Experts in their fields, Autumn Parker and Monica Cardenas, Join HOPE Toledo

TOLEDO, OH, May 2, 2022 - HOPE Toledo announced today it plans to add 14 new HOPE Toledo Pre-K Affiliate Providers, potentially more than doubling its provider network, to meet the growing need for high-quality pre-K in our community. The overall goal of HOPE Toledo Pre-K is to ensure kindergarten readiness and subsequent successful school performance for all of Toledo’s children.

HOPE Toledo is proud to announce that Shawna Woody, HOPE Toledo vice president of operations and Wendi Huntley, HOPE Toledo board chair, and president of Connecting Kids to Meals, have been selected by Leadership Ohio for its new class of Fellows for 2022.

HOPE Toledo announced today its first official postsecondary graduate through the HOPE Toledo Promise program, Abena Rowland. She graduated from Stautzenberger College with a certificate in addiction counseling and recently started her career as a case manager at Empowered for Excellence.

Today, John C. Jones, President of HOPE Toledo, announced the appointments of Elisa Huss-Hage and Nancy Okuley to new positions in the organization. Huss-Hage is serving as director, Early Childhood Education, and Okuley as HOPE Toledo’s Professional Development and Support specialist.

HOPE Toledo is thrilled to announce that it is a recipient of The Kresge Foundation’s CoPro2.0 grant program. The program is a $2.6 million grant initiative launched to support equitable and sustainable College Promise programs, such as the HOPE Toledo Promise, the two-generational scholarship program intended to create generational economic change.

Today, John C. Jones, President of HOPE Toledo, provided an update on the organization’s work and progress – primarily in the Pre-K space – at a media conference at Quality Time Child Care Center. Also in attendance were several other community leaders who spoke about their shared commitment to serving Toledo’s children.

John C. Jones, president of HOPE Toledo, recently announced the organization’s partnership with nine community-based preschool providers to offer more than 200 high-quality, full-day, affordable preschool seats to 4-year-olds across the Toledo area.