September 2021

Holiday Help 2021

By Amy CaskieAnnouncements

Once again, this year, our much-loved Christmas Presence program has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we have come up with an alternative to enable us to assist client families in need this holiday season.

Groups, families, and individuals are welcome to sponsor a family or families that request holiday assistance this year financially through the purchase of gifts for them. Sponsors will be asked to contact their sponsored family directly to get ideas for Christmas gifts and make arrangements for delivery or pick-up. There will be no suggested expenditures for each family, as we would like sponsors to help in the way they best see fit.

Clients who are in need of assistance this holiday season will be asked to notify Heart to Heart by phone or email to hearttoheart@fcchurch.com. Staff will get contact information and family make-up from the clients and pass the information along to our dedicated volunteer and social worker extraordinaire, Kitty Rohrer. Kitty will then match inquiring families with those looking to sponsor them.

We will accept sponsors until December 15 or until all families are matched! We will continue to accept client families through December 5. After that date, all inquiries, both clients and sponsors, will be referred to other programs by our team of resource volunteers. This small group answers emails and voicemails received through Heart to Heart’s resource line at 614-488-0681 x241. The group is made up of social workers and community advocates familiar with programs available to our clients.

We are eager to help our clients in need, but also cautious about large gatherings as the pandemic continues. We encourage both sponsor and sponsored families to follow appropriate social-distancing guidelines and wear masks, especially if unvaccinated. Hopefully, this effort will prove to be a sufficient alternative to Christmas Presence. We hope to continue the tradition of partnering with the Trading Post again next year!

If you have any questions about the program, please contact us at HearttoHeart@fcchurch.com.

For information about our holiday hours and closings, click here.

September 30, 2021

Love0

September 25, 2021

By Amy CaskieWeekly Update

Weekly Update

Service Statistics

Households served via Drive-Thru

50 on Tuesday, September 21
40 on Thursday, September 23

Households served via Pop-Up

35 on Wednesday, September 22
30 on Friday, September 24

Wednesday Evenings

Remember, we will no longer be serving clients on Wednesday evenings.

Volunteer

Volunteers are needed next week for the following shifts:

Tuesday, September 28
8:30am – 10:30am Drive-Thru (2)
10:00am – 12:30pm Drive-Thru (4)

Thursday, September 30
8:30am – 10:30am Drive-Thru (2)
10:00am – 12:30pm Drive-Thru (4)

Friday, October 1
9:00am – 10:00am Giant Eagle Pickup (1)
10:00am – 11:00am Cold Stocking Shift (3)

Click the lightbulb to sign up!

News

Donor Pledges $20,000 in Matching Donations from October 1-December 31

It takes multiple moving parts to run our incredible Heart to Heart program -from volunteers, donations of food, toiletries, and paper goods by multiple community organizations, and, of course, money. Every donation received from October 1 through December 31will be matched up to $20,000.

The donors’ strong belief in the scope, direction, and relevance of this ministry is more than reaffirmed by its volunteer coordinator, Yohan Kim- have you met him?. “He is the glue that keeps all of the moving parts running smoothly”, said John McCandless, a most devoted volunteer. And so many parts: from all the generous gifts from our community to all the components within the pantry. There are 180 volunteers who divide and conquer the massive operation which ultimately brings food to our neighbors: picking up contributions, unloading trucks, restocking our pantry shelves, shoppers, produce handlers, and our check-in volunteers. Yohan said, “Sometimes I step back and look at all of our various volunteers, playing their own unique roles. It’s like watching a symphony with all of its different instruments, performing and blending to make the drive-through experience seamless and joy-filled for our neighbors!” Paul Dusseau, a long-time volunteer, talked enthusiastically about Yohan’s superior organizational skills and ability to create camaraderie and a family atmosphere. Paul said… “ he is a beautiful communicator; he is reliable, consistent, affirming and patient.”

As the outreach of Heart to Heart grows to meet the needs of our community, so also does the need for financial support. Remember your gift will be doubled through December 31. This ever-expanding program also needs more volunteers. Would you consider helping out? Abby Black, a sophomore at Upper Arlington High School, is one of our most beloved, devoted, and hard-working participants. She said, “ Yohan connects with and deeply appreciates the volunteers; he makes it fun to be a Heart to Heart volunteer!”

Donate online here: h2h.fcchurch.com/donate

Sign up to volunteer here. h2h.fcchurch.com/volunteer-opportunities

Volunteer Training Opportunities

Pantry Trak/Fresh Trak

This workshop will provide the fundamentals to get started with Pantry Trak at your agency. Participants with learn how to administer the intake process using Pantry Trak and will be guided on best practices for developing an efficient process in registering your clients. For agencies already using Pantry Trak, this workshop will be helpful as a refresher of the basics.

Training will be held virtually via ZOOM. Once you have registered you will be sent the link for the Zoom approximately 48 hours prior to the training session. Please make sure you register with your name, email address and phone number as well as your Agency Name and ID Number. (Heart to Heart Agency 1042).

Click below to register:

Food Safety

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Identify food safety risks
Take appropriate action when someone has symptoms of foodborne illness or is diagnosed with a reportable disease
Follow good personal hygiene and hand care practices
Identify cross-contamination risks and methods for prevention
Implement effective cleaning and sanitizing procedures
Identify appropriate pest prevention measures and signs of pest infestations
Maintain facilities and equipment in compliance with regulations

Training will be held via ZOOM MEETING. Once you have registered you will be sent the link for the Zoom approximately 48 hours prior to the training session. Please make sure you register with your name, email address and phone number as well as your Agency Name and ID Number. (Heart to Heart Agency 1042)

Click below to register:

November 9th 10am to 12:00pm

And what does the Lord
require of you
But to do justice,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly
with your God?
Micah 6:8 NKJ

Our mission at Heart to Heart is to respond to God’s commandment to love one another.
Our vision of Heart to Heart is to model God’s love by:
Cultivating a loving community
Honoring individual gifts
Feeding bodies and souls
…and seeing everyone as a child of God

In accordance with Federal law and U.S.D.A. policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or disability.

September 22, 2021

Love12

September 11, 2021

By Amy CaskieWeekly Update