About Us

For more than 85 years, Friendly Center has provided a source of hope and fulfillment for a North Toledo Corridor "neighborhood" (zip codes 43604, 43608, and 43611) of more than 12,000 people from mixed ethnic backgrounds. Friendly Center, in partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, is an agency of social concern committed to the development of its neighborhood and its people. "We provide the resources to assist neighborhood families and individuals in achieving their goals."

To augment personal care, Friendly Center today offers a gym for sports and social activities, a playground for outdoor activities, a clothing collection, outreach services (regular home visits), programs for families and adults, emergency food distribution, GED classes, Senior Nutritional Feeding, tutoring for all age groups. A very special activity is our, "Summer Enrichment Day Camping Program" for all ages. This program places emphasis on Reading, Math and Spelling.

-Food-

-General Referrals-

-Mentoring-

-After School Tutoring-

-Basic Needs-

-Senior Program-

-Summer Enrichment Program-  

Key - Resources

NON-PROFIT AGENCY

Friendly Center operates in collaboration with the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, The West Ohio Conference, The Toledo District, Local United Methodist Churches, The United Way of Greater Toledo, and a wide diversity of individuals from all walks of life who help support our ministry. When the Women's Home Missionary Society of the then "Methodist Episcopal Church" invented Friendly Center in 1923, they could not have dreamed of the lives it would influence for the better during the following 80 years.

Friendly Center is truly the "nucleus" of the neighborhood along with the caring connection that binds 102 National Mission Institutions to the United Methodist Church. These are places of vital mission where people of faith and compassion demonstrate their commitment to renew hope and restore community among all God's children.

Our hope for the future is in our children. By creating nurturing environments where children and their families can grow, we in turn strengthen the neighborhoods in which we all live. We must stand as role models to our children, and be prepared to meet every need and challenge that enters our doors. As Winston Churchill once said, "there is no finer investment for any community than putting milk in babies."

Community Building