International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality. 

Marked annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:

The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is ‘Choose To Challenge’. A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. So let’s all #ChooseToChallenge.

The challenge is a free tool designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

You will be presented with daily challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience and more. Participation in an activity like this helps us to discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. This is an exciting opportunity to dive deep into racial equity and social justice. We hope you will join us on this journey and we can’t wait to get started!

We are excited to announce the 2021 21-Day Challenge for Racial Equity and Social Justice will launch Monday, March 1st, and run Monday through Friday, ending on March 29th. We hope that you will go into this challenge with an open heart and an open mind, ready to be pushed out of your comfort zone. We know these discussions can be difficult and can bring up powerful emotions, but your commitment to increasing your awareness is what will help move our community forward. 

Restaurant Week Toledo is an opportunity to enjoy delicious meals at special prices from dozens of the Glass City’s best locally-owned restaurants while supporting Leadership Toledo’s tuition-free youth programs.

It’s simple: Just dine in or order carry out at one of the participating restaurants during RWT, and a portion of all proceeds will be donated to Leadership Toledo’s high-impact programs designed to cultivate and empower aspiring young leaders.

Come ready to explore hands-on science and learn with other families in a NEW way. Imagination Station is your resource to help bring science to life.

All living organisms need a place to call home. What might be home for a cockroach wouldn’t be a good home for a human. In this workshop our extreme scientist will showcase some creepy, crawly critters and the habitats they need to survive

No it’s not owl poop… it’s an owl pellet and what’s inside will uncover how different organisms interact with each other in the food web.

Why do children look like their parents? It’s all because of genetics! In this virtual workshop our extreme scientists will start off by extracting the DNA from a strawberry to show you the raw material that makes up our individual characteristics.

Learn all about how our binocular vision works through experimentation. Then watch live as an Extreme Scientist dissects a cow eye for a more detailed look at the various pieces that make up our vision.

The human body has many different systems. Discover how they work as we explore the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems of the human body.

Yes a shark…. A real life shark! Learn about this ferocious creature from the inside out. If you like shark week then you’re going to love this workshop.

The Red Cross has established guidelines and protocols for blood donation in keeping with the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for social distancing. Visit redcrossblood.org/donate to read COVID19 safety guidelines and protocols.

The American Red Cross will do everything possible to keep staff, volunteers, and donors well so that they can continue giving the gift of life to those who need it.

Cheers to your good health! Kick off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with this fusion of songs and storytelling through Irish favorites performed live by the Toledo Symphony.

Limited in-person tickets are available: https://www.toledosymphony.com/events/2021/03/13/keybank-pops/sl-inte-a-st.-patrick-s-day-celebration  

Streaming options for Saturday night at 8pm: https://stream.artstoledo.com/products/watch-live-a-st-patrick-s-day-celebration  

The health and safety of our audiences, musicians, staff, and volunteers are of the utmost importance to us. We’re continuing to follow the social distancing guidelines recommended by the State of Ohio to ensure the safest environment for all. Limited tickets available for in-person attendance until further notice.

What can a girl do with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)? She could discover a new planet, create a new nail polish color, design a new car seat. She could develop a new vaccine or find a new species at the bottom of the ocean. A girl can do anything with STEM!

Imagination Station will once again inspire girls to become the next generation of engineers, doctors and researchers during Girl Power! – presented by Toledo Edison and FirstEnergy Foundation. This year, the annual program has expanded and will be delivered virtually and FREE.

Get inspired to go the extra mile with our very special guest, Katie Sowers. Hear about her journey to the 49ers sideline and how STEM helped build her foundation for success.

Katie Sowers is the second woman to hold a full-time NFL coaching position, and the first openly gay coach in the NFL. Katie started her NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons after spending five years as the athletic director of the City of Kansas City. Katie has competed at the highest level of women’s tackle football, playing in the WFA (women’s football alliance) for eight years and being selected as a member of the United States Women’s National Football Team in 2013. Katie has a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in pedagogy from the University of Central Missouri.

Katie is listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Sport by Sport360 and won the 2019 Rising Star Award from The Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Sports. She was Outsports’ 2017 Female Hero of the Year and named the to the Bleacher Report Power 50. In addition, Katie has been featured in several publications and magazines, such as ESPN, USA Today, NFL.com, Forbes, and Outsports.

The Toledo Fine Art Fair is a juried art fair featuring artists from all over the Midwest at the SeaGate Centre in the heart of beautiful downtown Toledo. The SeaGate Centre is across from Promenade Park and the Mudhens Stadium. Parking is available under the SeaGate building and along the adjacent streets. Shop for one-of-a-kind works of art in all styles and media. Ceramic, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Jewelry and more are available at this retail shopping experience. Admission $5. For more information visit www.ToledoFineArtFair.com  

The Mother and Child Dependency Program offers specialized case management services to help improve outcomes for opiate-using pregnant mothers and their babies. We will talk with the staff of the program as they share their knowledge about addictions, how to reduce barriers to following through with prenatal care, and substance abuse treatment, and last insights on where to obtain valuable resources for needed baby items. This session is a must for anyone working with pregnant clients.

Community members will stay inside their cars and be directed though the line of community providers to receive swag and resources from our community partners. Free Tote Bags. Supplies are limited, so do not miss out!

Round up your old computers, gaming systems, phones, tablets and more and bring them to the Lucas County Rec center. All data is securely destroyed and items are fully recycled. (TV’s NOT Accepted)

For our current and future Participants, the need for comprehensive services continues to grow. To meet that need, we have big plans. And big plans call for big dollars. We need your help. Will you partner with us to meet the needs of our community? You can give by PayPal , or by mailing a check to Leading Families Home, 2910 W. Central Avenue, Toledo, Ohio 43606.

Thank you for always being faithful partners in our mission — helping families transition from homelessness to permanent housing. Together we’ve got this.

Connect with us on social media to see the latest stories from our Participants, Board Members, Staff, and Volunteers!

You can support Leading Families Home by liking or following our accounts, liking and SHARING them on your social media accounts. Invite your contacts to like or follow us, too! Let’s spread the word, and end homelessness in Toledo!