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TOLEDO, Ohio — For decades, George Marshall was a familiar face on Toledo’s east side — mentoring teenagers, organizing cross county trips and creating a safe place for young people to gather, work and learn life skills. Now, nearly three years after his death, his daughter Leah Hollyday is working to keep his mission alive in the East Toledo Teens United group.
“In my dad’s eyes, if kids stayed busy, they stayed out of trouble,” Hollyday said. “He wanted them to have a safe place to go.”
Marshall, who died in September 2023, spent years involved with organizations across East Toledo, including the East Toledo Family Center, the East Toledo Junior Football League and Waite boosters programs. Hollyday said the youth group he helped build eventually became one of his greatest passions. The group began years ago through the East Toledo Family Center before later moving to Salem United Methodist Church. Over time, the organization evolved from local outings and Cedar Point trips into larger educational and volunteer-based travel experiences. Hollyday said Marshall believed many children in the program might never otherwise have the opportunity to travel outside Toledo.
“He would figure out where they were going and go one way there and a different way back,” she said. “Every chance he got to show them something they may never see again, he was on it.”
The group eventually began alternating between recreational trips and volunteer work trips to areas impacted by natural disasters. Hollyday said one of the most memorable experiences came after Hurricane Katrina, when members traveled south to help communities rebuild.
“They loved the work trips just as much as the fun trips,” Hollyday said.
But the COVID-19 pandemic and Marshall’s declining health brought many of those traditions to a halt. Hollyday said Marshall became seriously ill in 2021 after contracting the flu and was placed on a ventilator in intensive care. Since then, leadership changes and interruptions caused membership numbers to decline. When Hollyday took over the group, she said only about five or six kids remained active. Today, participation has grown to roughly a dozen teenagers, ranging from ages 12 and up.
“We want everybody to feel welcome,” Hollyday said. “The more kids we have, the more people we’re helping.”
The organization currently includes more girls than boys, though Hollyday said new members are slowly showing up weekly. Unlike earlier years, Hollyday now faces the challenge of managing two separate age groups. Teens age 16 and older can help raise money by working events connected to the Huntington Center, Toledo Mud Hens and Toledo Walleye. Meanwhile the younger members can participate mainly through volunteer opportunities and self-created fundraising projects.
“We’re trying to find different places to volunteer and different ways to raise money so the younger kids still feel like they’re part of the group,” she said.
One recent idea from the teens themselves: organizing bake sales.
“This is their group,” Hollyday said. “I’m just the adult supervision.”
Hollyday said the organization’s focus extends beyond keeping kids occupied during summer break. She hopes the teens develop workplace skills, accountability and conflict resolution.
“In the real world, you’re going to have to work with people you don’t like,” she told members. “We’re going to learn how to work through things together while you’re still young.”
As summer approaches, Hollyday said the group urgently needs more adult volunteers willing to help supervise activities and outings.
“My dad was able to do this full-time,” she said. “I work full-time. So, we need more adult help if we want to keep these kids busy.”
Meetings for East Toledo Teens United are held Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at Salem United Methodist Church near Nevada and Federal streets. Parents or teens interested in joining can attend a meeting or contact Hollyday directly by phone or text at 419-708-7579 while the organization works to launch a website. Hollyday said she hopes the next generation — including her son Damien — will eventually continue carrying Marshall’s vision forward.
“I didn’t want my dad’s legacy to go down like that,” she said. “I want to follow my father’s legacy and try to help as many kids as we can.”