TOLEDO, Ohio — Ed Moore grew up in the neighborhood near the Frederick Douglass Center. Starting in high school in the 1980s, he worked at the center too.
"Just basic maintenance," Moore, now the city's director of utilities, said. "Cutting grass, cleaning. Just basic labor duties."
He said the center is a voice of the community and a place people can't live without.
"It's where we go when people need resources, they need help with problems in the household, if you just need counseling, or you just need a place to hang out," Moore said.
He said the 2023 State of the City address being held at the central Toledo building isn't a coincidence.
"There were a lot of resources invested in the Douglass Center to bring it up to modern standards, so we're proud of that," Moore said. "But also the voice of the neighborhood is very important to what we do in the city of Toledo."
At the center, Executive Director Reggie Williams agrees.
"Having (Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz) here, it just speaks to how we're trying to bring change, and also being able to communicate to the community," Williams said.
Williams said the city has invested heavily into the center, pledging $2.5 million back in 2021.
Now, he hopes that investment continues in youth programs, which the mayor touted in last year's address.
"I think it's a move in the right place, in the right direction," Williams said. "I think we still have a lot of work to do ... I'm looking forward to hear what the mayor's next goals are for the next couple years, and wanting to see what the response is from our neighbors."
Kapszukiewicz's speech will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.