And now the 419 with Gretchen DeBacker, Matt killum.

And Kevin Mullan ah.

Welcome into the 419.

Powered by WGTE and presented by Whetro Wealth Management.

It's our Ron toledo.com community calendar driven by TARTA!

Every Thursday, we take a look at some of the upcoming events of the weekend and the month ahead.

And we've got a lot of exciting things going on.

It's going to be a great show.

Tom Otineo, the owner of Jamii Coffee Shop downtown in the Innovation Center.

He's going to be joining us talking about Coffee Quest.

He's our first Coffee Quest guest.

Yep.

That's hard to say.

That is.

That's why I had to take a take a pause there.

Our friends at Destination Toledo are putting on this sort of tour.

Tour de cafe of northwest Ohio.

Like what I did there?

Yeah.

Good job.

Hashtag something that might kill Killam.

Yeah.

Oh yeah.

I'm Kevin mullin.

I just I just went right into it.

You know, sometimes you're excited about time.

Sometimes you just got to get started.

Yeah.

I mean, I mean, two days ago, I missed the show.

And so you guys had to fly solo.

And so I just feel like now I just have to make up.

It was a bumpy ride.

Yeah.

It's nice to be back over here.

You guys did great.

Come and send us the clip and is like good job guys.

No no, no.

I got to say, I didn't get that.

I didn't know we talked about, yesterday, we talked about, April Fool's prank gone wrong.

I did not realize, at the time, I think he made the joke, but I didn't realize you were there.

You meant it.

Oh, that you announced on the show that I was having surgery.

Elective surgery, which I was not.

Yeah.

I said you were not.

I didn't.

It's always fun to take somebod that had a serious medical issue and then make jokes about surgery.

That's right.

That's what made it funny.

Wait, are you being serious?

Because I do think that that is funny.

Yeah I don't know a lot about Hippo.

Yeah.

Hippo?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Perfect.

Yeah.

You're dangerous.

They are.

They might do this, right?

All right.

So, Tom Otieno.

Brooks-lasure from Partners Education.

They've got some events coming up this summer.

We want to talk about.

And then George Benson is going to be joining us.

I don't know.

George is from Trinity Lutheran.

He basically runs the joint.

So we're in Holy Week in the middle of Holy Week for those that celebrate.

And he's going to talk all about some of the that community is very active.

Yes, I'm in Toledo.

So talk about some of the activitie they have, coming up at Trinity.

Awesome.

We also take a look at our toledo.com top five events driven by.

Tada!

What's on the menu?

All right, well, we got our list.

From John.

I guess the first one is hashtag five poets, five parks.

This is a partnership with, the Metroparks.

This is National Poetry Month.

This is Friday, April 3rd.

Basically, they have five poets that wrote five poems about five different metro parks.

Yeah, this is a pretty cool event.

We started about three years ago.

We have a lot to, Julie who helped us get it going.

It's we she is really the linchpin.

We have poet laureates coming in.

That's a really interesting, way to talk about.

And the storytelling component of it is in a club with an ecological theme for the poems.

Generally speaking, it's Friday 530 at City Metro Park, and then the poems are about Metro Park, five different parks.

And the poets are picked by Julie.

She's got the national connection there.

And the parks are assigned to them.

So they go and visit an they use their gift and share.

The beautiful part, it's really.

I wish I could do that.

What is the website where people can find more information?

The Metroparks toledo.com.

Okay, good.

The second event is the Easter egg storybook ends.

I love reaction.

Yeah.

No.

I was, I just yes, I have so many reactions.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You got to love it if spelled egg, obviously.

This is Friday, April 3rd, 11 to 1 at the Franklin Park Mall.

Yes.

Family fun day.

Kids are probably going t be off school driving you nuts.

Go to the mall.

Activities, fun things for kids and families to do fro 11 to 1 on Friday at the mall.

Totally free.

Friday night, April 3rd, 7:00 pm.

Stranahan Theater is comedian Daniel Tosh.

This is, billed as his first farewell tour.

So that should be fun.

I like him so much.

I think he's funny.

Yes, but he, it was much maligned here in the Toledo area.

I think he was, scrutinized for making a show at Toledo.

So now he's coming.

I'm sure he's going to be apologetic.

Just zero chance.

If I knew anything about Daniel Tosh, there is no chance.

This is, Not much.

I'm from Florida.

No, he's got his.

His show, used to be on Comedy Central for now, 8.1.

So does something like that.

Yeah, but a chance for, like, my favorite segment.

That was when he let people like the internet celebrities do the thing again.

Right.

So they're known for some, you know, notable things like, redemption thing, the, like the woman who tripped on the ic to go sing the national anthem.

He got her lined up to go sing the national anthem again at another hockey game.

That show was a bit of a trailblazing show.

I mean, head straight to the interne a little viral clips and stuff.

Yeah.

Okay, the fourth event, slate.com calendar, you can get all the details, is titled Smooth Jazz and Hilarious Laughs.

This is at Miami Indoor Theater.

It's being put o by highly favorite productions.

730 on Friday, April 3rd.

Obviously the title tells you jazz music live comedia now as the laughs are hilarious.

Yes, the jazz is not hilarious.

The jazz is smooth.

Got it.

Okay, smooth jazz and hilarious laughs.

Okay, the final top five toledo.com event of the week is Fins and Feathers Night at the walleye.

You may be saying, what is this about?

What is this about?

It's thank you Matt.

Thanks for joining.

This is another one of the great themes that the walleye does.

Saturday, April 4th at the Huntington Center.

This is to celebrate both of the Toledo home teams, the walleye and the Mud Hens.

Again three days away from opening day Toledo Martin's opening day on April 7th.

So it's to celebrate both teams with fins and feathers.

Well that's what that's about.

Yeah.

And then we're very excited to announce our very own show here on is going to, have a fabulous event on April 19th.

Will be getting more information on it, which is for one nine day in the city of Toledo from 2 to 6 p.m.

at Joop mode, 1811 Monroe Street.

You'll have the opportunity to come and liste to a live recording of our show, which will be at 4:19 p.m., but two mo will be open.

You can make your own t shirt that will benefit to E Metroparks will be there.

There'll be activities for kids and families.

You can shop the stor deeds food truck will be there.

So all kinds of fun activities from 2 to 6 on April 19th.

More details to come, but mark your calendars now to come celebrate for one nine day with us.

You probably follow our social media channels.

We'll hav some more information on that.

And excite to get the committee together.

And, you know, just as we do on this show, our 419 day celebration mode is about celebrating Toledo.

And, the only way that happen if we come together and do it.

So thanks to John Amato fo allowing us to be in the store.

Marginal thanks to gentlemen.

Significant thanks.

And an extravagant amount of thanks.

What's this all about?

Yeah, I nailed it.

All right, let's let's get into the show.

We're going to take a break.

When we come back, we are joined by Tom Otto, the owner of Jamie Coffee at the Innovation Center downtown Toledo, who's participating in Coffee Quest, put on by our friends at Destination Toledo.

We'll be bac as we continue this toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara on the 419.

Support for the 419 comes from Row 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 and SIPC.

More information at Retro advisors.com.

The 419, powered by GT is made possible in part by supporters like you.

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Welcome back to the 419.

We're taking a look at some of the best things happening in the region coming up this weekend.

And beyond.

And Coffee Quest is on our minds.

Yes it is.

Just because you don't drink caffeine like me doesn't mean you can't love local coffee shops.

And we have some incredible ones in Northwest Ohio.

Coffee quest is an opportunity to explore the region and explore, some of the best local coffee shops we have.

So pleased to be joined by Tom Otieno, the owner of Jamie.

Yes.

You were ready to judge me on that one?

Yeah, I could see it.

You could tell he's not going to know.

Right.

So.

So, Tom, tell us what is.

What is Jamie?

And I'm also curious, just because I. Well, I did get the name right.

I have no idea what it means.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Jamie is a, First of all, just to go back with the economy going is, is a food truck that's called Jasmine's Kitchen and Swahili.

I'm from Kenya.

So, yeah, it's a condiments kitchen.

So I wanted something with AJ and also something to, I don't know, represent my vision for the cafe.

So we talked about what it is we name it community.

And I was like, oh yeah, Jamie really means community.

So that's how the name came about.

I love it, I love it.

How long you been doing this?

Oh, since 20.

So my bug on it is in healthcare.

I worked at ProMedica for a few years doing as a PTA in a physical therapy system.

Then, you know, Covid came, things got crazy.

But yeah, I just love to cook my mom and I, my mom, we used to cook a lot and still kind of let me, you know, a little bit.

But I think my love for cooking came after being laid off and being home with my, young daughter, the youngest for a year.

I was like, oh, I'm bored.

So I just watched a lot of YouTube.

I watched some Guy Fieri a lot of, you know, typically, then a lot of cookbooks.

So then I was like, oh, yeah, maybe this is something I need to, you know.

And then one of my girlfriends last night was like, hey why don't you open up a truck?

And I was like, yeah, that that's a very low risk way of getting into the industry.

And.

Yeah.

You.

Yeah.

Who were you giving your food to at that time just to say that people then that they loved it?

A lot of my friends, we did a lot of hosting, my family and I will we love to host people.

So on the weekends, sort of making, like in a summer day and sort of making hamburgers and stuff like that will be like, hey, we're going to make some chicken and rice and see how people like it.

And people are like, oh, that's pretty good.

Tom, I'm free this weekend.

Yeah.

Just, let me know when to stop by.

All right.

So I will tell you that, I the show obviously has, but our surprise guests on and I can count on, I can I can't count on one hand the amount of people said that I should have you.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Your food, which is a great connector globally, has made a real impact.

And I think you personally have a thank you man to people so very kind.

How, you are from Napoleon.

I know from, defiance.

Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah.

That's that's what I'm.

That's what I'm.

Yeah.

That's right.

I'm just fine.

Yeah.

Mike McCann has the same actor.

Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah.

I thought you were Mike, but, so how can you to lead Ohio?

Yeah.

How did what brought you here?

The the the American dream.

I feel like everyone, you know, but it's really my mom.

I feel like I think about my my mom a lot.

She'd be gone for a few years now.

I'm sorry, but, yeah she's just always wanted me to, you know, get out, I don't know get out and explore the world.

Yeah.

And I think the best way was through school.

Getting a vis was easier through as a student.

So I applied to different schools.

New Jersey, Florida, BG Finley, UT finally, Utah was the one tha kind of, you know, accepted me.

So I came through UT.

Then I had to drop out for some reasons.

But yeah, that was my introduction to the USA.

Yeah.

And you took to it right away or it was overall no overwhelming.

Yeah.

Absolutely no idea.

It was I feel, you know, talking to a lot of my immigrant friends.

So you know, over the years I feel like in the first three years of the break, you I'll make you.

Yeah, sure.

I feel like it was a lot of, I don't know, isolation, you know, specially coming from a very community focused place wher everything is buzzing around it.

What is upside, you know, being dropped into, you know, to lead away.

You have to, you know, take the bus everywhere because I couldn't drive.

Yeah.

It's cold, you know.

So yeah, it was hard.

But you know, the mor you make friends, the more you it becomes home with your mom with you.

Where you were here.

Not just me, myself, just yourself.

That would be terrifying.

Yeah How old were you when you came?

23.

Sure.

That's also, I tell everybody 23.

24 is a really hard age.

Yeah.

Period.

Right.

I know no one would want to go back to, puberty.

Certainly, which was a nightmare, but.

23, 24 I don't know why.

Yeah.

I think you pu some undue pressure on yourself to know where you're supposed to be doing.

Yeah.

I mean, prio to the Golden Buckeye card, 24 is the last like, ag that something unlocks, right?

So at 24, you start renting cars.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So like 18, 21, 24.

And then there's nothing there.

There's nothing until your Gretchen rents a car every week just to prove it.

Because I can, I can, yeah.

Once that, that's that's what America means.

Mostly car for the last 20 years.

Yeah.

Let's go Yeah.

What is the one thing that people don't understand about the immigrant experience, about those first few years?

Oh, what a good question.

I, I feel like if if they understood what people left behind, you know, because I feel like people think that.

Oh, you know, Yeah, I feel like if they really understood what you gave up to kind of pursue or come because, you know, I feel like most immigrants come here to, you know, they're not coming to break any laws or to do anything crazy.

They're just coming her to make a life for themselves.

And, you know, like, for me, you know, my plan wasn't to stay here.

My plan was to eventually go back home.

But then, you know, you tell me, you know, you fall in love to get married, have kids, and you're like, oh, this is home.

Yeah.

You start renting college because.

Yeah, that's that's what you're going to.

Yeah.

That's right.

There's no way back enterprises that.

But yeah, it's such a, you know, I wish also but also, you know, there's, there's so much opportunities that this country provides, you know, that other places can't really provide it.

And I feel I feel like I'm a testament to it is, you know, over the you know, of all the people to open up a cafe downtown, yo know, it's, you know, it's me.

Yeah.

I feel it just shows you that this country really provides opportunities.

For what?

We're so happy that you're here.

We wanted to talk about your your new space.

Yeah.

Which is at the Jefferson Center and some people known as the Jefferson Center.

Now, it's the Innovation Center.

One of our partners on this show is Work Spring.

Yeah.

So we know they spend a good portion of their paycheck with you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The weekly.

Yeah.

But tell us a little bit about the space and what about what you are offering this free.

Yeah.

So this is kind of a cafe cafe slash lunch.

So the good thing is, you know, you can get coffee.

Okay.

Our main focus is chai.

I feel like chai is one of those things that people misunderstand.

So we wanted to bring back Chai the way I was raised.

Making it?

Yes.

So, you know, we we import all of our lives, we import on all of our masala spices.

We make i every morning in a big old fort.

And you brought us some chai that we're showing right now.

Yes.

And it's not sweet.

Sweet and sweet that some places around here make it.

It's it's absolutely delightful.

Thank you.

So.

Yeah.

So.

And then I mean, the space is beautiful.

Our goal is to eventually do a lot of collaboration with other people in the city, do a lot of events.

I have a few, you know, events coming up also like some supper clubs.

I feel like is one of those things that's kind of going away.

Yeah, yeah.

But when it's such a great.

But yeah.

So, you know, have a place for people to come have food, you know, hang out.

Yeah.

You mentioned with your cooking.

Yeah.

We're talking with Tom Otieno, the owner of Jamie.

Yeah.

You're participating in Coffee Quest?

Yep.

What what is coffee Ques if people aren't familiar with coffee is just, I think put I think it's by definition Toledo.

Yeah.

I think it's a way to, explore som of the coffee shops in the city and kind of just give awareness to some of them, promote all of them and to, people it's like such unique flavors that we, tha the Northeast Ohio has to offer.

Yeah.

Can you talk to me a little bit about, you mentioned it in your home, but talk to me a little bit about having guests or entertaining.

Why is that important?

And what are the some of the things that that makes you wired to want to do it?

And you, you import this product.

Yeah.

You care for it?

Yeah.

What what what do you like about that?

It certainly sounds like it comes from your mom's DNA.

Why didn't you talk to me about taking care of guests and inviting them?

Something that's good.

I mean, that is the one thing that I think, most, you know, especiall because I'm coming from Kenya, we do a lot of community, like farming is really important.

And I think one thing, being here for 15 years, people are really lonely.

You know, a lot of peopl are very, very lonely, isolated.

Davina's, you know, friends or family.

You know, I feel like we live in a we live in a very, like, isolated kind of you know, yourself kind of world where people, people never want to have community, which is, which is the main reason why I think people have, you know, not all, but I feel like a lot of mental issues come from not having any anyone community wise.

So I feel like, I pride myself in hosting people, especially people who don't have anyone, you know, especially, students who who come here for school and they don't have anyone.

Yeah, we do a lot.

There's a lot of organization in the city that I partner with to kind of just host them, cause them for every we can, we might, you know, bring them over to the house, show them.

Hey, you know, you know, by yourself.

So, yeah because it can be very lonely.

Yeah.

And do you have children in a family here?

It's hard to tell.

Just a little bit about.

Yeah.

Kids.

Yeah.

We are our, our oldest is in college now.

And then we have a middle schooler, then we have a 10th grader know, a ten year old and a seven year old.

All girls?

Yeah.

All girls.

M too.

Man.

Yeah.

You want to hug that?

Yeah.

So talk to us about the food truck, the coffee shop.

Kind of.

Your your hometown kind of.

What are the what are the flavors?

What's the what's the recipes?

What are people going to experience?

Kenya.

You know, Kenya, just, you know, Kenya, because of the Indian Ocean, you know, borders Kenya, a lot of our, we have a lot of Indian influence because of the, spice trade.

So, you know even even growing up as a kid, people are shocked that I tell them, hey, I'm from a class of Indians and then some, you know, Middle Eastern.

So I live in a very multicultural city by the lake, Lake Victoria.

Yeah.

So our food is heavil influenced by other countries, but we also have our own twist on it.

So I feel like the main difference between my food and Indian food i the amount of spice that we use.

Yeah.

So that's that American food.

We we created all of it ourselves.

Yeah.

And if you've ever had a frosty infused hot dog, but, that's all American.

But, I love it.

Yeah.

So are you still doing the food truck?

Yeah.

I mean, right now we're focusing on, trying to figure out how to do it.

I feel the goal is to do it just for, like, events.

Yeah, I know the always, festival reached out to me to do it.

Doing some, stuff with the with the TMA.

Yeah.

But I feel like because of the cafe we just kind of touch them to.

Sure.

But, you know, you know, I feel like that's a lot of people really give back when my truck was stolen.

Yeah.

And I feel like it would be unfair for me to just be like, oh, the cafe now, you know, I still want to go out there and meet people that kind of come to the cafe after the week.

So just for people that don't know in our audience, you had a food truck?

Yeah, it was stolen.

It, it.

And there was a very large outpouring on social media and in the community about people wanting to help find the truck, which never was found.

Yeah.

But also to help you get back on your fee and get get another truck going.

Yeah.

And so it just i another testament to your city.

Yeah.

To your commitment and, and people wanting the food.

I think anyone with yeah.

I mean, the first selfishly, the first time I ate off the food truck, I mean, one of my first thoughts was, I'm going to talk about this throughout.

And, and my journey.

And my my second thought was you could give me all of the ingredients and all of the YouTube videos in the world, and there' no way I'm going to make this.

Yeah.

So I'm not going to take the truck.

And I, but if I did, yeah.

I'd give it back.

Okay.

So what's the signature item on the menu at, jam that people can get for lunch?

What's your what's something, you know, lunch, a breakfast.

We have, a something called a Rolex.

Kind of kind of like the watch, but it's, it's just like a rolled egg in a, you know, a homemade bread, chapati bread for lunch.

People love.

Awesome.

So this is just some one of those things that people just enjoy.

So now we have a samosa box that comes with the fries on a side salad.

The origin of samosa.

Yeah.

What what nation is that from fully India.

Yeah.

That's why I know okay Indian is a India I think that's the root.

But now, you know I feel like most countries have samosas.

Yeah, sure.

Some kind of meat.

Meat pie.

Some kind of meat and bread pies.

Delicious.

Yeah, yeah.

Time.

Where do you do your experimenting?

But when, when you're thinking about adding items to the menu, these ideas come to you in the car while you're showering.

Yeah, I think it comes through trying to get it.

Yeah, I know my wife gets mad because I watch a lot of cooking shows.

Yeah, I do a lot of small batch experimenting before I make it, like, big.

But yeah, even now, you know, we're thinking about our summer menu, thinking about our summer drinks.

I just, you know, I just get influenced by other people and I'm like, oh, maybe.

What if I put my own twist on something?

Sure.

But, yeah.

Are you naturally, experimental?

I mean, where does that come from?

Yeah, naturally.

So yeah I'll have to be creative to push and keep pushing.

Yeah, I love I love filling up things.

Yeah.

I feel like I always people love to fail.

Yeah, yeah.

So I feel fail all the time.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Richard is our expert on food, but I would never steal Gretchen's food truck.

Yeah, actually.

Yeah, yeah.

What is she?

I wouldn't know.

I've never been talk about hosting in community.

I've never been invited to Gretchen.

Oh, man, I know that just means we're not friends.

Oh, Tom.

Oh, yeah.

The owner of Jamie Coffee downtown Toledo.

Thank you.

Welcome so much.

Coffee quest is going on to June.

I don't know, May, June, I think.

Yeah, I think, you know what?

Don't wait until May or June to get out to Jamie.

There's a lot of places to go.

That's right.

Yeah, we got a lot of a lot o stops to make to hit them all.

Yeah.

You shoul probably just start right now.

Thank you so much for joining us here on 409.

We're going to take a break.

When we come back, we'll be joined by Brooke Slaughter with Partners in Education.

We'll be right back.

To me, community means connecting to others.

I'm Dani Miller, and welcome to the point I last minute.

Yes, yes, we are community committed to education.

Discover new ideas, div into exciting subject and engage with the world around you.

I would send them personally a t shirt crime doesn't pa in the Old West and pass it on.

That's how we cleaned up the neighborhood.

Vision loss for people is not the end.

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There's public media invites you to get out and play day Monday through Friday.

It's the 419 powered by W GTD with Matt Killam, Gretchen De Backer, I'm Kevin Mullen.

What can people expect on the show?

Give me an hour 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 powered by W GT, talking about all the cool things happening in the region and the cool people making it happen.

We are joined now by Brooke Schlueter with partners in Education.

Brooke thanks so much for being here.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

So I had the privilege of serving on the board, partners when, we hired Brooke.

Don't know.

But for folk that aren't familiar, what is?

Partners, education.

We are a 501 C3 organization, and we do programing for students K through 12.

We have two programs currently college and career readiness and Literacy.

Talk to me about the literacy program, because it's a really cool kind of approach to this that it's not innovative at all, but yet it very much is is our salesman.

Yeah.

All right.

You know, I leave it like it's such it's such common sense space.

Right, right, right.

But no one does it.

Right.

So we, we work with K through three students.

We've always worked with K-12 students, but we're getting increasing, requests to work with fourth and fifth graders as well.

And I think that's kind of, a sign and, you know, derivative of things that are happening in the country.

Right?

The literacy scores are low.

It's alarming.

What you might be doing, the risk of putting you on the spot.

And we have we can always add it that.

But talk to m a little bit about the literacy literacy scores dropping.

What does that mean?

How do we test that and when.

So there is I mean, I think the one most people point to is the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

It's called nape.

And that' a nationwide report of kind of how our schools and our, our children are doing.

Ohio has, I believe, 33% of fourth graders reading proficiently and I think eighth grade is 35%.

Those numbers might not be exact, but I'm very close.

And that is unfortunately the trend nationwide.

Ohio teaching people Massillon that alarmed by those numbers I think so.

I mean, I if we just cut down on the math to make things easier.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And isn't third grad like a pivotal it is the third grade data and statistics are used for all right.

And the thinking there is that kids are I mean, the conventional wisdom is that you are learning to read up until third grade, and then after that you are reading to learn.

And so if you haven't picked up that skill by third grade, the rest of your education is going to be extremely problematic.

Right.

And there's all kinds of, yo know, statistics tied to that.

Dropout rates, increase when students aren't reading proficiently, proficiently by fourth grade, third grade.

So.

And good.

You I mean, you've got such an impressive background coming into this.

I remember in the interview process you just we were just like, yep, we're done.

But talk to m about how did you get into this?

How did you become passionate about education?

And then wanted to get into this work.

And what kind of mentor did I play to you at central?

At central?

It was all because of Matt.

Really?

What not to do when you put that together, it's like, man, literacy is important.

A very valuable lesson, right?

That's right.

So I was an educator.

I taught, high school for 14 years, and then I was ready to get out of that.

And I did some consulting, just sort of education and training consulting.

And then I taught at Miami Valley.

I student taught in New York, and then I taught overseas for four years.

Where were you?

Overseas.

Worse off.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

So I've had a lot of kind of different teaching experiences, but, you know, underserved communities was actually something that I wa I was interested in helping out.

But my job as a teacher and really never took me, you know, except for New York, into schools, you know, that were kind of in underserved communities.

So when this job came up, I was really excited to sort of try to help out, as much as I could.

And I knew my background, you know I could serve in that capacity.

So what's bee the biggest challenge for you?

I know some of this and some of the history of the organization, but but moving from the classroom to the, the corner office at a nonprofit organization is not an easy transition.

What what has mad that, successful move for you?

I mean, people just we have a wonderful community, and I have met.

I cannot tell you how many wonderful people I have met who have been supportive, including you, And you.

Yeah.

And I'm sure not so much.

Gretchen.

Yeah, yeah.

So it's reall that has what has helped bolster the organization.

And I have a wonderful team.

I cannot say enough about how great of a team I have.

We have about 50 part time people right now.

Yeah.

So and we are out at 14 schools in our literacy program.

We go during the day from 9 to 12, the grade level.

We want to make sure no one, or we don't miss the opportunity to talk about what the program is.

And functionally.

So these 50 people in the team does work for the students.

So we it's during the school day.

So we have, several staff members and then we supplement with volunteers.

They're all trained in literacy instruction, best practice.

And they go out during the school day.

They meet one on one with the students who are identified by the teachers as needing the most literacy support.

And we assess them continuously throughout the year.

And you know, ideally get them up to where they can perform well in the third grade reading, guaranteed.

So how do you get how does, family or a child get involved?

They're identified by a teacher.

You're already in the school.

This is your partnership with the school level?

Yes.

Yeah, our partnership is with the school.

And then the teachers, we, you know, the teachers are the subject experts.

So we have them choose which students need the most help.

And sometimes it's students on reading and reading improvement plans, and sometimes it's students who are kind of on that bubble and just need an extra push to be able to be reading proficiently.

So the last time I went through this, program served as, as a tutor.

You were a tutor?

Yes.

Okay.

I may have also been tutored, but the first year happened to be in third grade.

But this young man, I felt like they were excited coming into it to see me every week.

Just as I was excited to see that.

Sure.

Get updated on.

Hey, what's going on?

And, and so to the point where I remember I had it was a wee that I couldn't make it.

Yeah.

And I felt a responsibility to that kid.

Sure.

And so I called my dad and said, hey, I need you to fill in.

And so just kind of a neat program that you start to develop thi relationship with the student.

The student starts to feel, I feel like.

Yeah, well, and I also think, like some, like, I don't want to say responsibility, but like, hey, I want to get this right.

I want to work together and I want to improve.

And that one on one instruction makes such a difference.

Yeah, yeah.

You talked to me, Brooke, about how the 50 individuals got connected to you.

How are they coaching up?

How are they trained?

How do you find them?

Or vice versa?

Indeed.

In LinkedIn.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So we, we also though, we work with, Bowling Green, their teacher education program.

We have a lot of retired teachers.

Sure.

That, you know, kind of word is getting out and they're joining us.

We have some UT students as well.

So, you know, people with education backgrounds are you know, our ideal candidates.

And so we have, you know, a lot of those organizations working with us.

I can't think of the retirement, anyway, there's a group in Toledo that, you know, funnels them in.

Yeah, yeah.

Cool.

And there are opportunities for, community members to volunteer.

That's not during the workday for people that work there.

Are ther other after hours opportunities?

So our college career program, we have, career speaking opportunities That's a little bit different.

But for this one I would say no is my short answer.

But the longer answer is we can accommodate groups.

So if we have like a team, company or something and they would like to commit to, let's say they, they will go to this school on Tuesdays and they jus they commit to having one person from their team there every week on Tuesday.

Okay.

You know, that makes it a little bit easier.

Yeah.

You know, so you're not tryin to go four days a week, right.

This talk to me about I just I don't know how to ask this.

In all we have a lot of guests on there doin incredible things, in New Year.

Certainly an example of that.

It is exhausting, right?

So talk to me a little bit about, I guess, what success looks like and also how you disconnect from this.

It sounds like how do you unplug?

Because the statistics are what they are, and that can seem pervasive.

And you're in it every day duking it out.

So talk to me about what success looks like and how you've become just broke on the weekends.

Yeah, I think if you if you look at the education system, you know, in in the United States, it can feel really daunting.

There's a lot of issues, systemic issues that, you know, a small literacy program in northwest Ohio is not going to solve.

So I think what what I take comfort in and what I find helps me is that the people that we serve, that we have involved in this organization give me hope.

Yeah they give me hope in humanity.

And I'm not just saying that really, truly, they're wonderful people who are out there serving, serving our community, and making it better because there are there' an economic impact to this, too.

And I think a lot of people don't see that.

Absolutely.

That we really need to help these students and it takes the whole community.

So I would say that's that's my answer is I take comfort in that.

And of course, my family.

Yeah.

And my voice, my I mostly take comfort.

Yeah.

That's right.

Yes.

The psychological know I let everyone kno right before we went on there.

You didn't complain about one of them in particular at all.

No, no, no, of course not.

Yeah.

That's.

So you guys have got some, opportunities coming up for people to learn more about the organization and potentially get involved with some of them.

Yeah.

So we're hosting a free event, on June 4th.

It'll be kind of an evenin event.

Food and drink provided.

And it'll just be sort o a forum where you can learn more about the state of literacy in our community and what groups are doing about that, and how you can get involved, and help out.

There's I mean, there's so many different, no pun intended, partners in this space.

Right?

So organizations that are doing this what's the what's being done to, collaborate and connect them and what, you know, what still needs to be done?

Yeah.

I mean, I think there are a number of different people doing this, but the funny part is there's not enough.

So we have, you know, Tutor Smart Works in the afterschool space.

And, you know, we're during the day.

So that's different.

And read for literacy I believe works with, you know, the youngest students and there's this more focused on, you know, just reading with students and getting them excited about reading, where ours is more direct instruction during the day so you can se their different sort of focuses.

And I would also say there's not enough support for students in grades four through eight.

I mean, it's it's very difficult.

So, you know, the more support we can get I think there is a need.

There's absolutely a need.

Is there any one particular, success story that stands out to you or when you think about, a win in the program, a student that that you remember?

Yeah.

I mean, there's a there are, there's a student, and he was at one of our, you know, his name is Jerome, and he's struggled the entire year.

Fourth grade are very frustrated.

And we kept working with him, and his mentor kept working with him.

And it was one person in particular who worked with the student.

And towards the end of the year we started to see real growth, and we were hearing it from his teachers.

And most of all he was really proud of himself.

He had made that stride.

And, you know, I think there were also behavior issues tied with the student, because when you get frustrated, anybody acts out.

Right.

And so he he sticks in my mind as a, really as a neat story of a student that hopefully we were able to help.

And it's, you know, it's not just that he's able to read a little bit better, it's that he has confidence.

He feels social emotional connection with his mentor.

He is, you know, he is able to go out and feel like he can contribute to the classroom environment.

So terrified.

Right?

Yeah.

And I think I mean, I would argue that literacy is a human rights issue.

I mean, I think, you know, you can't make, you know sense of the world around you.

How can you really function in it?

Yeah.

How can you thrive?

I mean, you you can't thrive, right?

That's why we talk about the kind of read, you know, learn to read, read to learn.

Right.

Apply specifically to school.

But we don't think abou all the other contexts, right.

That's right.

And you didn't say so.

These are my words.

If you don't think, the kids, your neighborhoods, education is going to matter in your life, you're a fool because they not only are the old adage of them being the one to take care of you.

Yeah, of course, but it's also it's also about crime, right.

So that's it's all kind of hard situation medical costs.

I mean all of it is tied into that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So let's do this.

Let's put you on the spot.

Yeah.

It's now time for Gretche to quit workshopping that name.

Okay.

No, it's not this is before rapid fire questions.

Gretchen is asking for your favorite thing in or about Toledo, and then you and Matt are going to work together.

Describe Toledo in exactly nine words.

You got it.

Okay.

He'll hold your hand.

Okay.

The fact that you work in literacy, don't worry about the words.

Don't worry about the person.

And there's no pressure.

Yeah.

So I so these questions always pop up, and I don't, I just pick a random card.

I love this because I know your family very well.

Who is your craziest relative?

My father.

I knew that was the answer.

My father.

Here's my youth baseball coach, and it is 100% accurate.

Okay, what would your perfect Saturday be like?

I would get to be out in the sun, riding my bike, playing pickleball.

Maybe some tennis.

Yeah, maybe go out to dinner.

Yeah.

Like to be outdoors exercising that right now.

What circus act would you like to perform?

Gross.

But trapeze?

Probably.

Yeah.

I love that.

It's the thing with the elephant.

Imagine with gross.

All right.

And then what TV sitcom family would you be a member of?

I don't really watch sitcoms to.

Oh, you know, I'm so busy reading you.

That's right that's right.

Yeah, constantly.

Just reading.

I know the Goldbergs.

Yeah.

All right.

Oh, yeah, that's a good.

Okay.

What is your number one most favorite thing or what you consider to be the best thing about the city of Toledo or the region?

I think the growt and the excitement around that, I moved back here.

Gosh, 15 years ago.

And downtow was there wasn't much going on.

Yeah.

I mean, so it has been so cool.

Metropark looking in your direction also, to see the growth and the cool things going on and just how excited everyone is about it.

Great.

All right, you ready?

I'm ready.

All right.

Nine words to describe a city and or region Metroparks.

I'm putting that up.

Yes.

Okay.

You said community.

You got be right off the river.

Right.

I'm going to say, supportive.

Supportive.

Great.

Exciting, exciting.

Got it.

Self-deprecating.

Self-deprecating.

We'll put that down twic because that's certainly true.

All right.

You're almost home.

You only have three left.

Three more.

I would say that I said supportive.

Nope.

That's good.

Supportive, supportive.

I was like, okay, tight knit, tight knit.

Yes.

Love it.

All right.

The last one, what are your sons names?

Collin and Caleb Dunn.

Yes.

Good.

Yeah.

Nailed it.

All right.

Slogging through with partners, education.

People want more information on partners.

Where can they find it?

Partners toledo.org.

Awesome.

All right.

Yeah.

Thank you.

So much.

Yes.

That was fun.

You guys all right?

Do we take a break when we come back George Benson is going to join us here on the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419 powered by GTI.

We're joined now by George Benson with Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Toledo.

George, thanks so much for being on.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Thank you.

What what is, talk to me abou the story of Trinity Episcopal.

What is Trinity Episcopal?

And it's.

This is a brand new church that's opening this year for the first time.

Nobody's heard of it before, right?

It's, we refer to ourselves as a progressive, inclusive, creative community of fait in the heart of downtown Toledo.

Our physical structure has been there since the Civil War.

1860s i when the cornerstone was laid.

But we've had a presence, in Toledo since the 1830s.

Somebody has been worshiping o that site, in a form of Toledo.

We join the Episcopal Church in 1842.

That was the best time to join.

You know, brand new.

It was a great.

But the, the church has played an interesting role in Toledo history.

So anybody who you think would be, a mover and shaker from the 1800s through even the 1990s, you know, and Stranahan was still a member there in the early 2000.

It's been, place where, you know, in the 90s, we opened our doors to the Toledo Gay Men's Chorus to practice, which was not a super popular thing.

So we've been on the forefront of, you know, fusion.

Yeah, yeah, we try, we try.

How did you get involved there, George?

What's your history?

I, as I was saying befor we started recording, our friend and friend of the show, Phil Sheldon, recommended, and he described you as running the place.

Now, our our ou our priest John runs the place.

I get to serve at the pleasure of of John in the Episcopal Church.

I have been there since 2022.

I've spent most of my adult life working in some type of ministry.

There was about a seven year gap where I burnt out pretty nicely.

And then decided to, you know, my wife and I moved back to this region in 2020.

March of 2020.

Mark and I started the job an outreach.

It was great timing.

Covid, where were you moving from?

Columbus, Ohio.

So we were in Columbus.

We were in Grand Rapids before that, and then we were in Toledo.

So, some my the last six years have been strictly focused and, social justice, food insecurity.

You know, you name it, somebody who needs help.

Typically the person who calls the church asking for help is who I get to get to work with.

We talk about this with with our guests that are kind of in this community service, social service space that like, this is not a 9 to 5 job.

And so like, how do you how do you put it down at the end of the day?

Do you put it down at the end of the day?

It, it goes in the sleep mode.

Luckily, the staff and the leadership are very, good about making sur that we have boundaries, right?

Which is not always the case.

It's part of the reason why burnout so badly working in churches beforehand.

Absolutely.

And the trut is, the work that we're doing, makes it so that I feel goo leaving at the end of the day, because we offer things that not everybody else does.

And that's okay, because it takes a village, right?

One of the things that you work on specifically are, are programs and services for people that are unhoused.

What can you tell us a little bit about that?

Yeah.

So we started off, doing community partnerships with Toledo Streets newspaper, providing lunch for them once a month.

And then, food for thought has their mobile food pantry, which we set up in our sanctuary, and we have wraparound services for anybody who comes in, including, the health department's harm reduction team doing Narcan training, Mercy Health, doing blood pressure, blood sugar checks, unison, and care source, Medicare, Medicaid.

But the big one we've been working on for the last two years is what's called breakfast at Trinity.

So, we did a we took some time, did some data or pulled some data.

Did some research, and we found out that you could potentially go up to 24 hours without eating at least a hot mea if you lived downtown on Sunday.

So there's 419 cares, which is a great organization that helps and everybody can make it to that trip.

And so we there was this is a yeah.

There's a gap.

And pre-pandemic there was a breakfast that had started the pandemic closed it down.

And so two years ago almost we relaunched it and we cook the same thing every week.

Because stability is what helps earn trust with the unhoused or just anybody on the margins, because that's who it's open to.

We get people who are either chronically unhoused people staying at one of the many missions in town.

We've got, a retirement apartment set up across the street.

They come over recent retirees, I mean, you name it, it especially in the last year, we've seen the numbers go up.

I think it was 150% from 2020.

Yeah.

The numbers for to 2025, because of the need that's out there.

We're talking to George Benson with Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Toledo.

One of the unique sort of, community features of you church is the statue out front.

Can you talk to us about about that and why that's.

Yeah, significant.

Yeah.

So that predates me.

I know that there was a tour of that statue, going around town, and somehow, it ended up outside of our door.

Ask Heather Meyer for that story she'd like to tell you, I'm sure, but, it's, it's raw.

It's an art piece of, Jesus sitting or lying on the bench covered in a blanket, and you can see the, nail marks in the feet, everything.

And about once a month, generally throughout the winter, we get a either a phone call or somebody tells us that there's somebody either sleeping or a body on the, on the bed is very realistic.

Well, and what's great about, you know, this last winter, we saw people that drape blankets over it.

But what I love about it, is the fact that it draws attention to something that we've collectively as a society, put blinders on.

I mean, we can walk past.

How many people do you see panhandling on the side of the highway?

Exits.

Right.

But there's something about that statue and that causes people to look at it and notice it.

I mean, one of the things that we get at our breakfast is there are sometimes at least a day where somebod hasn't talked to anyone, right?

And so, like, that statue doe a great job in drawing people to those on the margins that then, like I said, have put aside.

This is a cradle Catholic.

I think about like all the different depictions of Jesus in the in the Catholic faith, in a church in, in in art.

And rarely is it Jesus on the margins.

Right.

Rarely is it the idea of homeless Jesus.

Yeah.

Is not a vision that I am familiar with seen, but it certainly draw your attention to, I think that, at least for me, the teachings of, you know, my faith.

But I think also that some of the similarities between Episcopalian and Catholic Lutheran and absolutely Christianity.

Yeah.

I mean, I think that, you know one of the difficult things is when you read something like the Sermon on the Mount.

It is very clear that, you know, Jesus aligns himself with the marginalized.

Right.

But, yo know, at the risk of alienating.

And you can edit this out.

There are people that think that that's a woke propagandist teaching, and it's not I mean, the Catholic Workers movement was very famously justice oriented.

And, you know, actually living out that faith pushes you into uncomfortable places.

That's just that's going to b my question, if you don't mind.

I am not a person of faith.

But I will tell you that it isn't just because I know Heather, who I adore, but it's pretty great.

Your church absolutely embodies welcoming to me.

I, I have friends that participate in it.

That volunteer there.

I'm very familiar.

Streets newspaper.

And volunteered with them myself.

Like, can you talk a little bit about that principle?

And I'm not trying to put you on the spot and certainly criticiz other churches by any means, but this does feel to me like a welcoming place.

Can you talk about the mantra of that?

And what makes that true?

And again, not yeah, that it isn't true in other places but it seems particularly true in this for in these four walls.

What is what makes that home.

So I think the difference is, we try to be safe space for everybody, right?

It's no secret that we're right on Adams Street.

We have pride banners.

We have black Lives Matter flags out there.

We are a cornerstone of the pride parade because it literally goes in front of our street.

We have a long history of being involved in the LGBTQ plus community.

And it helps that a lot of our members and leadershi are members of that community.

But I think what part of it is, is we recognize the inherent dignity in all people.

Right?

And, and we try and just honor that.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, one of the things that we do at breakfast is we don't forc anybody to go to service because you don't let's just leave religious and church trauma out of this, which a lot of people have suffered from, especiall in the marginalized community.

But what we can do is we ca say, hey, you're welcome here.

We want to serve you right.

We want you to, recognize that I see you as a person, and I want to talk with you.

And and that's just it, too, is, you know, my title is director of community engagement, which is different than outreach.

Right?

Right.

Because part of what we do at Trinity, and it's not just the work that I do, is the work that everybody there does is we literally engage with our community.

We ask questions, we want to work with people.

We don't want to find some good work that somebody else is doing and trying to recreate a crappier version of it.

We want to bring them in an say, we want to work with you.

What is it?

We're in the midst for the for for people of of Catholic and Christian faith.

We're in the middle of Holy Week.

Totally.

Thursday.

Today.

What, in particular does Trinity do?

This week, in the context of what you were just saying, is there anything, special or uniqu you're looking forward to for, for Easter weekend?

Yeah.

So we'll have a Good Frida service at 12:00, which will be, just a liturgical service.

And then at seven, we have a very special stations of the cross set up, which will be really fun.

I'm really looking forward to that.

And then Easter services at 10 a.m., and afterwards we'll have a egg hunt, which is very exciting.

Sure.

But then, you know, we'll have breakfast on Sunday morning starting from 830 to 915, where we'll probably serve anywhere from 70 to 115 people.

That's a lot.

Are there volunteer opportunities for people to get involved at Trinity?

Absolutely.

How can they find that?

You can go to, Trinity toledo.org.

There is a pull down that says, sign up for stuff or check my sign ups.

You can go there.

You can email me.

George.

It's an entity.

Toledo.org.

I mean, one more time with that.

Yeah.

George at Trinity toledo.org.

I mean, there are plenty of ways to sign up George Benso with Trinity Episcopal Church.

Thank you so much.

To you, best of luck this week as you celebrate and got.

Obviously I know, it's opportunit for community and celebration, but it's also there's a lot of event plannin that goes into pulling that off.

So we've been working on this since February.

Yeah.

Well that's that tracks.

All right, George, thank you so much.

When we come back, we'll wrap up this Thursday edition with our toledo.com community calenda driven by Tada here on the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419.

We take a look at our toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara.

Had some incredible guests on today as well.

Tom Otieno with Jamie Coffee coffee Quest of course.

Coming up, Brook log in with partners education.

And George Benso with Trinity Episcopal nice guy.

No kidding.

All of them.

Yeah, yeah.

I didn't know that you up disappeared.

With that organization.

That's really good for you, Kevin.

Yeah, I was, I actually had the privilege of being the president of the board, for a couple of years with partners, education.

And it was right around, sor of the the intersection of Covid and my health issue that I stepped away from that.

But, just I had the th I don't know if it's privilege.

Right.

You both working on private spac that I actually got to oversee, the hiring of two different executive directors.

I don't recommend it.

Yeah, it's not great, but.

But I had the privilege of, I mean, we we hired two incredible people.

So Michelle Klinger, was was my my first hire.

And then Covid happened, and Michelle went a different direction, and then, we were able to bring in Brooke, and she's just been she's exceptional organization.

So we also had the opportunity to announce today our 419 day event, happenin April 19th, 2 to 6 at group mode at their brand spankin new store at 1811 Monroe Street.

You're going to be able to interact with, celebrities, maybe on air personalities.

Metroparks is going to have a fun table there.

We have, barbecue food truck.

We'll have drink you can buy for one nine year.

It's going to be a fun day.

We're releasing a bald eagle.

We're releasing a bald eagle that Matt has been training since birth.

That's right.

You get to be a dragon, right?

Is that what's going to happen?

That's right.

Bald eagle versus bearded dragon.

It's a fundraising event, right?

Yep.

All proceeds going to w g. All right.

That's not.

We're not kidding.

Yeah.

Thanks to our guest for being on the program today.

Thanks to you for joining us as well.

If you missed any part of it.

7 a.m.

on YouTube, 3 p.m.

on FM 91 and Toledo Brian Defiance and Lima, 6 p.m.

and connect channel 30.4, of course, online.org/the 419 or download the new and improved TV app to get access to our sho and many other great local shows every single day.

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