Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie

SHoWLE Not A Book Club Book Club - April 2026
2026-04-04 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Sylvania Branch Library, 6749 Monroe St., Sylvania, Ohio, 43560, United States
Join our book club. Unlike most book clubs, we don’t name a book all should read to discuss later. Come to the club to share with us a book you are reading now or have read and tell us why we should read it. You can also share any interesting newspaper or magazine articles you’ve read.

We will be in The ‘Making Room’

This event is FREE and open to the public

*Side Note* Monroe Street over US 23 is closed for 150 days.

Westbound to southbound detour: US 23 north to Sterns Road (Michigan Exit 1) to southbound US 23 to Monroe Street (Exit 234).

Eastbound to northbound detour: US 23 south to Dorr Street (Exit 11) to northbound US 23/I‑475 to Monroe Street (Exit 234).

Westbound Alexis Road ramp to northbound US 23 is permanently closed.

Acres Road between Alexis Road and Monroe Street will remain open during construction, except for two weeks for pavement tie-ins in mid-summer.

Acres Road, north of Alexis Road, will close for intersection reconstruction in late April/early May for approx. 30 days.

Of course if you are from the area or live in the area you will know some other ways of crossing US 23 to get to the Sylvania Branch Library.

Your Host:

Can The Non-Religious Homeschool?
2026-04-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Heatherdowns Branch Library, 3265 Glanzman Rd, Toledo, Ohio, 43614, United States
Public school is the best way to educate our children but there can be specific instances where it would be better to homeschool. Secular people get nervous talking about homeschooling because religious people have homeschooled the most. We will go over reasons you may want to homeschool your secular child. We will look at the requirements for the state of Ohio and talk about suggested curriculum. Bring an open mind and your questions to the discussion

We will be in Meeting Room A

This meeting is FREE and open to the public

100 Kits, One Community, Endless Impact: an American Empathy Project
2026-05-02 10:00 - 12:00 | Sanger Library Branch, 3030 Central Ave, Toledo, OH, 43606, United States
We’re excited to announce that we’ll be participating in the American Empathy Project on May 2nd! Led by the American Humanist Association, the American Empathy Project has funded 101 service projects nationwide that will empower community members to combat our country’s crisis of cruelty. One day of action — one unified push to fight for empathy!

Our project: 100 Kits, One Community, Endless Impact

Sanger Branch Library Community Room A3030 Central Ave, Toledo, OH 43606Saturday May 2, 2026 from 10 am to 12 noon

We will be creating at least 100 shelf-stable meal kits to donate to a food pantry in the Greater Toledo Area.

If you like to donate to this project, let us know. You can donate cash so we can make more kits or if you want to donate canned food reach out to us and we will let you know what we need. We will also post it here soon.

This event is open to the public so if you would like to volunteer reach out to us or use the RSVP on our event page

Humanist Happy Time - May 2026
2026-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Fortune Inn Restaurant, 6725 Central Ave., Toledo, Ohio, 43617, United States
Our Humanist Happy Hour has evolved into a quarterly Humanist Happy Time at the Fortune Inn restaurant. Join us at the big table for great Chinese food and merriment. RSVP below just to let us know you plan to attend.

Here is a link to find the restaurant’s menu:

https://fortuneinnrestaurant.com

Preview

SHoWLE at The Old West End Festival
2026-06-06 10:00 - 2026-06-07 17:00 | Old West End Festival, Woodruff and Parkwood Ave, Toledo, Ohio, 43620, United States
SHoWLE will have a booth at the 53rd Old West End Festival. Stop by visit us and say hello. If you would like to help out and staff the booth and promote the group and Humanism just send us a note on our contact form. If you would like to donate to support the booth fee and merch purchases use our donation form.

The festival is June 6th and 7th from 10 AM to 5 PM both days.

SHoWLE 2026 Summer Picnic
2026-06-20 11:00 - 15:00 | Wildwood Metropark Sycamore Shelter, 4830 Central Ave., Toledo, Ohio, 43615, United States
Join us for our annual summer picnic. We will provide hamburgers and hot dogs, condiments and drinks. Just bring a side dish or desert to share with the group if you are able. Feel free to bring your own food to grill yourself if you wish. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the event.

Kids, games, and animals welcome.

We will get together rain or shine. The only bad weather that might cancel this event is severe weather active in the area at the time.

The Sycamore Shelter is at the eastern portion of the park where the Farmhouse and Ward Pavilion are located. The Shelter is close to the exit drive to Corey Rd.

Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

SHoWLE Late Summer Bonfire
2026-08-08 15:00 - 21:00 | Farnesworth Metropark, 8801 S. River Rd., Waterville, Ohio, 43566, United States
Join us for a late summer social event as we have a bonfire at the Farnesworth Metropark. Bring a camp chair or other seat and bring snacks or treats you would like to share.

There is no formal program. This is just a time to relax and enjoy a social activity out in the country.

Farnsworth is south of Waterville on S. River Rd. Enter at the Farnesworth Boat Launch drive and jog to the right. We will be at Group Campsite #1

FREE and open to the public. This event is weather dependent so if it rains we may have to cancel.

An Afternoon with Fish Stark
2026-09-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Yager Center at Swan Creek Metropark, 4349 Airport Hwy, Toledo, Ohio, 43615, United States
Come out Sunday afternoon and meet Fish Stark, the Executive Director of the American Humanist Association. Find out some the plans for the organization and projects they are working on. He will also take questions. We will have refreshments.

Fish Stark

Fish Stark is an organizer, educator, social entrepreneur, and lifelong humanist. Fish has spent his career turning big ideas into bold action in service of belonging, flourishing, and social justice for all people.

Prior to joining the AHA as Executive Director, Fish was the Head of Program + Curriculum at Legends, an educational technology startup, where he led research and implementation teams to create products that helped children build self-confidence, positive mental health, and critical thinking skills.

Previously, Fish served as the Director of Programs at Peace First, a global nonprofit that provides training and funding to youth social justice activists, where he led a global team of organizers who empowered thousands of youth grantees in 140+ countries to make lasting change in their communities, and worked with organizations such as the Red Cross and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation to develop youth leadership programs.

Fish’s other professional experiences include managing progressive political campaigns, leading a mentorship program in the West Virginia coalfields with the American Friends Service Committee, building a nationally recognized peer-to-peer bullying prevention program, and teaching students from pre-school to high school.

A self-proclaimed developmental psychology nerd who is passionate about giving everyone the tools to live lives of meaning, service, and self-determination, Fish holds a Master’s in Education with a concentration in child development and psychology from Harvard University, and a Bachelor’s from Yale University with a certificate in Education Studies. While at Yale, Fish served as a student board member of the Yale Humanist Community and received a Dean’s Prize for his work to build a stronger relationship between Yale and New Haven.

Fish lives in Annapolis, Maryland, where he is President of the Speaker Mike Busch District 30 Democratic Club, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, and serves on several nonprofit boards. He moonlights as an award-winning stand-up comedian and has performed in 13 states.

This event is FREE and open to the public. We will pass a hat for donations to support the group.
