestones and celebrated so many other people.

I don't know if I ever even, like, visualized myself right there, right?

At least not yet.

I think maybe, you know, I don't know because I never know what the criteria is.

And then it's just a few people and it's one person in a category.

Right.

And it's only so many categories I qualify for it.

So I was really like, you know, it's the pride, you know?

And I like I said, I do think I do a lot, especially in this area.

I've done a lot over my career.

So I was honored and I felt, very proud.

And I, I can't say that I don't often feel proud of myself, but I just don't think of my work in a way like, oh, I'm, you know, right.

Doing so great.

I just do.

These, do the stuff.

Right?

Right.

So, so the award for volunteer volunteerism tell us a little bit about a couple of the volunteer boards or organizations that you, work for, volunteer for in the community.

So currently, I serve as president elect for the Rotary Club of Toledo, which I can.

Honestly, I have to thank Kevin for that because he was definitely part of that trajectory.

He I initially didn't know if I was okay with accepting that that position.

And so he was able to, you know, just kind of encourage me, like you, you'll be able to do it.

You have time because it was like, you find out a few years in advance, you know, it's not something you just kind of they spring on you.

So I serve as the president elect there, which that I'm also very proud because I'll be the first African-American person to ever lead the club.

So I feel very proud of that and leaving a little bit of a legacy.

And I believe the fifth female president in the club's 100 and, wow, 20 year history.

We've got to shake some things up over there.

I, I think.

What got us started.

On that, let's.

Go.

You know, I'm into that.

And so I will say and so I'm also, on the board of Central Catholic High School, which is where I graduated.

Yep.

And, and that's good.

Everybody knows that about me.

Yeah.

That's one thing.

That's part of my brand, which I'm very proud of.

And their colors onto that.

Yes, I do, but these are also my sorority cuts.

Yes.

So yes, I chaired the marketing committee there, and I'm on the Art Tatum sound board as well.

But I have served a lot of boards.

I'm also into service organizations.

I mentioned my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority incorporated.

I'm also in the Toledo chapter of Jack and Jill of America Incorporated, which is the national organization as well.

Delta is international.

So, and so those are the things that I currently do.

Now.

I'm knee deep, as you know, in senior year with my daughter.

So that is it's own, part time job.

But I served arts commission before, on the board, I served, Oh, goodness.

Look, I'm, I think of them as the arts commission I've served on, Wendy Lee.

She used to work for a, organization called Children's Hunger Alliance that was actually my very first board.

I served years ago.

Committee for cultural Diversity of Toledo Zoo.

And there was a committee for cultural diversity at the museum, which I ended up later working for.

Both of them, in leadership.

So if I've had if I just sat and put a lot of the press and the press club, I was you present in a press club there, a little legacy building on that one as well, because I was the first African American president for Press Club two.

So, just a lot of service.

And then I would just volunteer a lot.

Just why pick up what I do?

Why?

I think I'm just wired that way.

Did that come from from your.

Upbringing.

Your upbringing, your grandparents.

So I share that in another place.

I did an interview I talked about, I think when I was growing up, I was growing up by, like I said, my grandmother and her mother, they lived across the street from each other.

So my grandmother, my great grandmother, kind of co raised me and they were my paternal grandparents.

And by the time they raised me, they were very up in age and they both were just on a fixed income.

So we benefited from a lot of service, like a lot of volunteerism, a lot of things, you know, like we occasionally got, you know, food baskets or we had to go to a place to get food or we had to back in the day.

It used to be this thing for people who, you know, we're low income.

You could get like a voucher for a coat and it would be like people that would be responsible for that.

So the different things that I experienced growing up and seeing that people who just genuinely had a heart to serve, and even though we didn't have a lot, my great grandmother definitely gave of her hands.

She would serve anywhere.

She and I always thought her president and my school.

And so for that, that is why you can always find me present in my children's school, because that's what I grew up seeing.

And, you know, whatever you can offer, to the community, I think it comes back because I don't burn bridges, and I have a lot of support people that I can call for different things when people can call me too.

But I think I've just built a reputation off of my willingness to to just get in and serve.

I agree, we're talking with Candace Harrison.

You're one of the YWCA milestones honorees.

Why does this award matter coming from the YWCA?

So the YWCA, first of all, they do absolutely amazing work on behalf of women and also, when I look at the work that they've done around making the world a more equitable place, for women, but for all, I think that is really important coming from there.

And then just also the reputation that they've built for this particular event and award, is, you know, best in class like that, you know, and so it really it means a lot that one.

I get to stand alongside of some of the women that I know that have previously received it.

But to that, it would come from an organization that has the mission that they have.

What are you most looking forward to on that day?

I mean, you guys meet so early and there's so much press around it, and it's such a huge room.

I'm sure your family is going to be there, but are you nervous about it?

What are you looking forward to about the actual day of the awards on March 26th?

I am nervous, yeah, I am nervous, and I don't often get nervous.

And I think it's because it's me.

Like, I don't really know what to expect.

I know what people have told me, but I don't know what to expect.

Like in the morning, you know, the things that we do.

Then I'm really excited.

I think more the thing I'm the most excited about are my children will be there.

One of the things with our our organization, we had a number of tables and, our CEO, Vince, I brought him up earlier, said, let's give one of our tables to some young women you think might be inspired.

That's so cool.

You know, by the message is still here.

And so I was able to pick them.

So I picked ten girls from central.

That's great.

And they're ten girls.

They're, I know the mob personally.

Some of them, you know, know my daughter.

They play volleyball with her, or some of them are just young ladies who are leaders in the building that I've interacted with through, you know, being there in various capacities and I'm really excited for my children to, see me be recognized and be recognized in front of them.

I'm really excited for the young ladies to hear everyone's story, not just my.

And I'm also really proud my father will be there.

And, you know, we I, I've broken some some generational barriers.

I really have.

And I wish his mother was here to see it.

But she be there spirit.

That's right.

Okay.

Just congratulations.

Thanks.

Yeah.

The YWCA Milestones Awards are coming up, next week, Thursday, March 26th.

You can find out more information there.

YWCA n w o.org.

And it's.

Congratulations.

Such a well-deserved.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

In with us.

When we come back, we'll wrap up this, Friday edition of the 419 powered by W GT.

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Another exciting edition with my mystery guest, Christine Sweeney.

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