{"id":7728,"date":"2023-09-27T13:49:22","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T13:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/?p=7728"},"modified":"2023-09-27T13:49:22","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T13:49:22","slug":"believe-center-expanding-community-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/27\/believe-center-expanding-community-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"Believe Center expanding Community Influence"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By La Prensa Staff<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

TOLEDO, Sept. 22, 2023: The Believe Center<\/em> is getting a makeover of sorts\u2014cosmetically, in leadership, and in its community programming. But the end product will help the Latino community in more ways.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leadership Changes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Believe Center<\/em> underwent some leadership changes in the last few months, most noticeably with a new executive director. Vinny Riccardi<\/em> took over the center\u2019s day-to-day operations, while former executive director Tonya Dur\u00e1n<\/em> is now his number two, which allows her to focus on the center\u2019s sports programming.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Home Depot Community Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just in time for the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, a team of community volunteers from Home Depot<\/em> stores and operations across Northwest Ohio completed a $30,000 beautification project around the Believe Center grounds. The project included a new playground, fencing, better security, and new landscaping.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe poured a lot of love on the Believe Center. We did a major overhaul on the front of their building and another overhaul in their back nursery and playground area,\u201d said Christopher Miller, Home Depot Center of Excellence training manager for the company\u2019s fulfillment center in Luckey, Ohio.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night when I left, I actually cried, because I saw the lights on the poles and it brightened up the whole center,\u201d said Ms. Duran. \u201cIt was like coming home. It was really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like I was at a Hispanic cantina,\u201d echoed Riccardi. \u201cI was ready to have my food on a bench, wondered where\u2019s the music. Looking at it, it\u2019s so serene. You can sit on that bench now snd feel like you\u2019re in a park instead of looking at whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team of volunteers planted new shrubs and flowers, painted rooms, put in new flower boxes, installed a new swing set and other playground equipment, and repaired and replaced a fence in the rear of the building. The effort took four months of planning by Miller and collaborators.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love giving back,\u201d said Miller, who has led 60 such projects over the past decade. \u201cThat\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. If we can pour love and benefit and bless an organization, group of people or an individual, that\u2019s why we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The $30,000 project was split evenly between a Home Depot grant and donated supplies from Tough Shed, Superior Fence and Rail in Oregon, Black Diamond, and other local companies. More than 70 volunteers worked over two days to complete the project just in time for the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. Some of the volunteers came from as far away as Van Buren.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis took a lot of time and energy and spinning plates, but at the end of the day, I\u2019m feeling pretty full right now, so this is pretty awesome,\u201d said Miller.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mental Health Makeover<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Believe Center leadership team is assuming control of mental health services once offered to Latino individuals and families formerly administered by the now-defunct Adelante, regardless of the outcome of a federal investigation into the former nonprofit\u2019s finances and any criminal charges that may result. The FBI is among the agencies now conducting a forensic audit to figure out how tens of thousands of dollars went missing, forcing Adelante to suddenly close last year.<\/p>\n

The Believe Center likely will add some staff to help with its new role of outreach, education and referral of mental and behavioral health services, now funded by the Lucas County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board (MHRS) and other sources to the tune of about $250,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe had been very big gap within the Latin community here in the south end and for Toledo in general,\u201d said Riccardi. \u201cUnfortunately, a lot of people are not aware of the behavioral health care services that are available. There\u2019s (also) the issue with language, so we\u2019ve got to make sure we\u2019re bilingual and understand the culture. You don\u2019t tell people your problems. You go the grandmother or the grandfather and it just stays internal. That worked well in the past, but with how we\u2019re changing as a society, we need more outside help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The situation could be viewed as the perfect storm\u2014the Adelante situation, combined with COVID and a lack of physician contact with Latino family members, the inability to communicate with the greater community, language barriers, and cultural competence. That presents a huge challenge for Believe Center staff going forward. Riccardi pointed out that has caused another level of trauma in many of the families.<\/p>\n

\u201cMental health is very taboo within the Latin community. That\u2019s seen as a sign of weakness, which it shouldn\u2019t be, but unfortunately is a part of the social upbringing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to dispel that myth and let people know it\u2019s fine to share and look and seek help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Believe Center also will be involved in the schools doing a ten-week prevention program.<\/p>\n

The growth of the Believe Center\u2019s services and programs already has Riccardi thinking of possible expansion in the next few years, possibly involving a capital campaign. The center already serves over 2,000 youth annually, not counting undocumented families or walk-ins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re probably looking at 5,000 people or more when you look at all of the community stuff that we do,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to accommodate more. We need more space. We need some space to do some counseling, more space to do the education component. I know we\u2019re going to be expanding when we do the prevention model, because it\u2019s not just going to be in the schools. It\u2019s going to be here, plus we have our other programming. That\u2019s part of the conversation we\u2019ve already started with the city of Toledo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riccardi admitted there were a number of large-scale conversations within the Latin community as to where to locate mental health services. The Believe Center was chosen because it was a \u201cknown entity where people would go\u201d and felt comfortable attending sessions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sports Complex Administrators<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Believe Center leadership team has also been tabbed to run the administrative side of a proposed sports complex to be built on the site of the former Libbey High School, 1250 Western Ave. The sports complex was announced and drawings shown during a recent 100th<\/sup> anniversary celebration of the former high school, attended by generations of Libbey HS alumni.<\/p>\n

At the event, Toledo native, Libbey alumnus, and former New York Yankees farmhand Chet Trail announced a nonprofit he formed. Libbey HS Redevelopment, LLC, now holds a 99-year lease on the former school site. He also showed the crowd drawings of a proposed sports complex to be built on the site, with groundbreaking expected either later this year or in 2024. Trail incorporated his limited liability company with the Ohio Secretary of State in early 2022.<\/p>\n

The drawing shows a sports complex which includes indoor and outdoor sports, including baseball, soccer, and tennis, indoor batting cages, and a large building with classrooms. How much the sports complex will cost, a construction timeline, and funding sources are unclear at this point. Trail is raising the money, while the Believe Center would run the programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cRealistically, it will be the (sports) programs we have here, but on a bigger note,\u201d said Riccardi.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur kids would be the beneficiaries to have their games and practices at the fields,\u201d said Duran.<\/p>\n

While there has been talk in the community of a new football field, Riccardi stated the most likely location would be the lower half of Danny Thomas Park, just below where the Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation funded the construction of a multi-sports facility in recent years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By La Prensa Staff TOLEDO, Sept. 22, 2023: The Believe Center is getting a makeover of sorts\u2014cosmetically, in leadership, and in its community programming. But the end product will help the Latino community in more ways.   Leadership Changes The Believe Center underwent some leadership changes in the last few months, most noticeably with a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[164],"class_list":["post-7728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",700,479,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",700,479,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",700,479,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center-300x205.jpg",300,205,true],"large":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",640,438,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",700,479,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",700,479,false],"rtcl-gallery":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center-700x462.jpg",700,462,true],"rtcl-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center-320x240.jpg",320,240,true],"rtcl-gallery-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center-150x105.jpg",150,105,true],"psacp-medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center.jpg",500,342,false],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/believe-center-45x45.jpg",45,45,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"LaPrensa Newspaper","author_link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/author\/laprensa\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Articles<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"By La Prensa Staff TOLEDO, Sept. 22, 2023: The Believe Center is getting a makeover of sorts\u2014cosmetically, in leadership, and in its community programming. But the end product will help the Latino community in more ways.   Leadership Changes The Believe Center underwent some leadership changes in the last few months, most noticeably with a","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7728"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7730,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7728\/revisions\/7730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7728"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=7728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}