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Lucas County proclaims April 26 Toledo Streets Newspaper Day; group describes workforce program
Summary
The board proclaimed April 26, 2025, Toledo Streets Newspaper Day. Representatives from Toledo Streets described the paper's workforce-development model, upcoming friend-raiser events and reliance on private funding to keep programming flexible.
The Lucas County Board of Commissioners on April 22 proclaimed April 26, 2025, as Toledo Streets Newspaper Day and heard from the paper's staff about its workforce development work.
Ben Staitlitz, a representative for Toledo Streets Newspaper, said the nonprofit focuses on soft skills—hygiene, etiquette and confidence-building—for vendors who sell the paper. "We are the only one of our kind. We focus on the soft skills," Staitlitz said, describing the paper's small, intentionally limited structure and its role helping people who might otherwise "slip through the cracks."
Michael Posadni, an advisory board member and vendor-coordinator (who also identified himself as "Chico"), described a May 1 friend-raiser beginning at noon at Trinity Episcopal that will include celebrity sales throughout the city and a community cookout. Posadni said the group avoids federal funding to limit administrative restrictions and to preserve one-on-one support for vendors.
Commissioners praised the program's role in building confidence among vendors. Commissioner Cebecchi recounted seeing vendor transformations downtown and said the paper offers vendors a platform to share stories and art. Commissioner Lopez moved to proclaim April 26 as Toledo Streets Newspaper Day; the roll call vote was recorded as yes by Commissioners Cebecchi, Gerken and Lopez.
No county funding or ordinance changes were approved in connection with the proclamation during this agenda item.
