Events

Ode to the ZIP Code is BACK!!

Submissions are open until Feb. 26, 2026 

Your ZIP Code matters. It’s not just an address, it’s an identity.

The Fair Housing Center, The Arts Commission, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo City Paper, and Toledo Area Parent are partnering to host Ode to the ZIP Code. This free poetry competition invites Toledo area residents to submit short poems inspired by their ZIP Code, where the number of words in each line of the poem is determined by the corresponding digit in their ZIP Code. All ages and neighborhoods are welcome.

Entries will be accepted online here: Submit Entries

Winners selected from youth (11 and under), young adult (12-17), and adult (18 and older) categories will be awarded cash prizes. Top poems will also be published in Toledo City Paper . All entries will be juried, and finalists will be featured in a special event in April.

Last year’s winning Adult poem, by Justin Longacre:
4 The sidewalk on Grantwood
3 gently curves around
6 the trunk of an old tree
1 I
3 too must bend

May 2, 2024

The Fair Housing Center is excited to announce our Homes and Dreams fundraiser. We invite you to join us at Registry Bistro on May 2, 2024, for an evening of fine dining and fun with entertainment provided by local artist Mike Williams on Sax. Each ticket purchase will provide you with a strolling dinner and access to a cash bar.

April 20, 2024 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Large Glass Community Room
325 Michigan St, Toledo, OH, 43604

Your ZIP Code matters. It’s not just an address, it’s an identity.

For the ninth year, The Fair Housing Center, The Arts Commission, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo City Paper, and Toledo Area Parent are partnering to host Ode to the ZIP Code. This free poetry competition invites Toledo area residents to submit short poems inspired by their ZIP Code, where the number of words in each line of the poem is determined by the corresponding digit in their ZIP Code. All ages and neighborhoods are welcome.

Winners selected from youth (11 and under), young adult (12-17), and adult (18 and older) categories will be awarded cash prizes up to $500. Finalists will also get to read their poems at our live event on April 20, 2024. Top poems will also be published in Toledo City Paper and Toledo Area Parent.

Last year’s winning adult poem, by Aubrey Brant:
4 We’re of a community
3 How close we
5 stand, watching the flames gut
2 Tammy’s house
8 spitting smoke that chars orange in the sunset

April is both National Poetry Month and Fair Housing Month. The Ode to the ZIP Code event is a creative way to engage the community in talking about how our life experiences are shaped by where we live. Inspiration for the contest came from the O, Miami Poetry Festival, and WLRN-Miami Herald News, the originators of the “zip ode” concept.

February 1 – 21, 2022

Update: Deadline Extended through February 21

Your ZIP Code matters. It’s not just an address, it’s an identity.

For the seventh year in a row, The Fair Housing Center, The Arts Commission, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo City Paper, and Toledo Area Parent are partnering to host Ode to the ZIP Code. This free poetry competition invites Toledo area residents to submit short poems inspired by their ZIP Code, where the number of words in each line of the poem is determined by the corresponding digit in their ZIP Code. All ages and neighborhoods are welcome.

Entries will be accepted online through February 21, 2022 at https://toledocitypaper.com/lit/ode2022/. Contact your Library for help completing the online form.

Winners selected from youth (11 and under), young adult (12-17), and adult (18 and older) categories will be awarded cash prizes. Top poems will also be published in Toledo City Paper and Toledo Area Parent. All entries will be juried, and finalists will be featured in a special virtual event in April.

Last year’s winning youth poem, by Zeke Freeman:
4 Our neighbor dog Bob
3 The birds chirping
6 The trees are good for climbing
0 (Westmoreland)
7 Mott Branch Library is my happy place

April is both National Poetry Month and Fair Housing Month. The Ode to the ZIP Code event is a creative way to engage the community in talking about how our life experiences are shaped by where we live. Inspiration for the contest came from the O, Miami Poetry Festival and WLRN-Miami Herald News, the originators of the “zip ode” concept.

April 7, 2024 from 12:30 – 4:00 PM

Miracle Lanes of Toledo
5030 Jackman Road
Toledo, OH, 43613

Join SBA Pro Bono for a night of strikes, spares, and fundraising at the second annual Strike Out Discrimination bowling fundraiser in benefit of The Fair Housing Center.

Whether you are a seasoned bowler or a total newbie, we’ve got something for everyone. This event is for anyone looking to have a good time while supporting the mission of The Fair Housing Center.

So, grab your friends and family, lace up those bowling shoes, and get ready to have a blast while supporting a great cause.

August 26, 2023 – September 30, 2023

Lace-up your running shoes and join us for our Inaugural Run Discrimination Out of Town virtual walkathon/runathon! We invite you to join us in creating inclusive communities that enhance opportunities for all. You can register as an individual or gather some friends and family and register as a team and set your own mileage goals!

The Fair Housing Center Will hold three in-person events at Metroparks Toledo to get participants together and encourage them to work on their goals. The events are intended to be accessible and open to all. The events will take place on the following days:

• August 26, 2023, from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. at Wildwood Metropark will be the kick-off event to start the Run Discrimination Out of Town walkathon/runathon.
• September 9, 2023, from 1:00 – 4:00 P.M. at Oak Openings Metropark will be the middle event to encourage participants to keep pushing towards their goal.
• September 30, 2023, from 1:00 – 4:00 P.M. at Pearson Metropark will be the closing event to conclude the Run Discrimination Out of Town walkathon/runathon.

April 16, 2023 from 12:00 – 4:00 PM

Miracle Lanes of Toledo
5030 Jackman Road
Toledo, OH, 43613

Join SBA Pro Bono for a night of strikes, spares, and fundraising at the second annual Strike Out Discrimination bowling fundraiser in benefit of The Fair Housing Center.

Whether you are a seasoned bowler or a total newbie, we’ve got something for everyone. This event is for anyone looking to have a good time while supporting the mission of The Fair Housing Center. At this event you will enjoy a fun and friendly atmosphere. You will also be able to bid on auction items and win prizes.

So, grab your friends and family, lace up those bowling shoes, and get ready to have a blast while supporting a great cause.

April 19, 2023 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Large Glass Community Room
325 Michigan St, Toledo, OH, 43604
Deadline to submit your entry is March 6, 2023

Your ZIP Code matters. It’s not just an address, it’s an identity.

For the eighth year in a row, The Fair Housing Center, The Arts Commission, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo City Paper, and Toledo Area Parent are partnering to host Ode to the ZIP Code. This free poetry competition invites Toledo area residents to submit short poems inspired by their ZIP Code, where the number of words in each line of the poem is determined by the corresponding digit in their ZIP Code. All ages and neighborhoods are welcome.

Entries will be accepted online through March 6, 2023, at: www.toledocitypaper.com/lit/ode2023. Contact your Library for help completing the online form.

Winners selected from youth (11 and under), young adult (12-17), and adult (18 and older) categories will be awarded cash prizes up to $500. Finalists will also get to read their poems at our live event on April 19, 2023. Top poems will also be published in Toledo City Paper and Toledo Area Parent.

Last year’s winning youth poem, by Aminah Algendy:
4 Ottawa Hills Elementary School
3 Schools rarely close
6 But when it actually does close
0
6 We have fun at sledding hill

April is both National Poetry Month and Fair Housing Month. The Ode to the ZIP Code event is a creative way to engage the community in talking about how our life experiences are shaped by where we live. Inspiration for the contest came from the O, Miami Poetry Festival, and WLRN-Miami Herald News, the originators of the “zip ode” concept.

August 18, 2022 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM

The Pinnacle
1772 Indian Wood Circle
Maumee, OH

Put on your RED SHOES and join us for a WICKED good time.

Time to put on your red shoes and join the happiest of happy hours! Your red shoes represent the journey we make to find that place we call home! Please join us in creating inclusive communities that enhance opportunities for all.

There’s No Place Like Home is the signature fundraiser for The Fair Housing Center. The theme of this event is loosely based on The Wizard of Oz. It is about the journey we make when looking for a place to call home.

The Fair Housing Center is a leading visible force in preventing, correcting, and eliminating discriminatory housing practices. The Center works as a trusted community resource, engaging in education and outreach, advocacy for anti-discriminatory housing policies, mediation, research and investigation, and enforcement actions.

Tickets Can Be Purchased At The Door

PRESENTED BY KEY REALTY