Weekly Update
Statistics
Client Visits
- 49 in Drive-Thru on Tue, Mar 04
- 40 at Pop-Up Pantry on Wed, Mar 05
- 68 in Drive-Thru on Thu, Thu Mar 06
- 24 New Families this week
- 1,446 YTD Visits
Monday’s MOFB Order
On Monday, we will receive over 6,000 pounds in our order from Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Click the image below to see what we can expect. We still need a few volunteers to help unload!
Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers next week. Click the button below to sign up.
Monday, March 10
9:00 am – 10:00 am Direct Retail Pickup (1)
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (2)
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm MOFB Shop-Thru (2)
3:30pm – 5:00pm MOFB Order Unloading (7)
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Shop & Stock (1)
Tuesday, March 11
8:00 am – 9:00 am MOFB Shop-Thru (2)
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive Thru Opening Shift (3)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive Thru Closing Shift (7)
Wednesday, March 12
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm MOFB Shop-Thru (2)
Thursday, March 13
8:00 am – 9:00 am MOFB Shop-Thru (2)
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive Thru Opening Shift (3)
Friday, March 14
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (1)
News & Events
Generosity Match-a-thon
Donations made to Heart to Heart through March 31 will be doubled up to $20,000 thanks to the generosity of Duke Thomas. He offers this matching grant in loving memory of his wife, Jill, who was the first official director of Heart to Heart. This is the eleventh year we have received this gift from the Thomas Family, which has enabled our food pantry to serve an ever-growing number of clients.
Each week throughout this fundraising campaign, we experience the impact of Heart to Heart from a different perspective. Click links below to watch previous videos:
- Week 1 Co-founder & Donor: Cathy Klamar
- Week 2 Client: Stacia Billings
In this week’s video (above), volunteer Carolyn Barger reflects on the positive impact working at Heart to Heart has made on her life. She also shares hopes for those interested in supporting Heart to Heart food pantry.
We are grateful for the generosity of the donors who contributed so far. As of Wednesday, we have raised $15,424 toward our $20,000 goal! If you would like to make a contribution toward this campaign, click the button to donate online or make checks payable to First Community Church with “Heart to Heart” in the memo field. You can mail or drop off checks at First Community South, 1320 Cambridge Blvd. Columbus, OH 43212
Watch additional Campaign Videos:
March 16 Hygiene Drive
Heart to Heart food pantry will hold a once-a-month donation collection during Sunday worship services to promote material contributions for those attending First Community for worship. 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.
Please bring your donations of personal care items with you to worship on Sunday, March 16. The food pantry welcomes donations including toiletries, feminine hygiene, dental care products, etc. As we are able, we provide these items to clients both in the Drive-thru and Pop-Up Pantry, in addition to groceries. These items are necessary and often come with significant expense, but not covered by SNAP benefits. Your contribution allows us to provide an additional means of support to our Central Ohio neighbors, who are already struggling to make ends meet.
April 12 Shred Day
Heart to Heart food pantry will once again participate in the UAHS PTO Shred Day and donation collection. Hyre Personal Wealth Advisors and Herb Gillen Agency sponsor rental of a Shred-It truck for this event annually. The public are welcome to come with a box of documents to be shred for a suggested donation of $5/box. Originally conceived as a sort of Spring Cleaning event, Heart to Heart has been on site each year since its inception, collecting non-perishable food. This year, First Community has expanded their presence, collecting items for four ministries! Click the flyer below for more information.
News
News from Mid-Ohio Food Collective!
Friday, March 21 – Tuesday, April 1
On April 4, Mid-Ohio Foodbank is launching new software for use by partner agencies, including Heart to Heart! While this change will lead to improved and more efficient service in the future, we will likely experience some hiccups during the transition coming soon.
For one week, both systems will be down while their warehouse conducts inventory and does the work required to make the switch internally. All agencies, including Heart to Heart, will be unable to access their inventory, start any new orders, or make changes to existing orders during the shut down. Also, we received this notice that Shop-Thru is unavailable beginning Monday March 24 and reopens Tuesday, April 1*
What to anticipate:
- MOFB has already started to limit the acquisition of new items in their warehouse. We may run out of things more quickly in the next few weeks, since we are unable to order replacements. You will notice this next week if you haven’t already.
- Our next few orders may be a bit unusual! We plan to order significantly more for the order on March 24 that will be used during this time period. However, we must still be mindful of our budget, volunteer workforce, and storage space.
- For six full days, we will be unable to pick up produce and fresh dairy items, among other items typically available in the drive-thru. While we will try to stock up on things like produce, we cannot store perishable items indefinitely, so we will just have less. When Shop-Thru reopens, demand will be extreme!
- If you are willing or planning to donate produce or fresh dairy items, please make arrangements with Yohan prior to delivery to ensure adequate preparation.
- Every one of MOFC’s partner agencies will be experiencing the same challenges. We aren’t being treated unfairly or missing opportunities. Our clients will probably face the same issues at different food pantries, while pantries with alternative resources (buying/obtaining food elsewhere) may be inundated.
- Our volunteer order coordinators (Mike and Mark) and the Heart to Heart staff (Yohan, Amy and Amanda) will take trainings on the new software over the next few weeks.
Most of us are lucky to be accustomed to plenty, and at Heart to Heart we usually have a sufficient quantity and/or variety of both shelf-stable and fresh items for our clients. But you can expect shortages for the next several weeks as MOFC transitions to new software. We have faith that the staff and volunteers will remain flexible an patient as we adapt. The good news is- everything is temporary!
Read the notices straight from MOFC:
Please pay particular attention to Yohan’s emails, the SignUp Genius, and our social media during this time. He will communicate last minute opportunities or changes as soon as possible.
Social Media
Make sure you are following the Heart to Heart on both Facebook and Instagram. Social media is one of the best ways for the world to share information! Every time you like or comment on one of our posts, it promotes engagement across the platform. When you share our posts, the information is immediately visible to those in your circle! It quickly helps spread our message- whether it be resource information, a plea for donations, or a volunteer opportunity. Sharing on social media is an easy way to support our mission. Check out these posts from the past week to see what you may have missed.