From Shelter to Stability: Ron Ranallo on LFH’s Continuum of Care
November 18, 2025
From Shelter to Stability: Ron Ranallo on LFH’s Continuum of Care
For more than a decade, Ron Ranallo has helped shape the mission and impact of Leading Families Home. His involvement began long before the organization was known by its current name. He served on the board of FOCUS and later supported the transition when FOCUS merged with Beach House in 2016. The merger was not simply a structural change. It allowed families experiencing homelessness to access multiple forms of support under one roof.
“I have been part of this organization through five executive directors and a lot of change, but the mission has never shifted,” Ron said. “We are here to end homelessness, or at least significantly reduce it, and we are doing the work every day.”
A Personal Call to Serve
Ron’s path to LFH began during his career at Owens Corning, where he was asked to lead the company’s United Way initiative. He spent years engaging with local nonprofits, learning about community needs, and seeing firsthand how many families in Northwest Ohio were struggling. That experience permanently changed his perspective.
“Once you understand the reality of homelessness in our community, you cannot unsee it,” he said. “It became clear this was something I needed to give my time to.”
He later joined the board of the Aurora Project at the request of a colleague, which eventually led to his involvement with FOCUS and then Leading Families Home. Today, he serves as treasurer and a member of the finance committee.
Why LFH’s Model Works
Ron believes the heart of LFH is its continuum of care. The organization doesn’t only offer shelter. It provides a path to stability, with wraparound services designed to help families rebuild and remain housed.
“We do not just give someone a bed and send them back into the world,” Ron said. “We stabilize families. We subsidize rent. We make sure children can stay in the same schools. Parents receive employment coaching and support. It’s about long-term success, not a temporary solution.”
Much of that work depends on experienced case managers and social workers who guide families through the process. Many have been with LFH for years, offering consistency and compassionate care.
“They are the heart of this organization,” he said. “These are high-stress jobs, and the people who stay do it because they are called to this work. They believe in the mission.”
Breaking the Cycle for Children
If you were to ask Ron about LFH, he would return again and again to one point: the children experiencing homelessness. He would emphasize that when a family loses housing, the instability affects everything from education to emotional development.
“No child chooses homelessness,” he said. “It is traumatic for adults and even more traumatic for children. When you provide stability, counseling, and a chance to stay in school, that is how you break the cycle. You give children a chance.”
To Ron, that is where LFH makes its most meaningful impact. Housing is not the finish line. It is the foundation that allows families to rebuild.
Stories of Transformation
Some of the most powerful moments for Ron come from hearing directly from families who have gone through LFH programs. During fundraising events, former residents often share their stories of navigating crisis, finding stability, and rebuilding their lives.
“These success stories are tragic, but also inspiring,” he said. “No two stories are the same, other than they ended up in a shelter. Hearing how far they have come is incredibly powerful.”
One story stays with him. A former Beach House resident, who spent time in the shelter as a child, is now a business professional serving on the LFH board.
“His story is full-circle,” Ron said. “He is successful, he is giving back, and it all started with the stability his family found here.”
Homelessness is a Serious Community Issue That Requires Community Action
Although LFH has made tremendous strides, Ron believes the scale of homelessness is far larger than most people realize. Hundreds of families in Northwest Ohio are currently unhoused, and that number is significantly underreported.
“I wish more people understood the magnitude,” he said. “It is a gigantic number, and it is growing.”
Ron believes the community can do better by working more collaboratively. Rather than many organizations working separately, he believes there should be more partnerships, shared resources, and streamlined services.
“There needs to be more collaboration and fewer silos,” he said. “It is more efficient for donors and more effective for families.”
Funding is another challenge, especially because nonprofits often receive grants through reimbursement-only models. The organization spends the money first, then waits to get it back. Ron sees unrestricted funding as essential to sustainability.
“Unrestricted funding is critical,” he said. “It allows an organization to make strategic decisions and run its operations without waiting for reimbursement.”
Why Volunteers Matter
While financial support is important, Ron believes volunteering changes the way people see homelessness. It gives community members a firsthand understanding of who is being served and what they are overcoming.
“When you volunteer, even for a short time, it becomes personal,” he said. “You see what is happening behind the curtain, and that is what hooks people. That is what hooked me.”
Ron encourages anyone looking for purpose or connection to get involved. LFH offers opportunities for short-term, long-term, and group volunteering, all of which make a difference.
Looking Ahead
LFH is preparing for major growth as it acquires Family House and expands its capacity. This includes additional housing units, more behavioral health support, and a broader range of services designed to keep families stable long after they leave shelter.
“That is the future,” he said. “Comprehensive services, continuity of care, and collaboration. We are moving in that direction, and it gives me hope.”
After ten years of service, Ron remains committed, both personally and financially, to the mission.
“I am proud of what we have built, and I am proud of the families who have worked so hard to rebuild their lives,” he said. “Ending homelessness is a big goal, and we cannot do it alone. But every family that finds stability is proof the mission matters. And that is what keeps me here.”
Deborah Nugent knows firsthand how important Family House and Leading Families Home are to the homeless in Toledo. While she was battling addiction, Ms. Nugent lived in the Family House shelter on Indiana Avenue, she said. She now works as a residential staff supervisor for Leading Families Home, which acquired the service organization in January. “Giving back is the greatest thing you can do,” she said. “These are our neighbors. ... You don’t want them to slip and fall, you want to help them.” Ms. Nugent was joined by Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and other city leaders Thursday to celebrate Leading Families Home’s acquisition in January of Family House through a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Indiana Avenue shelter. “For many years, our organizations have operated side by side within the same space, working to help families,” said Jennifer Jacobs, executive director of Leading Families Home. “We are excited to say we are now operating together as one big family, united in our mission to serve families experiencing homelessness in our community.” Ms. Jacobs said merging the two shelters will allow Leading Families Home to serve more than 1,000 people a year. The acquisition was supported by $290,000 in funding from the city and a $20,000 Strategic Alliance Partnership Grant from the Greater Toledo Community Foundation. “We save lives by allowing families to live here and regroup so that they can go out and be productive citizens and live the dream [in] the city of Toledo,” said City Councilman Cerssandra McPherson. Leading Families Home began as Beach Family Shelter in 1921 and has served hundreds of families throughout its tenure. Family House started as the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance in 1985. Rosalyn Clemens, director of the department of neighborhoods for the city of Toledo, said she was visited by leaders of Family House in November, who told her, “We think that we can be more impactful if we combine forces.” She said it’s her job to help manage federal resources at a time in a country where those resources are dwindling. “Nonprofits tend to be territorial,” Ms. Clemens said. “They work in their silos and as we deal with this issue of dwindling resources, we have to address how we can become more efficient with the resources that we have. “When they came to me that day and asked for $290,000 for this transition, it was just a no-brainer for me to [go] before council … and ask for this money because it was such a visionary move on their behalf,” she continued. “It was such an impactful thing to combine forces to be able to serve more people.” The mayor shared the same sentiment. “It’s a difficult time in America right now for nonprofits, social service providers, frankly, like Family House,” Mr. Kapszukiewicz said. “It’s good if you’re Elon Musk and you need a tax break. It’s bad for everyone else. We have to have organizations step up to fill in the gap and that is what is happening here.” First Published March 12, 2026, 6:07 p.m.
https://www.wtol.com/video/news/local/leading-families-home-and-family-house-unit-celebrate-collaboration-with-ribbon-cutting/512-a04e21a5-6873-4eb3-9938-02305c319442
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Leading Families Home has been helping people achieve independence and economic stability for more than a century. Now, leaders say they are seeing a sharp increase in requests for emergency help. Leading Families Home has three different campuses around Toledo that can provide shelter for more than 200 people on any given night. But doing that is becoming more and more challenging. “We are an agency that helps families in crisis. We have three different properties that have shelters for emergency family shelters for homelessness and we have two housing programs, we offer behavioral health and substance abuse, so that we can help people full cycle,” Jennifer Jacobs, the executive director, said. But providing that support is becoming more difficult. “We’ve had probably 20 to 30% cuts amongst grants this entire year and so as the need grows, our financial support is decreasing at the same time and so that is leaving a large gap to make up,” Jacobs said. Jacobs loves what she does. In fact, her work goes home with her most nights. “It’s a lot of sleepless nights, it’s constantly on my mind, it’s constantly in my heart, I’m constantly thinking where do we go from here, what are the answers, where are some answers we haven’t thought of before, what else could we be doing?” Jacobs said. 13 Action News visited the Beach House Ashland, one of the organization’s emergency shelters. While the group helps hundreds of families at the three shelters every year, it is not enough. “Our numbers are higher than they have been; we have 146 families on a waitlist just waiting to get into shelter in Toledo,” Jacobs said. What keeps the staff going is the success stories and there are plenty of them. Lurnetta Brackette said her world was recently turned upside down. “I’m trying not to cry, because I’ve been through a lot,” Brackette said. She said her husband was the primary provider. He got sick and had to retire from his job, the two lost their home and are now at the shelter. “There is a better day coming, you just have to do the work, that’s what we did. I am thankful, truly thankful,” Brackette said. “We know that we are making a difference, with the help of the community, we’re definitely making a difference. It’s just sometimes, I just wish I could snap my fingers and help everybody all at the same time and end the problem,” Jacobs said. Brackette and her husband are looking at a new place to call home this week. Leading Families Home also runs Beach House on Erie Street, as well as Family House. There are a lot of ways you can help, you can donate things like canned goods, bedding, money and time. If you need the shelter, call 211. To learn more about Leading Families Home, click here. Source: https://www.13abc.com/2026/01/15/more-local-families-need-shelter/?fbclid=IwY2xjawPWE1dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFqWGhGbktMZ3RocHN1T2FXc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsgMdiahWZCNRyRah7J5ijuTRajGokQO0Ep0dN-sUZsoSXSzG-37ixjudV7Y_aem_yrWN5Ev2ipukk-ya_20J2w
