“Volunteering at Heart to Heart has been an amazing experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity to give back to my community. I have met many incredible people through Heart to Heart that never fail to brighten my day. Putting a smile on the faces of those who we serve is something I will cherish forever.”
Households served via Drive-Thru
Households served via Pop-Up Pantry
Click the button below to view open shifts and sign up to volunteer online!
Monday, July 31
Tuesday, August 1
Wednesday, August 2
Thursday, August 3
Friday, August 4
We agree to foster a welcoming culture of kindness and respect that upholds the worth and dignity of every person, striving to listen with empathy, and use teamwork to carry out the mission and vision of Heart to Heart.
The safety of the children we serve is our top priority, so anyone who volunteers with children or is a staff member (whether you work with children or not) at First Community is required to attend our Darkness to Light sexual abuse prevention training. Re-certification for staff or volunteers who work with children is required every three years.
We are asking Heart to Heart volunteers to take this training, as we work in and around the building when Preschool is in session. The training is now offered at no cost to our volunteers. Please consider enrolling to learn how to better protect our children.
The Mid-Ohio Food Collective offers regular training opportunities for food pantry staff and volunteers. For volunteers, the most useful trainings are FreshTrak and Food Safety. These trainings, specifically, will help you learn more about pantry operations and make you an even more effective volunteer! They also occasionally offer training on advocacy, and other topics that may be of interest to you.
For most trainings, volunteers will need to register with an agency name and number: Heart to Heart Agency #1042
This online via zoom workshop will provide the fundamentals to get started with FreshTrak at your agency. Participants with learn how to administer the intake process using FreshTrak and will be guided on best practices for developing an efficient process in registering your clients. For agencies already using FreshTrak, this workshop will be helpful as a refresher of the basics.
We are excited to announce that MOFC/Agency Services is launching a brand new Person in Charge (Level 1) Food Safety Training developed by Feeding America and ServSafe.
This training is targeted to those who partner with foodbanks and is much more relevant to the work you are doing in your communities.
The new FA Food Safety will be offered, online, at no-cost to your agency AND even more exciting is the fact that once taken and successfully passed, the certification never expires for the person who takes the training!
The following dates and times will be available to choose from:
Households served via Drive-Thru
Households served via Pop-Up Pantry
Click the button below to view open shifts and sign up to volunteer online!
Monday, July 24
Tuesday, July 25
Wednesday, July 26
Thursday, July 27
Friday, July 28
Heart to Heart is in need of some specific donations before the next order arrives on July 31.
We are looking for:
Information about donating can be found online at h2h.FCchurch.com/donate.
Share and Learn Gardens at the north campus of First Community Church provides thousands of pounds of fresh produce to Heart to Heart every growing season. The group is seeking volunteers to help tend their gardens on the grounds of Mary Evans Childcare Center. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the volunteer leader Cheryl Van Deusen. The group usually meets on Tuesday mornings, but other opportunities may be available.
We agree to foster a welcoming culture of kindness and respect that upholds the worth and dignity of every person, striving to listen with empathy, and use teamwork to carry out the mission and vision of Heart to Heart.
We were sad to hear about the devastation caused by the fire at Hilliard Food Pantry on July 9. First Community holds in prayer the staff, volunteers, and clients affected by this tragedy. We are grateful no one was injured, thanks to the response from several local fire departments.
On Thursday, July 20, the Hilliard Food Pantry reopened at their temporary location in Guide church. More information about the pantry and new location is available on their website. Donations to the recovery at Hilliard Food Pantry should be made directly to their organization on that website.
There is no way to know how this will impact our food pantry as their clients seek alternative food assistance. We want to make sure the clients of Hilliard Food Pantry know that Heart to Heart’s food pantry drive-thru is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to noon. We have no zip code restrictions, and you may visit us once every 30 days. Please visit our website for more information.
The most supportive thing we can do at Heart to Heart is to be prepared to provide excellent service and support to their displaced clients. We are making a concerted effort to ensure our shelves and volunteer shifts are full in the coming weeks. More information about our food pantry, including how to donate or volunteer, is available at h2h.FCchurch.com
When we slightly rearranged the check-in area inside Brownlee Hall a few weeks ago, we placed a suggestion box inside on the shelves next to the desk. We wanted to make you aware that is is there and available for volunteer use. While we always prefer that volunteers approach Yohan or Amy directly with suggestions or concerns, we understand that is sometimes uncomfortable and one may with to remain anonymous. Yohan will check the box regularly to collect suggestions as they are made.
We are excited to announce that MOFC/Agency Services is launching a brand new Person in Charge (Level 1) Food Safety Training developed by Feeding America and ServSafe.
This training is targeted to those who partner with foodbanks and is much more relevant to the work you are doing in your communities.
The new FA Food Safety will be offered, online, at no-cost to your agency AND even more exciting is the fact that once taken and successfully passed, the certification never expires for the person who takes the training!
Starting July 10th, and thought the month we will offer the new training six separate times. Giving you the opportunity to take this new training when it is most convenient for you. In August and September training will be offered twice. October through December training will be offered once each month. You will have many, many options to choose from.
If you have a current Person in Charge (Level 1) training, we are strongly encouraging you to get on board with this new training as soon as possible. This way you are trained in food safety that is Feeding America certified AND you will never have to worry about keeping up with your expiration timeline, because you won’t have one!
Only one person per agency is required to take the training and be certified. However if you have others at your agency want to take the training we suggest you host a “Watch Party” on your selected training date. Please make sure each person is registered individually and has a valid email address. This is extremely important since the Food Safety Test will be emailed directly to each attendee at the conclusion of the training. For most of the classes, you’ll need to sign up using our name and agency number: Heart to Heart, Agency #1042.
Registration for the new Food Safety Training is open You will be able to access the registration link for the Agency360 Calendar. Just look for the NEW FOOD SAFETY title with the July 10th calendar date. The following dates and times will be available to choose from:
The safety of the children we serve is our top priority, so anyone who volunteers with children or is a staff member (whether you work with children or not) at First Community is required to attend our Darkness to Light sexual abuse prevention training. Re-certification for staff or volunteers who work with children is required every three years.
We are asking Heart to Heart volunteers to take this training, as we work in and around the building when Preschool is in session. The training is now offered at no cost to our volunteers. Please consider enrolling to learn how to better protect our children.
The Tri-Village Lions Club will hold a Pancake Breakfast:
You can also donate tickets so Heart to Heart food pantry clients can enjoy an old-fashioned pancake breakfast, and the Tri-Village Lions will match your donation! For just $20, 6-8 adults/children will eat.
To pledge $20 and get information on payment, contact Jane Jarrow at lionjjarrow@gmail.com or 614-571-5681.
Please note that donations for this activity cannot be accepted at Heart to Heart food pantry. You must use the contact information above to make a donation!
(in pounds)
Households served via Drive-Thru
Households served via Pop-Up Pantry
Click the button below to view open shifts and sign up to volunteer online!
Monday, July 10
Wednesday, July 12
Thursday, July 13
Friday, July 14
In June, the Pop Up Pantry, delivered to the following sites:
Pop Up 2023 Monthly totals:
YTD: Individuals/families served: 1,091*
*estimated numbers will be available in August.
More information can be found at h2h.FCchurch.com/PUP
The following is an excerpt from an email received from Mid-Ohio Food Collective on July 5, which explains the funding allocations for food programs:
“Mid-Ohio Food Collective is grateful the Legislature has prioritized the food needs of Ohioans in the final state budget proposal. The additional funding for Ohio’s foodbanks will go a long way toward ensuring every Ohioan is able to put food on their tables. We look forward to continued partnership with the Ohio House, Ohio Senate and Governor DeWine to reach our vision of hunger-free, healthier communities.”
Last Friday, the Ohio legislature reached a deal for the two-year state operating budget. This was a very difficult budget environment; many parts of the health and human service sectors saw their funding cut. But we have some amazing news to share with you all:
Funding for core food programs that support Ohio’s foodbanks will be $32.05 million per year- an increase of $7.5 million each year. These increased funds will help respond to the record demand for services across our service network and across Ohio. In other good news, the most concerning provisions about SNAP were removed and an expansion of free school meals was restored (for kids eligible for reduced-price meals, meaning about 80,000 more kids will get free breakfast and lunch).
Together, we made a difference! This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication from you our Partner Agency Network. You played an integral role in responding to our Call To Action, Thank You!
We are excited to announce that MOFC/Agency Services is launching a brand new Person in Charge (Level 1) Food Safety Training developed by Feeding America and ServSafe.
This training is targeted to those who partner with foodbanks and is much more relevant to the work you are doing in your communities.
The new FA Food Safety will be offered, online, at no-cost to your agency AND even more exciting is the fact that once taken and successfully passed, the certification never expires for the person who takes the training!
Starting July 10th, and thought the month we will offer the new training six separate times. Giving you the opportunity to take this new training when it is most convenient for you. In August and September training will be offered twice. October through December training will be offered once each month. You will have many, many options to choose from.
If you have a current Person in Charge (Level 1) training, we are strongly encouraging you to get on board with this new training as soon as possible. This way you are trained in food safety that is Feeding America certified AND you will never have to worry about keeping up with your expiration timeline, because you won’t have one!
Only one person per agency is required to take the training and be certified. However if you have others at your agency want to take the training we suggest you host a “Watch Party” on your selected training date. Please make sure each person is registered individually and has a valid email address. This is extremely important since the Food Safety Test will be emailed directly to each attendee at the conclusion of the training.
Registration for the new Food Safety Training is open You will be able to access the registration link for the Agency360 Calendar. Just look for the NEW FOOD SAFETY title with the July 10th calendar date. The following dates and times will be available to choose from:
For most of the classes, you’ll need to sign up using our name and agency number: Heart to Heart, Agency #1042.
Our next order from Mid-Ohio Foodbank will arrive on July 17. In the meantime, we are looking for donations to help keep our shelves full.
The safety of the children we serve is our top priority, so anyone who volunteers with children or is a staff member (whether you work with children or not) at First Community is required to attend our Darkness to Light sexual abuse prevention training. Re-certification for staff or volunteers who work with children is required every three years.
We are asking Heart to Heart volunteers to take this training, as we work in and around the building when Preschool is in session. The training is now offered at no cost to our volunteers. Please consider enrolling to learn how to better protect our children.
We agree to foster a welcoming culture of kindness and respect that upholds the worth and dignity of every person, striving to listen with empathy, and use teamwork to carry out the mission and vision of Heart to Heart.
The Tri-Village Lions Club will hold a Pancake Breakfast:
You can also donate tickets so Heart to Heart food pantry clients can enjoy an old-fashioned pancake breakfast, and the Tri-Village Lions will match your donation! For just $20, 6-8 adults/children will eat.
To pledge $20 and get information on payment, contact Jane Jarrow at lionjjarrow@gmail.com or 614-571-5681.
Please note that donations for this activity cannot be accepted at Heart to Heart food pantry. You must use the contact information above to make a donation!
Our July drive is for skin care products. Consider making a donation of lotion, body wash, soap, or sunscreen. These are items frequently requested from our clients. If you are attending services at North, please look for the donation station sign in the parking lot and drop off your donations before you come inside! If you’re attending services at South, please look for the donation cart at Crane welcome center, where you can drop off your donation with our volunteer.
These themed drives every month are merely a suggestion of items to donate to Heart to Heart. We will gladly accept other donations on Sunday, July 16. We would also accept skin care products in any month. The suggestion list may be useful if you are working with a small group (guild, classroom, Girl Scout Troop, book club). It will help you focus your efforts to just a few items, and you can search for sales and good deals together!
Click the button below for the monthly idea list.
In June, the Pop Up Pantry, delivered to the following sites:
June 7: Commons at Livingston – 31
June 12: South Park Apts w/Franklinton Farms – 25
June 14: Hope Resource Center – 38
June 21: Southpoint – 39*
June 22: Riverview International Center – 30
June 28: Grant – 27*
Pop Up 2023 Monthly totals:
January: 153
February: 161
March: 190
April: 171
May: 226
June: 190*
YTD: Individuals/families served: 1,091*
*estimated numbers will be available in August.
The Pop Up team has been blessed with new volunteers. We welcomed Mildred, close friend and neighbor to Melody, and Sheryl, sister-in-Law to Rose. Sheryl came all the way from Canada! They both enjoyed seeing the Pop Up Pantry at work and were amazed at all the Pantry does for the community!
The Pop Up team delivered 79 Birthday Cake boxes to Southpoint. All the boxes were decorated by the children from Wickliffe Progressive Elementary school. The families at Southpoint were excited to receive them and happy to celebrate with their children on each of their birthdays! See photos below.
Our team will be working with Heart to Heart again on our annual backpack mission. We will again be delivering to the children at Riverview International Center in August. Details can be found in the Heart to Heart Blog.
Our team is continually blessed and grateful for everyone who contributes to Heart to Heart and the Pop Up Pantry with their continued donations and service.
We started volunteering at Heart to Heart approximately a year ago. We’ve always been passionate about helping people with food insecurity, but it was difficult to find somewhere where our entire family could volunteer.
Heart to Heart’s Shop & Stock program was the perfect match for our family. Our two children, Alyssa and Riley, loved being able to “grocery shop” on their own, and we enjoyed working with a mixture of new people and core volunteers. We also enjoyed the flexibility of picking our volunteer shifts so it didn’t impact other family obligations.
In a few weeks, we’re moving to Florida, so unfortunately, we won’t be able to continue volunteering at Heart to Heart, but we encourage anyone who wants to help those in need to volunteer at Stock & Shop!
