As a minister, the greatest joy is seeing a community rally together to fight for what’s right. Tent City does that in downtown Toledo Ohio every year. Started in 1990, and a product of 1Matters.org, Tent City is an annual weekend-long event that aims to bring together the unhoused or marginally housed with some of the community resources in Toledo, fighting systemic poverty. In short, it raises awareness for homelessness, while providing critical resources to those who need it most.

Serving around 1,000 people, I was one of the 400 volunteers this year, assisting with the Free Medical Clinic (offered by ProMedica and University of Toledo) and the Lucas County Health Department’s Free Vaccine Clinic.

There is more than just free medical care that is offered. Tent City also provides dental care, food, clothing, help for those returning to housing, critical document assistance, Veteran’s services, haircuts, literacy programs, and other services to those in need. I saw hundreds of meals being served last night, as well as today – a community simply enjoying being in community.

What I saw was one big event of people coming together and simply sharing their stories. And it was an honor to listen to some of those stories.

But today I heard those stories not dressed as a member of the clergy, but wearing scrubs and a white lab coat, ready to give you a flu shot. And it was good to step out of my Presbyterian bubble. Many of you may not know about this part of my journey. The last few years, having helped lead over 60 churches through a pandemic as the mid-council leader in this region, I decided one of the best ways to pastor to this community was to spend my free time committing myself to NW Ohio’s public health sector and community wellness. It led to me exploring God’s call in my life and ways I could best impact and engage in public health.

Another way to say it is that I decided to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, and commit myself to doling out free healthcare. It has been a wonderful way to amplify my ministry in Maumee Valley Presbytery, as well as reconnect me with the early days of my ministry that were in healthcare. It also led me to becoming a part-time nursing student the last few years at the University of Toledo, taking a class here or there, but also opening me to opportunities to volunteer at the Community Free Clinic and other events like happened today in downtown Toledo.

Today, witnessing a community come together so powerfully like it did, came at a critical time for this Presbyterian minister, whose hope about our future can so easily wane when I turn on the evening news, and who has been discouraged lately by the divisions I see amongst and within some of my churches. Granted I deal with a heavy dose of church problems, but perhaps because of that today came like a powerful medicine to soothe my soul and remind me of the true power we can have when we come together as a community. Realizing our true DNA – that we are all children of God, and showing our solidarity with one another.

That solidarity showed itself in much more profound ways than meals shared or free healthcare. It was the one-on-one connections I was seeing that really grabbed this Presbyterian minister’s attention. In the medical tent (as expected) I saw a lot of one-on-one patient care. But it was more than that. I also saw volunteers, some of us wearing hijabs, others of us wearing crosses, each of us quietly living out our faith, coming together in solidarity to do what’s right, and simply living into the gifts God gave us and adding to the great diversity of faith in our community.

This is what you probably won’t see on the national evening news, because bringing people together to do what is right doesn’t add to viewership. Division and hate is more the fancy of our media these days. I am guessing tonight on the national news you will see the No Kings rallies or the government shutdown or other ways that illumine our division, our differences, our communal pain. You probably won’t see that free dental cleaning that saved a young man’s tooth. You probably won’t see that consult that led to a housing solution for that young family of 5. You probably won’t see me caring for a young single mother by vaccinating her and her young children.

But this is the power of God at work amongst us, and I see it and was a witness to it today. I see so much goodness in the hearts of those around me, and in the greater Toledo area. And I just want all of us to see it, and celebrate it, and continue to live into that.

Today I saw the power of very influential organizations who are committed to elevating those who are disadvantaged in our midst. And their resolve is quiet but persistent. Join me in that fight.

To learn more about Tent City, check out https://www.13abc.com/2025/10/18/tent-city-returns-toledo-bringing-people-together/