We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ron Toles. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ron below.

Alright, Ron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

Imagine growing up in a community where opportunity feels distant, and resources are scarce. This is the reality for many Black and Brown youth in Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia faces significant educational and health challenges, particularly in low-income communities like North Philadelphia. Limited access to essential resources, compounded by poverty rates exceeding both city and national averages (ranging from 20% to a staggering 45%), fuels these disparities, which are systematically undermining the futures of countless young individuals residing in these communities. Ordinarie Heroes, a Black-led non-profit, is stepping in to bridge this gap and offer a lifeline to young people facing these challenges. Take Jahiem, a bright 17 year old from a low-income neighborhood. Jahiem dreamt of becoming a photographer, but access to creative outlets and career guidance felt out of reach. Through Ordinarie Heroes’ Pathways Program, he discovered a world of possibilities. He learned photography, videography, and graphic design, honing his artistic voice. The program also provides entrepreneurship training which empowered Jahiem to see photography not just as a passion, but a potential career path. Jahiem isn’t alone. Ordinarie Heroes’ Inspire Program provides a safe space and a support system for countless young people like him. Through mentorship, leadership development, and academic support, the program equips youth with the tools they need to not only overcome immediate challenges but also thrive in the long run.
The nonprofit’s impact goes beyond individual success stories. Ordinarie Heroes understands the interconnectedness of a community’s well-being and the success of its young people. Our Mobile Food Pantry delivers fresh produce and groceries directly to families’ doorsteps, ensuring access to nutritious food, a basic necessity often lacking in underserved neighborhoods. The S.O.W. Hope Community Garden nourishes both bodies and minds, providing fresh food for the community while offering a space for hands-on learning and personal growth.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi there! I’m the founder of Ordinarie Heroes, a Black-led nonprofit based here in Philadelphia. We fight for educational equity and health in under-resourced communities, because as the “IE” in our name – “I’m Enough” – says, we believe everyday people can make a real difference.

My own story is what sparked Ordinarie Heroes. Growing up in a single-parent household hit hard by poverty and addiction, I struggled to read until 8th grade. It was only when I found a safe space with supportive people that I began to see my potential. That’s the experience that drives us every day – creating safe spaces with resources for young people facing similar challenges.

Ordinarie Heroes is a testament to the power of ordinary people. We believe in people, and that fuels everything we do. We focus on nurturing creative skills, fostering leadership qualities, and addressing the needs of the whole community. This empowers young people from historically marginalized backgrounds to break the cycle of disadvantage and build a brighter future.

What sets us apart? It’s our deep belief in people power. This allows us to build long-lasting relationships with the youth we serve, diving deeper and making a more meaningful impact. We’re incredibly proud of the quality of programs we offer and the strong bonds we forge with our partners.

But what truly fills me with pride is seeing young people realize they are not defined by their circumstances. They can achieve anything they set their minds to. I’m proud to be part of an organization that’s changing the narrative for Black and brown youth.

Here’s a glimpse into what we do:

Inspire Program: Weekly group sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and college/career guidance empower youth aged 11-18 to develop leadership skills, academic success, and critical thinking.

Pathways Program: This program equips young people (15-21) with creative skills in photography, videography, and graphic design, alongside entrepreneurship training. They even get to showcase their talents through a photography exhibition and a social issues documentary project.

Mobile Food Pantry: Families choose their groceries – fresh produce and shelf-stable items – for a convenient, monthly delivery right to their doorstep. This service is open to everyone in our area, with a special focus on families with children and those facing mobility challenges.

S.O.W. Hope Community Garden: Our garden is more than just veggies – it’s a space for healing and growth, both personally and for the community. We provide fresh produce, nutrition education, and health & wellness activities.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The streets raised me rough. Single-parent home, shadows always lurking at the edges. School felt distant, words on a page blurring into meaningless squiggles. It wasn’t until later, when I found a flicker of light in a sea of grey – my potential wasn’t defined by my circumstances. It’s a seed waiting to be nurtured. Seeing the same struggles reflected in today’s kids hit me hard. It could have been easy to feel defeated, to think those early challenges limited what I could achieve. But instead, it ignited a fire in me. I had to unlearn the idea that my background was a life sentence. It can be easy to fall into that trap, to believe the circumstances you currently have, the mistakes you’ve made, or the things that happened in your past, lock you into a certain story. A lot of people believe that their background, their zip code, or a single misstep defines their potential. But that’s simply not true.

That’s why Ordinarie Heroes has “IE” in our name – it stands for “I’m Enough.” We believe that every person, regardless of their past or their situation, has the power to make a difference. We create a space where young people can rewrite their narratives, turn the page on limitations, and become the authors of their own incredible stories. We offer them the tools, the support, and the belief they need to know, deep down, that they are “enough” – enough to overcome challenges, enough to achieve their dreams, and enough to change the world around them.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The secret sauce to Ordinarie Heroes’ reputation within the communities we serve is the our unwavering commitment to building strong relationships. Building trust with the community we serve has always been the cornerstone of Ordinarie Heroes. We knew showing up wasn’t enough. For the first few years, our main focus was simply getting to know our neighbors. Just because you share a street or a zip code doesn’t mean you automatically understand the challenges folks are facing behind closed doors. So we took the time to build genuine relationships with everyone – single parents, young people, families, seniors – whoever was willing to talk. It’s a core value of ours: Relationship. We build connections intentionally, and that means including our neighbors in the decisions that affect them. I believe this is why we’ve earned the reputation we have. By listening first, we were able to understand the specific needs of our community and build a foundation of trust. Now, we work together to find solutions, side-by-side.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ohmovement.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ordinarieheroes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ordinarieheroes