Tent City Announcement

Tent City to Rise 10/25 – 10/27

1Mile Matters Walk will House More Veterans.

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Tent City again rises at Civic Center Mall on October 25 - 27, and will again bring together churches, businesses, government, and the mediato put the spotlight on the needs of those who have lost domestic autonomy in our community.

With its customary community unity, Tent City is expanding the medical services this year with the collaboration between Mercy, Promedica, UTMC, and the Mildred Bayer Clinic for the Homeless. A grant from the Komen Foundation allows the addition of mammograms to the women’s services area.

Last year nearly $180,000 in services was provided by 400 volunteers over the course of the weekend.

“It is always so renewing to see how our community always comes together, even competitors, to respond with compassion for those in need,”said Tent City founder Ken Leslie.

Tent City kicks off Friday the 25th at 6pm with a 1Mile Matterswalk from Promenade Park to Tent City. This year’s walk will be led by some of the veterans housed by the group’s Veterans Matter program.

“They fought for us.We fought for them. Now, they fight for others, yet again.” Mr. Leslie said.

Supported by Dusty Hill, ZZ Top, and John Mellencamp, the Veterans Matter pilot program,which collaborates with HUD and the VA,has now housed 130 veterans in 26 cities in four states. Locally grants from the Toledo Community Foundation’s Promedica Advocacy Fund and the Lucas County Veterans Services Commission have helped housed 57 area veterans, Nationally, Mr. Hill raised $50,000 to house Houston veterans, and the program is one of three beneficiaries of the national “The American Music Project: Voices for Veterans” concert to be held next year in New York City.

To walk with us, volunteer, get more information or donate, visit 1Matters.org

Contact: Ken Leslie, 419.349.4969,

Background

When John Mellencamp was in Toledo for a concert he visited Tent City and was truly impressed how our community comes together to support the unhoused. Impressed enough, and touched enough by the experience to lend his efforts to promote our community’s work locally and nationally. This help continued last month 1Matters traveled to Bloomington to shoot 1Matters (local) and Veterans Matter (national) PSA’s .

Since 1990 1Matters – Tent City has worked to move the unhoused off the streets and into housing, connect to services, and advocate as their voice at the table.

What Can People Do to Help?

Our job is simply to give people the opportunity to get involved so those moved to help, can help. .

  • Walk, build a team, or sponsor a walker for 1Mile Matters.
  • Volunteer to serve over Tent City weekend.
  • Organize an October winterclothing driveat your school, home, business, group, or organization.
  • Camp out overnight to teach the pain of poverty to your children, students, youth group, fraternity, or sorority.
  • Make a tax-deductable gift to help 1Matters change the world 1 at a time.
  • Visit 1Matters.org for other opportunities.

Clothing Drive: We hope your station, business, or group can help. Needed items include backpacks, winter coats, long underwear, sweatshirts, jeans, hats, gloves, and personal hygiene items. Larger sizes of clothing are especially needed each year. Items can be dropped off at the Cherry Street Mission Lifebridge Center, 3342 Monroe Street, or Crossroads on 23 Church. 6960 Sylvania-Petersburg Rd,

About Tent City 2013

Tent City is a weekend-long event running from Friday, 10/25/2013to Sunday,10/27/2013, and is exclusively devoted to helping those who have lost domestic autonomy.

The Saturday Project Connect is the keystone for the weekend. From 9 am to 4 pm guests will be connected to free services including medical, dental, optical, hearing, podiatry, cardiology, and health screenings, as well as other services which can restore them to domestic autonomy.