By Asia Nail
The Truth Reporter
The room at Gesu Church’s Sullivan Center didn’t feel rushed. It felt intentional.
On Monday, January 12, community leaders, clergy, advocates and neighbors gathered for the 2026 Social Impact Awards banquet hosted by United Pastors for Social Empowerment (UPSE). The tables were set, the lights were warm, and the air carried that quiet expectation you feel before something meaningful takes place.
The annual gathering is more than an awards night, it is dedicated to honoring leaders who strengthen the community through service, collaboration, and faith-rooted action. UPSE has spent years redefining what faith leadership looks like in public life. Not just charity. Not just commentary. But partnership. Strategy. Results.
A Night Rooted in Purpose and Partnership
Dinner began at 5 p.m., accompanied by live music from ‘Mike Williams on Sax’. His smooth, expressive sound filled the room, offering moments of reflection as guests settled in. His saxophone sang stories without words. It sounded like joy with a backbone. Like struggle that survived and learned how to dance. The sound didn’t rush. It curved and leaned, like it understood the weight of the work in the room.
And the room exhaled. You could feel it.
People nodded. Feet tapped. Someone whispered, “Mmm.” Another closed their eyes. Music like that doesn’t ask permission. It just enters.
The space carried a sense of purpose long before the program officially began. Conversations flowed easily over dinner, and familiar faces greeted one another warmly.
By 6 p.m., the evening transitioned, guiding attendees through a carefully paced presentation of gratitude, testimony, and recognition. From the opening prayer, the message was clear: this was not about individuals shining alone. This was about an ecosystem.
This night was about honoring leaders whose work uplifts marginalized communities, advances justice, and reflects the power of collaboration grounded in faith. Leaders emphasized the importance of recognizing people while they are still living out their callings and giving them their flowers now, not later.
Founded in 2008, United Pastors for Social Empowerment was built on the bold idea that faith leadership should not only comfort people during hard times but also help change the systems that create those hard times in the first place. They believe the sanctuary does not stop at the church doors. Instead, it extends into neighborhoods, policies, zoning decisions, health systems and public safety conversations.
Faith, in this model, is both moral and strategic.
Mike Williams’ saxophone wrapped the room again, reminding us that justice without love won’t last. That strategy needs soul. That change, real change, should sound like something you want to dance to.
It was truly my pleasure to experience the atmosphere. If inspiration were a person on sax, or even an event in itself, this would be it.
Photo By: © Scott W. Grau
Structural Change, Not Symbolic Gestures
Before the awards were presented, UPSE leaders highlighted the organization’s impact over the years. When their work gained national attention in 2023 for resisting food apartheid and predatory retail practices, it wasn’t because they chased publicity. The attention came because the work was real.
Their work has addressed food equity through the Equitable Access Alliance of Toledo, leading to a city-approved capital food hub, incentives for a long-denied full-service grocery store, and zoning reforms that limited predatory dollar store growth while encouraging community-owned food access.
Under the leadership of Reverend Donald Perryman, PhD, UPSE has shaped countywide inclusion policies for mental health services, earning recognition from the Governor of Ohio. Their work extends to individuals and neighborhoods affected by mass incarceration, treating people not as statistics but as human beings deserving restoration. Beyond that, UPSE advocates for water justice, consumer protections, and equitable use of federal relief funds, reframes transportation access as a public health issue, and addresses Black infant mortality with urgency and coordination through the Moses Project.
Service Awards: Honoring Organizations and Leaders on the Ground
The first UPSE 2026 Service Award was presented to the Fair Housing Center of Toledo, an organization marking its 50th anniversary. For five decades, the Fair Housing Center has worked to ensure equal access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.
Under the leadership of George Thomas, the Fair Housing Center has continued to address housing discrimination while partnering with community organizations to support vulnerable populations, including families impacted by lead hazards and housing inequities.
In his acceptance remarks, Thomas reflected on the biblical story of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing what true compassion looks like. The Samaritan did not question worthiness, check paperwork, or offer partial help. He provided a complete solution. Thomas framed the Fair Housing Center’s role as one that often stands outside the system, pointing out where it fails and insisting on justice when others walk past those in need.
The next Service Award honored Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE). ABLE provides free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families across Northwest Ohio. Their work focuses on housing stability, public benefits, family safety, and access to health care while addressing the legal barriers that keep people trapped in poverty.
Executive Director Makeda Mesa accepted the award and spoke about collaboration as the heart of their mission. She shared how ABLE partners with organizations like UPSE on projects such as the Healthy Food Overlay Plan, which aims to restore neighborhoods along the Dorr Street Corridor by bringing in fresh groceries and local businesses. Mesa described her role not just as Executive Director, but as “Supporter-in-Chief,” emphasizing that leadership is about supporting the people doing the daily work.
The final Service Award went to Father Tony Gallagher, a respected community leader known for his deep commitment to social justice, compassion, and care for individuals experiencing housing instability and poverty. Father Gallagher has consistently brought together faith communities, nonprofits, and civic partners to address urgent needs while maintaining dignity and empathy.
Supported by a Community That Believes
The evening was made possible thanks to sponsors who share UPSI’s commitment to justice and collaboration. These include the Area Office of Aging of Northwest Ohio; Lucas County Children’s Services; the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County; Center of Hope Family Services; St. Michael’s in the Hills Episcopal Church; SSOE; Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz; and Strategy by Fischer.
Their presence reinforced the idea that lasting change requires alignment across faith, government, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Social Impact Awards: Recognizing Leadership Across Systems
Next the Social Impact Awards highlighted individuals whose leadership has shaped policy, funding, health, and justice across Toledo and beyond.
Mike Deach, executive director of the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation, received the 2026 Social Impact Award for his work advancing trust-based philanthropy. Under his leadership, the foundation provides grants addressing the root causes of poverty, supporting nonprofits focused on housing stability, food security, youth education, and rural library access. Deach spoke candidly about humility and imposter syndrome, noting that while he is not on the front lines, his role is to help ensure resources reach those who are. His background in education and the arts shaped his belief that communities cannot thrive unless their creativity and dignity are valued.
Dr. Lawrence Monger, a board-certified physician and Medical Director of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, was honored for his commitment to community health. With over 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Monger has focused on diabetes management, addiction medicine, maternal health and early disease intervention. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of listening to patients and meeting people where they are, whether in a doctor’s office or through public health systems. His leadership centers on building long-term relationships between providers and the communities they serve.
Attorney Valerie Bowman-English, Clerk of the Toledo Municipal Court, was honored for her commitment to access, transparency, and service. A Toledo native, Bowman-English has modernized court operations by expanding online public access, implementing e-filing, and launching one of the nation’s first mobile court apps. Her work has made the court system more navigable for residents who often feel overwhelmed or excluded by legal processes.
In a deeply personal speech, she shared her story of being raised by a teenage mother who chose perseverance and education. She credited her husband, Lucas County Judge Ian English, the community, her faith, and mentors like Reverend Dr. Donald Perryman for shaping her path. Her remarks underscored a key theme of the evening: impact does not always seek attention, but it leaves a lasting imprint.
Love That Lasts
As the evening came to a close, we all returned to a simple truth: strategy matters, effectiveness matters, but love is what allows the work to last. The final musical selection, Love Is the Only Way, performed by Tracee Perryman, PhD, echoed that message.
The applause that followed wasn’t hurried. It was reflective. Because everyone in the room understood this night wasn’t an ending, it was a checkpoint.
As the final notes faded and applause rose one last time, the feeling lingered. Not excitement. Not closure.
Commitment.
The kind you carry home.
The kind you wake up with.
The kind that keeps showing up, even when no one is watching.
That night didn’t just honor impact.
It reminded Toledo who it already is.
For more information about United Pastors for Social Empowerment and its mission, visit here