February 20, 2021

Households served via Drive-Thru

• Tuesday, February 16 closed due to weather
• 19 on Wednesday, February 17
• 24 on Thursday, February 18

Households served via Pop-Up Pantry

• 35 Wednesday, February 17

• Please note the time change for the truck unloading on Monday morning. We are trying it out this week and will evaluate if it works with the volunteers present.

Here are the opportunities to serve at Heart to Heart in February. Thanks for lending a hand! Click the lightbulb to sign up.

Monday, Feb. 22
6:30 am – 7:30 am Giant Eagle Pick Up
11:30 am – 1:30 pm MOFB Truck Unload (10)

Tuesday, Feb. 23
10:30 am -12:30 pm Pantry Volunteer (4)

Wednesday, Feb. 24
3:00 pm -4:30 pm Stocking (2)

Thursday, Feb. 25
10:30 am -12:30 pm Pantry Volunteer (3)

Friday, Feb. 26
10:00 am -11:30 am Stocking (4)

Unfortunately, the link provided online for the Zoom meeting on Tuesday was incorrect. While the Meeting ID in the graphic shared was accurate, the broken link prevented several volunteers from joining us online. We apologize for the error and inconvenience.

For those of you that were not able to participate, please review the Meeting Notes for the topics discussed. If you have any questions or comments, please submit them via email by clicking below.

Please join us in welcoming Yohan Kim to the Heart to Heart team. Yohan will join us part-time as a Volunteer Coordinator beginning March 1. We are grateful to have him and hope everyone gets a chance to meet him soon!

Yohan will spend the first couple of weeks on the job observing operations as they currently run. He will get to know individuals, especially those of you who volunteer with us regularly. He will work to improve volunteer communication.

To begin, Yohan will work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. His schedule is not set in stone, and will change over time as it becomes more evident when his presence is needed.

Over time, Yohan will help us develop standardized procedures for things like volunteer registration and check-in. Together, we will develop a volunteer orientation procedure. We will hold regular volunteer meetings, as we did on February 16.

Yohan is excited to get started and hoping to make some genuine improvements to the volunteer experience. We are glad he has joined our team. Thank you for your patience as he learns the ropes and gets to know everyone. This is a new position for Heart to Heart and it will take some time for things to get settled.

We are asking all volunteers to review our COVID-19 Policy. Please do not come in if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, and please give us as much notice as possible.

You can delete your name from SignUp Genius or email hearttoheart@FCchurch.com to let us know.

• We have discontinued Direct Retail Pickups from GFS and Target.
  • Target times were inconvenient and often the product we received was not usable. These donations have been taken over by Christ N Us Ministries OCC, with whom Heart to Heart has previously worked.
  • GFS donations were in serving sizes too large for our clients to take. They have been redirected to a chef that volunteers to cook meals for those in need.
• A donor has offered a regular monthly donation of a large amount of meat. We are researching how we will receive and store this meat on a regular basis. A refrigerated truck was considered but was determined to be too expensive. We are also looking into whether or not they’d be able to donate fish instead of beef or pork. Several of our clients do not eat pork or beef.
• A small task force has been formed to discuss the future challenges facing Heart to Heart. This task force will raise questions to be addressed by the church’s Strategic Planning group.
  • It is obvious we have outgrown the space inside the Annex to operate Heart to Heart in the future. The task force will investigate future locations and improvements that need to be made to accommodate changes.
  • As we resume outdoor operations in the warmer weather, the task force will evaluate what does and does not work. Processes will be evaluated and revised as necessary.
• The Refugee Task Force has started a Pop-Up Pantry using the existing group’s model. They will provide groceries to the Riverview International Center on the second Friday of every month. This past Friday, they served 20 families.
• Yohan Kim introduced himself as our new part-time Volunteer Coordinator (see “Welcome Yohan”).
• We discussed the new volunteer check-in procedure (see “Note to Volunteers”), and the new PPE provided to us (see below).

• All volunteers should report to the Crane Welcome Center in the main church building upon arriving.
• While there, you will sign in, take your temperature, get your PPE and read any notes for the day.
• Remember to dress appropriately for outdoor work (you will NEED a coat, hat, and gloves).
• Please sign up online. If you are unable to attend your assigned shift, let us know as soon as possible so we can fill the spot with another volunteer. You can email hearttoheart@fcchurch.com, reply to your sign up genius reminder, or leave a message at 614-488-0681 x102.
• Prior to your arrival, review the requirements/description of your volunteer activity online at h2h.fcchurch.com/volunteer-opportunities

We have been provided new PPE by Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Volunteers will have access to these materials when working at Heart to Heart.

We are asking all volunteers to double mask as they are able. If you come to volunteer with a cloth face mask, we will provide a disposable mask to wear underneath it while you are here.

Alternatively, volunteers will have access to plastic face shields. These were received unassembled through the FCEMHS program. Directions for assembly and sterilization are available at volunteer check-in, and online here.

You are eligible to enter the raffle if you have volunteered at Heart to Heart anytime in 2020 or 2021. For more information and a link to enter the raffle, click the button below.

Mid-Ohio Foodbank hosts free, online training sessions for volunteers through Agency 360. In February, they will host two PantryTrak training sessions and one Food Safety class. For more information about these opportunities and to sign up, please visit their website at midohiofoodbank.org/agency-360

PantryTrak is the online software used to log client visits and track our service statistics. Those who volunteer during client service hours may find these sessions useful.

Food Safety 101 is a certification required for all Heart to Heart employees and any volunteer that will be leading a stocking or shopping shift without an employee present.

Through the Community Rewards program, Kroger makes a contribution to Heart to Heart every time you shop. In the quarter beginning Nov 1, 2020 and ending Jan 31, 2021 we earned $1139.51 from the 268 participating households.

Enroll your Kroger customer loyalty card in the program today. Visit https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards and choose Organization #TB926 (First Community Church).

See how much your participation earned for us last quarter!