Communities Meeting Unmet Needs

05/17/2026

I was born in the late 70’s on a military base. By the time I graduated high school in Bowling Green, Ohio, I had lived in more than a dozen homes across four states. When I was taken into foster care at 14, it was at least my third CSB case. My family left me in Ohio when I was 16. A lot of people asked what I did to get myself there. Reporting abuse, even substantiated abuse is often shrouded in shame for the victims. People ask why women don’t report? Look at the data. There aren’t enough supports or protections for women who were born, forced, or willingly married somebody who had some kind of upper hand.
I aged out of foster care at 19 when I graduated high school. I got pregnant at 19. I used SNAP. I used childcare assistance. I got married, had three daughters, survived abuse, got divorced, got evicted, more than once. I came out as a le***an. I kept going. My views grew, my categories grew, my views into other people’s circumstances, chosen or otherwise have shaped me.
In 2021, I bought my first home.
I did everything I was supposed to do. And the rising cost of everything is still making it hard to hold on.
I work inside the system that helped catch me. Every day I see people whose categories, the circumstances they were born into, some they chose, and some were handed to them along the way. Right now. In your county. In your state, in your county. Pick a cause. Who is in your community? Are they okay? What are you willing to do to stabilize that community? And if the people who are in your community aren’t okay and need more care than what you can provide whose responsibility is that?

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

This is what it looks like when communities come together for the most vulnerable among us.
Photos by the amazing Doug Hinebaugh.
Last week's Weathering Homelessness panel was amazing and the approach more communities need to take. People across agencies, across sectors, came together to talk about the real and growing issue of homelessness. Especially with a rough winter like we just experienced.
This winter was rough. Shelters have been full for a while. There are fewer programs which mean that more people are falling into crisis with nowhere to turn. People are calling 211 looking for resources that no longer exist. That gap is real and growing, and it is costing lives.
In December 2025, a man died. And a lot of us decided we had enough. Some of us knew the people we lost this winter. Some of us didn't.
In one year, unsheltered homelessness in Lucas County went up 107%. At the same time, we lost shelter beds. And this winter, 508 people relied on warming centers just to survive the cold, 326 of them more than once, because they had nowhere else to go.
This panel happened because of them. And the work continues because of them. And because we all know it's going to get worse. I have loads of data to show how we've gotten here, what's happened, and what's coming. When will enough be enough for you?
If you want to get involved, follow, like, share, and spread the word. And if you're not sure where to start or how to direct your energy toward a cause you care about, reach out. I'm happy to help point you in the right direction.
I know times are tight for everyone. Family and older adult homelessness is growing quicker than any of us had resources for. Collectively the system is breaking and we need people who are ready to say enough is enough and find a way to show up.
Whatever that looks like for you. At least check on your people. Make sure they can make their rent payment. Make sure they are eating. You want to love thy neighbor? Make sure they have the resources that the government has taken away. Because what we have is gone, there's nothing left. Anyone who is in trouble should call 211, but know that resources are TIGHT. Northwest Ohio is in a freefall.

- De Steno
Director, 211, serving 16 counties in Northwest Ohio

Special thanks to all of these wonderful people who worked long hours, and then worked some more, from planning, making, and distributing meals, to coordinating volunteers, to working 12 hour overnight shifts and then going to work at shelters and with people who are struggling the most in our communities, we already have some of the most difficult work right now, and still, these people all show up and show out for our community, Michael Pidsosny, Doug Hinebaugh, Krista Bakies Kiessling, Nora Riggs, street mission, Lucas County Department of Job & Family Services, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, St. Paul's Community Center, habbib, Tay Re, Stacey Lynn, Leading Families Home, Jennifer Jacobs, Maegan Applegate, Mary Trinidad, Jackie Jaquez, Pastor Leo Cunningham, Julie Embree, Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board, Mike Clark Shawn Clark, Lucas County Department of Job & Family Services, United Way of Greater Toledo, Amy Jo Holland, Brown Bag Food Project Wood County Ohio, City Of League of Women Voters of Toledo-Lucas County, of Toledo City Council, Erin Kramer, Chef Alex at Assembly Restaurant, and so many others (Please message me and I will tag you if I forgot!) for showing up, being curious, lending a hand, and showing us what community means to you. I am forever grateful for the amazing connections that I have made in this community, knowing that when there is a crisis, we can come together (imperfectly, we know), and make the best, worst case scenario that we could. Multisystem coordination is how we are going to get through the effects of what is to come.

For the full album of Doug Hinebaugh's work: https://adobe.ly/3P1zitA

05/12/2026

Join the Lucas County Continuum of Care with Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board! We need YOU to help us solve homelessness.

Remember when the CoC felt like an exclusive club? 🤐 

For years, membership was limited, and spots were hard to get.

But things are changing!

Lucas County is a puzzle, and we realized we were missing too many pieces.

We’re officially moving to Open Membership. That means the 'limit' is gone.

If you care about ending homelessness, you’re in. No velvet rope, just a seat at the table.

Join us May 21, 2026 at the Toledo Lucas County public library at 10:00 a.m. in the big glass room.

05/12/2026

Less than a week ago, we held our Weathering Homelessness event.

Community leaders from different agencies coming together to solve problems. This is how we make it through difficult times. Forever grateful to people who give their best to the community, day after day! 🩵🩵

Picture credit Shawn Clark on behalf of Doug Hinebaugh 😁

04/29/2026

Do you have ideas, funding or passion about solving homelessness? Do you work in a field that would like to connect?

Join us!

🧩 Lucas County is a puzzle. Are you the missing piece?

Ever feel like the system to help our unhoused neighbors is a giant maze? You aren't alone. That’s why the Home for Everyone Continuum of Care (CoC) exists. We aren’t just one group—we are the network that connects shelters, clinics, and advocates to make sure help actually reaches the people who need it.

 We are looking for fresh energy, new perspectives, and passionate people to join our mission of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.

 Join us for our Annual Membership Meeting!

 Whether you’re a long-time advocate or just looking for a way to give back to Toledo, there is a seat at the table for you.

 🗓 When: May 21, 2026

⏰ Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

📍 Where: Toledo Lucas County Library – Main Branch  https://maps.app.goo.gl/gXjzoh92aAaQX3pX6

Let’s stop managing homelessness and start ending it. Together.