Weekly Update

On Thursday evening, about 30 of us gathered in the Weist Room at First Community South for an introductory training on intersectionality, equity, implicit bias, microaggressions and trauma-informed care.

The evening started with a prayer from Dr. Glen Miles and introductions by Seth Stearns, Executive Director of Operations at First Community. We were then guided through an enlightening activity called a Privilege Walk. After this powerful experience, we learned about the concepts in a presentation by Olivia and her guest presenter, Shakarra Touray.  After their presentation concluded, Yohan reviewed our basic Civil Rights guidelines for operating under the USDA.

The evening was informative and enlightening and one we will not soon forget. If you were unable to join us but want to learn more, please visit the links below. We have included not only Olivia’s presentation, which is full of links to more educational resources, but a link to the handouts from the evening. If you joined us Thursday, please look for an email next week for an opportunity to provide feedback on the event.

Kickoff Sunday at First Community! Please join us at either campus for worship. The Donna’s Donuts truck will be at our South campus before and after the 10am service.

Heart to Heart is closed next week for regular volunteer shifts and drive-thru service. We will use this time to deep clean and organize all our spaces, evaluate and update procedures, plan our program year among other things. To aid in the process of cleaning and organizing, we will not be accepting material donations next week. If you know of something that needs attention while we are closed, please send an email to Amy Caskie to make sure we take care of it at this time.

The Trading Post is having a sale through the end of the month!

All volunteers are asked to join us for this event at 6pm in the Weist Room at First Community South. This is an educational event to cover the topics of implicit bias, race, and civil rights. Staff will review with required civil rights training with all volunteers, after hearing from a guest speaker. This is also a great opportunity to come together for fellowship with volunteers you may not get to see very often. We request all regular volunteers attend this event for the compliance training required by Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP below.

First Community’s annual pet blessing on October 9 will also serve pet food donation drive for Heart to Heart. We would love to have a couple volunteers help out that day with donations. If you’re available, please email Yohan Kim to let him know!

Heart to Heart will be closed on October 10, but volunteer shifts will be added to the preceding Friday to accommodate the holiday.

Households served via Drive-Thru

• 63 on Tuesday, August 30
• 49 on Thursday, September 1

Households served via Pop-Up

• 35 on Wednesday, August 31

We still need help with some shifts next week. The number of volunteers needed is indicated in parenthesis after the shift time and description.

Tuesday, September 6
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (2)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (1)

Thursday, September 8
8:00 am – 9:00 am  MOFB Shop-Thru (1)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (2)

Friday, September 9
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (2)
10:00 am – 11:30 am Preshop (2)
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Dry Stocking (6)

We request all regular volunteers attend this event for the compliance training required by Mid-Ohio Food Collective.

This training will be held via Zoom meeting. 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.

• Participants will discuss ways to connect clients to social Benefits such as SNAP/Medicaid/ and OWF.
• Participants will take away how to submit SNAP/ Medicaid/ OWF benefits using Ohio Benefits Self Service Portal.
• Best tips and tricks in navigating common barriers to assisting individuals.

Households served via Drive-Thru

• 76 on Tuesday, August 23
• 51 on Thursday, August 25

Households served via Pop-Up

• 21 on Wednesday, August 24

We still need help with some shifts next week. The number of volunteers needed is indicated in parenthesis after the shift time and description.

Monday, August 29
8:30 am – 9:30 pm Cold Stocking Shift (2)
9:00 am – 10:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm MOFB Truck Unload (2)

Tuesday, August 30
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (5)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (6)

Wednesday, August 31
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)

Thursday, September 1
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (4)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (5)

Friday, September 2
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (2)
10:00 am – 11:30 am Preshop (2)
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Dry Stocking (5)

We request all regular volunteers attend this event for the compliance training required by Mid-Ohio Food Collective.

This training will be held via Zoom meeting. 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.

• Participants will discuss ways to connect clients to social Benefits such as SNAP/Medicaid/ and OWF.
• Participants will take away how to submit SNAP/ Medicaid/ OWF benefits using Ohio Benefits Self Service Portal.
• Best tips and tricks in navigating common barriers to assisting individuals.

Households served via Drive-Thru

• 60 on Tuesday, August 16
• 46 on Thursday, August 18

Households served via Pop-Up

• 37 on Wednesday, August 17

As the school year begins, our volunteer need increases! Throughout the summer, many students use their daytime freedom to volunteer with Heart to Heart. Please note we anticipate an increased need in volunteerism over the next few weeks.

We still need help with some shifts next week. The number of volunteers needed is indicated in parenthesis after the shift time and description.

Monday, August 22
8:30 am – 9:30 pm Cold Stocking Shift (2)
9:00 – 10:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)

Tuesday, August 23
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (7)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (6)

Thursday, August 25
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (7)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (5)

Friday, August 26
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (2)
10:00 – 11:30 am Preshop (3)

This 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. You must register with your name, email address and phone number as well as your

Heart to Heart is Agency #1042

August 25, 2pm or 7pm
Register online at mofc.org/agency-360

This training will be held via Zoom meeting. 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.

• Participants will discuss ways to connect clients to social Benefits such as SNAP/Medicaid/ and OWF.
• Participants will take away how to submit SNAP/ Medicaid/ OWF benefits using Ohio Benefits Self Service Portal.
• Best tips and tricks in navigating common barriers to assisting individuals.

Households served via Drive-Thru

• 47 on Tuesday, August 10
• 48 on Thursday, August 12

Households served via Pop-Up

• 33 on Wednesday, August 11

As the school year begins, our volunteer need increases! Throughout the summer, many students use their daytime freedom to volunteer with Heart to Heart. Please note we anticipate an increased need in volunteerism over the next few weeks.

We still need help with some shifts next week. The number of volunteers needed is indicated in parenthesis after the shift time and description.

Monday, August 15
9:00 – 10:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)

Tuesday, August 16
8:00 – 9:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (1)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (1)

Wednesday, August 17
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Shop & Stock (1)

Thursday, August 18
8:00 – 9:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
8:30 am – 10:30 am Drive-Thru (5)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (3)

Friday, August 19
9:30 am – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (1)
10:00 – 11:30 am Preshop (3)

Thank you to everyone that donated backpacks and school supplies last week. Thanks to church members, volunteers and neighbors, we were able to collect  98 backpacks filled with supplies to students in need in time for the new school year. The majority of these bags will be delivered by our Pop-Up Pantry to Riverview International Center next Monday. Once again, we are amazed by the generosity in our community!

Thank you for joining us at the reception for Rev. Kate Shaner after the 10am worship last Sunday. We were able to joyfully celebrate and give thanks for her years of service to First Community.  Please enjoy viewing both the video that was on loop during the reception, and a video of the benediction and blessing at the end of the service.

To show our deep love and gratitude for all Rev. Kate Shaner has done for First Community, the congregation will present her with a monetary gift. To participate, please send your check made payable to First Community Church and note “Kate Shaner Love Gift” in the memo line. If you would like to sent a personal note to Rev. Shaner, please mail these to the church, ℅ Amy Caskie at 1320 Cambridge Blvd Columbus, OH 43212.

If you have any questions, or would like to get in touch with Kate personally, please contact Amy Caskie.

In September, First Community Church’s Youth Ministry will resume their weekly Wednesday evening service hours for Heart to Heart. If you will miss your regular Stock & Shop shift once the summer ends, you have a unique service opportunity on Wednesday evenings in September! We will need 2 volunteers every Wednesday evening to staff our booth at the Upper Arlington Farmer’s Market. Please contact Amy Caskie for more information if you are interested.

This training will be held via Zoom meeting. 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.

• Participants will discuss ways to connect clients to social Benefits such as SNAP/Medicaid/ and OWF.
• Participants will take away how to submit SNAP/ Medicaid/ OWF benefits using Ohio Benefits Self Service Portal.
• Best tips and tricks in navigating common barriers to assisting individuals.

Households served via Drive-Thru

• 42 on Tuesday, August 2
• 52 on Thursday, August 4

Households served via Pop-Up

• 35 on Wednesday, August 3

We still need help with some shifts next week. The number of volunteers needed is indicated in parenthesis after the shift time and description.

Monday, August 8
8:30 – 9:30 am Cold Stocking (2)
9:00 – 10:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
3:30 – 5:00 pm MOFB Truck Unload (4)

Tuesday, August 2
8:00 – 9:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Drive-Thru (1)

Wednesday, August 3
1:00 – 2:00 pm Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)

Friday, August 5
10:00 – 11:30 am Preshop (2)

In July, the Pop Up Pantry, delivered to the following sites:

• July 6:     Commons at Livingston – 35
• July 13:   Hope Resource Center – 35
• July 18:   South Park Apartment w/Franklinton Farms – 17
• July 20:   Southpoint – 38
• July 27:   Commons at Grant – 33
• July 28:   Riverview International Center – 29

Total served for the month of July:  187

Pop Up 2022 Monthly Totals:

• January:      161
• February:     159
• March:         154
• April:            162
• May:             162
• June:            225
• July:             187

YTD:         1,210 individuals/families served

Our continued collaboration with Franklinton Farms is going well.  The South Park families have welcomed us and we are enjoying meeting the families with their children. Franklinton Farms has just recently been able to create some raised beds for the families at South Park Apartments so they can begin working their own gardens and have fresh produce available to them.  We found out many of the residents used to farm back in their country and this garden experience is a welcome sight for them.

The Pop Up Pantry is excited to work with First Community’s K-5 Department on this backpack project.  We have designated Riverview International Center to be the recipient of these backpacks.  We are hoping to receive 50-70 backpacks to deliver to Riverview on August 22nd.

We welcomed another volunteer this month:  Nancy Donaldson.  She will be joining the Pop Up for the summer months.  Nancy came to observe and jumped right in.  She is a wonderful addition to our team.

Melody and I are continually blessed to have the support of First Community/Heart to Heart staff and all the dedicated volunteers who give so much of their time and energy.

Serving in Faith,
~Rose and Melody, Co-Leaders
Pop Up Pantry, Heart to Heart

Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight’s concert at First Community North featuring Arthur Marks (benefiting Heart to Heart) has been canceled. We hope to reschedule this concert and soon. We will let you know the time and date as soon as possible.

To show our deep love and gratitude for all Kate has done for First Community, the congregation will present her with a monetary gift. To participate, please send your check made payable to First Community Church and note “Kate Shaner Love Gift” in the memo line. If you prefer to give online, click HERE and select “Rev. Kate Shaner Love Gift” from the fund dropdown menu. Baskets for cards will be available at both locations on August 7. You may also mail these to the church; please send them ℅ Amy Caskie at 1320 Cambridge Blvd Columbus, OH 43212.

This 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. You MUST register with your name, email address and phone number as well as your Agency Name (Heart to Heart #1042),

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.

September 8, 10am
Click to register.

Households served via Drive-Thru

• 54 on Tuesday, July 26
• 51 on Thursday, July 28

Households served via Pop-Up

• 33 on Wednesday, July 27

Please plan to join us for worship on Sunday, August 7. After worship we will celebrate the work of and bid farewell to Rev. Kate Shaner! More details will be available next week.

We still need help with some shifts next week. The number of volunteers needed is indicated in parenthesis after the shift time and description.

Monday, August 1
8:30 – 9:30 am Cold Stocking (1)
9:00 – 10:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)

Tuesday, August 2
8:00 – 9:00 am Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)

Wednesday, August 3
1:00 – 2:00 pm Mid-Ohio Foodbank Shop Thru (1)
5:00 – 6:30 pm Shop & Stock (2)

Friday, August 5
9:00 – 10:00 am Direct Retail Pickup (1)
9:00 – 10:30 am Cold Stocking (1)
10:00 – 11:30 am Preshop (1)

This 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. You MUST register with your name, email address and phone number as well as your Agency Name (Heart to Heart #1042),

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.

September 8, 10am
Click to register.