Meet Todd Blake

When Todd Blake left the pulpit after more than two decades of ministry, he wasn’t walking away from his calling, he was finding a new way to fulfill it.

Now serving as the executive director of Park View Community Mission on Memorial Avenue, Blake is still delivering sermons. Only now, they come in the form of action, community programs and meeting people where they are.

“At least the good sermons that I preached over all those years, I just get to see happen now,” he said.

Blake came to Park View in October 2021, after a lengthy career in the church, including 11 years as pastor of Madison Heights Baptist.

“Being a full-time pastor of a local church was quite difficult, becoming more difficult with COVID, with politics,” he said. “I needed a change. I needed something fresh.”

What he found in Park View was not just a job, it was a continuation of his life’s work.

“I didn’t want to do just anything. I wanted to do something meaningful that still wanted to serve my community,” he said.

Since stepping into his role, Blake has led the nonprofit through a time of expansion and evolution. In the post-COVID world, Park View has seen its programs swell to meet the rising need. Its food pantry now serves over 400 families weekly — double what it did just a few years ago.

“We’ve seen as many as 497 families in a single week,” Blake said. “Several years ago, it was 100 to 150 families a week. It was 250 when I started.”

Their efforts go far beyond handing out food. At the heart of Park View’s mission is dignity, offering neighbors the opportunity to choose their own groceries, learn life skills and find lasting change.

“We’ve been able to help almost 180 neighbors get back into the workforce since 2022,” Blake said, referencing Park View’s Life Skills Institute. “Once people have reliable food and stable housing, we can build relationships and encourage them to work on their resumes, practice interview skills and apply for jobs. It’s fun to watch that process happen.”

Blake sees the people who come to Park View not as statistics, but as individuals with stories, struggles and immense potential.

“People trust us with their story,” he said. “When they trust you with the kind of things that have led to food insecurity, homelessness, or unemployment, you really must hold that carefully. These are real people, not hypothetical issues.”

Blake shared several stories that capture the transformational impact of Park View’s work. One woman came to job readiness classes lacking confidence. With encouragement and support, she landed a position at another local nonprofit and now, she not only loves her job but continues attending classes to grow her skills.

Another client went from attending a community meal to finding work in food service and enrolling in college.

“We love seeing that,” Blake said.

One formerly unhoused man volunteered with Park View daily, even before he had stable housing. Now that he has a place of his own, he still returns regularly to give back.

“It’s very personal for him,” Blake said. “He takes a lot of pride in serving his community.”

Blake said a hidden need Park View often meets is relational.

“There’s food poverty, financial poverty, but also a real relationship poverty,” he said. “If I lost my job and my home today, I would not sleep outside tonight. I have a network. Many of our neighbors just don’t.”

Blake points to root causes such as generational poverty, mental health struggles, systemic barriers like redlining and lack of support networks, as part of what Park View is up against. “We become those ‘someone’s’ for our neighbors,” he said.

Park View has big dreams for the future. In late 2023, the Methodist district gifted the organization the building at 2420 Memorial Avenue.

“It means we are planted here, where poverty is concentrated,” Blake said.

The organization is now considering how to expand its space and services, including moving the food pantry out of its cramped basement space and piloting satellite locations to better serve more people. They are also undergoing their first-ever strategic planning process.

“Our consultant identified our two biggest strengths as trust and logistics,” Blake said. “That may sound like an odd combo, but I love it. Our neighbors trust us. The community trusts us to serve well.”

That trust is built, in part, on the tireless work of volunteers, over 1,000 individuals contributing more than 17,000 hours in 2024 alone.

Blake said there are three key ways people can support Park View: volunteering, donating, and sharing networks.

“Come for a tour,” he said. “Invite a friend. Introduce new people to what we do.”

Blake is especially passionate about empowering the voices of those they serve.

“Our first job is to serve our neighbors. Our second is to speak up for them,” he said. “But we’re also challenged to make sure we’re giving them the chance to speak for themselves. Everyone has something to offer.”

That inclusive philosophy has brought together National Honor Society students, court-ordered service workers, special needs volunteers and even youth from the juvenile detention center.

“If you’ll love our neighbors well, you can serve with us,” Blake said. “It’s amazing to see very different people find common ground through service.”

As for what has kept him going, Blake credits his upbringing, his community, and his wife Kim. “This is the priority I inherited from my family. Kim has always seen the best version of me, and nudged me toward that,” he said. “This career change has given me the opportunity to keep learning and to keep serving in new ways.”