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Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly.
Director: (614) 488-0681 ext. 106
Manager: (614) 488-0681 ext. 203
hearttoheart@FCchurch.com
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Tuesdays 9am to 12pm
Thursdays 9am to 12pm
First Community South
1320 Cambridge Blvd. Columbus, OH 43212
Category

Weekly Update

November 6, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Click here to read this week’s email from Rev. Kate Shaner.

Service Statistics

  • November 3, Tuesday: 24
  • November 4, Wednesday: 34
  • November 5, Thursday: 23

Sign up to Volunteer

We have new shifts available! Until Thanksgiving, we will still staff volunteers for extended hours as our clients adjust to the new hours. Tuesday and Thursday shifts will be split into two parts 8:30 am-11:00 am and 11:00 am-1:30 pm. After Thanksgiving, we will shorten those shifts! Remember to dress appropriately for outdoor work. Sign up online if you can volunteer this week.

We especially need help
Monday, November 9 at noon.
We could use a truck driver too!

Click here to be added to First Community prayer chain.

Pop UPdate

The Pop Up Pantry continues to serve clients by taking needed food directly to clients and their families in their local communities.  During October, food was distributed every Wednesday at the following agency sites:

  • October 7:   Commons at Livingston-34 clients
  • October 14:  Southpoint Apartments-37 clients
  • October 21:  Commons at Grant-40 clients
  • October 28:  Commons at Livingston-40 clients

Our number of clients and families served continued to increase in October:

  •  October      151
  •  September 144
  •  August        123
  •  July              98

Our Pop Up Pantry team continues to do an outstanding job of facilitating a safe working environment by bagging food outside, limiting our number of volunteers, maintaining physical distancing, masking, and hand hygiene.  We are fortunate to have the use of one of the church vans and a volunteer driver so that we can safely deliver our food to the designated site after bagging is completed. We’re thankful for the continued assistance of our Share and Learn Garden and for the support of H2H in providing fresh produce in addition to the dry food items served to our Pop Up Pantry clients. We’re also grateful to the Monday Meals for the Homeless team for sharing bread and dessert items for our clients.

With winter upon us and the rapid growth of COVID-19 infections, the food insecurity needs of families are continuing to increase along with health, safety, and economic concerns.  The Pop Up Pantry team is working to expand our outreach initiative to additional agencies within the Columbus community.  We continue to be blessed by the opportunity to serve others as God calls us to do.

Upcoming Events

Holiday Info

Save the Date

We will be hosting a LIVE nativity on December 19 in the parking lot of First Community South! We are extending an exclusive invitation to the First Community staff and our Heart to Heart volunteers and their families to drive through the nativity from 2pm to 3pm. The nativity will remain open to everyone until 5pm. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

News

Notes for Volunteers

  • We can no longer accept donations of used plastic grocery bags. Please do not bring them to the annex for donation.
  • If you would like to volunteer for Heart to Heart, but remain at home due to the pandemic, please contact us. We have a few jobs that could be done from the safety and comfort of your home, on the phone.
  • If you’re interested in helping us with our semi-regular monthly pickup from Penzey’s Spices, please contact us. We will put you in touch with their representative to make arrangements.
  • Do you know an organization that could regularly supply us with a donation of goods distribution? Perhaps your friend manages a pet store and would like to donate dog food. We would love to make a connection! We are especially interested in pet food, toilet paper, and diapers. Please contact us to make arrangements.
  • We are going to start logging incoming Direct Retail Pickups online. If you’re volunteering during the delivery of a donation from one of our retail partners, you may be asked to do record this. Help will be available on-site, and there will be printed instructions available. However, if you’re interested in learning how to use the program, please click through the slideshow below.
eHarvest Instruction Slideshow

Required Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers will be required to complete this online training. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Contact Information

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we have created and begun to use new email distribution lists. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

CONTACT FORM

COVID-19 Policy

Dear Heart to Heart Volunteers,

We are grateful for your willingness to share your time at the Heart to Heart Food Pantry during this pandemic. The work we do is very important to the community and keeping it operational and safe are our utmost priorities at this time.

We want to remind you of the following:

Please do NOT come to volunteer at Heart to Heart if you have:

  • symptoms of illness
  • a fever or a cough
  • been in contact with someone who has been ill or has a fever or cough
  • have been in contact with someone who has tested positive COVID-19 in the last 30 days.

BEFORE you enter the church property (while you are still in your car), please do the following:

  • Put on your face mask.
  • Use hand sanitizer.

When on church property:

  • Follow check-in procedures and take your temperature.
  • Keep face mask on at all times.
  • Observe social distancing.

If, at any time, you (or someone in your household) test positive for COVID-19, you must notify us immediately, as there are protocols and safety measures to complete if a person testing positive was on the property.

Thank you for all the work you do.

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.

November 1, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Service Statistics

  • October 27, Tuesday: 34
  • October 28, Wednesday: 40
  • October 29, Thursday: 34

Sign up to Volunteer

We have new shifts available!

Until Thanksgiving, we will still staff volunteers for extended hours as our clients adjust to the new hours. Tuesday and Thursday shifts will be split into two parts 8:30 am-11:00 am and 11:00 am-1:30 pm. After Thanksgiving, we will shorten those shifts! Remember to dress appropriately for outdoor work. Sign up online if you can volunteer this week.

This Week in Pictures

Volunteers and clients alike celebrated Halloween this week. Dressed in costume, volunteers included a bag of treats (no tricks!) for each client that visited.

News

Click the image for the full announcement. Click here to donate.

Required Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers will be required to complete this online training. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Optional Volunteer Training

Are you a volunteer interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective?  Sign up to take the class online Wednesday, November 4th, 4:00 pm -5:30 pm.

Notes for Volunteers

Are you checking in daily when you arrive to volunteer? Everyone who comes to Heart to Heart to volunteer should be checking in at the volunteer stand in the hallway. You will need to take your temperature and log it with your name and contact information in the book provided. This requirement helps keep everyone safe.

If you volunteer to pick up donations and drop them off at Heart to Heart at any time during the week, you should have received an email from Amy Caskie on Friday. If you did not receive an email with information about an access code, please contact Amy immediately via email.

Volunteers receiving donations in the pantry will soon receive training on logging incoming donations online! This process will help us save time and paper by skipping the written record and manual logging altogether. You may have noticed we have new iPads at Heart to Heart, one dedicated entirely to this. If you’re interested in learning about it this week, touch base with Kate! A more formal training slideshow will be available soon.

Social Media

Your social media presence can help Heart to Heart be more successful!

Do you follow us on Facebook and Instagram? If so, when you see a post that might apply to your friends or family, click to share it with your followers. Whether it’s an article on hunger or a plea for volunteers, your share means we reach more people with the information we are trying to share. You can encourage other folks to follow and share, as well!

Social media is usually the most efficient way for us to communicate because one post can reach such a large audience in a short time.

Facebook                                                  Instagram

Contact Information

Social media not your jam? Tell us how can we keep in touch!

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we will be creating new email distributions lists and will implement their use beginning October 10. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

CONTACT FORM

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.

October 26, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Service Statistics

  • October 20, Tuesday: 46
  • October 21, Wednesday: 32
  • October 22, Thursday: 26

Sign up to Volunteer

Please sign up online if you can volunteer this week! We especially need help for these shifts:

  • Tuesday 10:30 am – 1:45 pm
  • Thursday 10:30 am – 1:45 pm

News

Halloween Costumes

All volunteers are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes from October 26 through October 30 when they come to volunteer at Heart to Heart. Make the day a little more fun by dressing up, but please make sure you can safely move in the costume!

Click the image for the full announcement. Click here to donate.

Required Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers will be required to complete this online training. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Wednesday Evening Pantry Hours

We are in the midst of planning additional drive-thru pantry hours on Wednesday evenings. Evening hours will allow both clients and volunteers to visit the pantry outside of the typical workday.

Rev. Sarah Kientz, Minister to Camp Akita & Young Adults, will oversee the Wednesday evening pantry, which will begin in November. She is currently looking for volunteers who are interested in serving with her. Here’s how to help:

  1. Indicate your interest in helping on Wednesday evenings so Sarah can follow up with you. Click here
  2. Volunteer at Heart to Heart during an existing shift. This will help you become familiar with the pantry before our new shift. Sign up here.
  3. Complete PantryTrak training. These training sessions (on Zoom) are about the client check-in process.
  4. Complete online Civil Rights Training. This is a short slideshow followed by a quiz online to ensure our compliance with Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
  5. Spread the word. The more people who are interested in helping on Wednesday evenings, the more prepared we will be in November!

If you have additional questions, please reach out to Sarah. Thank you!

Optional Volunteer Training

Are you a volunteer interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective? Sign up to take the class online Wednesday, November 4th, 4:00 pm -5:30 pm.

Register on Doodle

Social Media

Your social media presence can help Heart to Heart be more successful!

Do you follow us on Facebook and Instagram? If so, when you see a post that might apply to your friends or family, click to share it with your followers. Whether it’s an article on hunger or a plea for volunteers, your share means we reach more people with the information we are trying to share. You can encourage other folks to follow and share, as well!

Social media is usually the most efficient way for us to communicate because one post can reach such a large audience in a short time.

Facebook                                                  Instagram

Contact Information

Social media not your jam? Tell us how can we keep in touch!

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we will be creating new email distributions lists and will implement their use beginning October 10. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

CONTACT FORM

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.

October 19, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Service Statistics

  • October 13, Tuesday: 46
  • October 14, Wednesday: 32
  • October 15, Thursday: 26

Sign up to Volunteer

Please sign up online if you can volunteer this week! We especially need help for these shifts:

  • Tuesday 12 – 1:45 pm
  • Wednesday 3 – 4:30 pm
  • Thursday 10:30 am – 1:45 pm

News

New Hours!

Wednesday Evening Pantry Hours

We are in the midst of planning additional drive-thru pantry hours on Wednesday evenings. Evening hours will allow both clients and volunteers to visit the pantry outside of the typical workday.

Rev. Sarah Kientz, Minister to Camp Akita & Young Adults, will oversee the Wednesday evening pantry, which will begin in November. She is currently looking for volunteers who are interested in serving with her. Here’s how to help:

  1. Indicate your interest in helping on Wednesday evenings so Sarah can follow up with you. Click here
  2. Volunteer at Heart to Heart during an existing shift. This will help you become familiar with the pantry before our new shift. Sign up here.
  3. Complete PantryTrak training. These training sessions (on Zoom) are about the client check-in process.
  4. Complete online Civil Rights Training. This is a short slideshow followed by a quiz online to ensure our compliance with Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
  5. Spread the word. The more people who are interested in helping on Wednesday evenings, the more prepared we will be in November!

If you have additional questions, please reach out to Sarah. Thank you!

Click the image for the full announcement. Click here to donate.

Required Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers will be required to complete this online training. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Optional Volunteer Training

Are you a volunteer interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective?

Click one of the links below to sign up for one of three virtual training sessions:

Register on Doodle

Social Media

Your social media presence can help Heart to Heart be more successful!

Do you follow us on Facebook and Instagram? If so, when you see a post that might apply to your friends or family, click to share it with your followers. Whether it’s an article on hunger or a plea for volunteers, your share means we reach more people with the information we are trying to share. You can encourage other folks to follow and share, as well!

Social media is usually the most efficient way for us to communicate because one post can reach such a large audience in a short time.

Facebook                                                  Instagram

Contact Information

Social media not your jam? Tell us how can we keep in touch!

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we will be creating new email distributions lists and will implement their use beginning October 10. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

CONTACT FORM

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.

October 12, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Service Statistics

  • October 6, Tuesday: 42
  • October 7, Wednesday: 37
  • October 8, Thursday: 25

September Stats

Due to our hiatus, September had only 6 service days.

  • Households Served: 409
  • Seniors Served: 178
  • Adults Served: 617
  • Children Served: 400
  • Individuals Served: 1195
  • Meals Served: 10,755

Sign up to Volunteer

Please sign up online if you can volunteer next week! We especially need help for these shifts:

  • Tuesday 12 – 1:45 pm
  • Wednesday 3 – 4:30 pm
  • Thursday 10:30 am – 1:45 pm

News

Required Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers will be required to complete this online training. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Click the image for the full announcement. Click here to donate.

Social Media

Your social media presence can help Heart to Heart be more successful!

Do you follow us on Facebook and Instagram? If so, when you see a post that might apply to your friends or family, click to share it with your followers. Whether it’s an article on hunger or a plea for volunteers, your share means we reach more people with the information we are trying to share. You can encourage other folks to follow and share, as well!

Social media is usually the most efficient way for us to communicate because one post can reach such a large audience in a short time.

Facebook                                                  Instagram

Contact Information

Social media not your jam? Tell us how can we keep in touch!

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we will be creating new email distributions lists and will implement their use beginning October 10. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

CONTACT FORM

Optional Volunteer Training

Are you a volunteer interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective?

Click one of the links below to sign up for one of three virtual training sessions:

Register on Doodle

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.

October 3, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Service Statistics

September 29, Tuesday: 43 households
October 1, Thursday: 49 households

Volunteer Training

Are you a volunteer interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective?

Click one of the links below to sign up for one of three virtual training sessions:

Volunteers Needed

Please view the Sign Up Genius to see if you can volunteer next week. Below is a summary of the assistance we still need:

  • Tuesday we need folks to volunteer during pantry hours. Shifts are open from 9 am to 1:45 pm.
  • We need help with Target pickups on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 9 am.
  • If you’re an early riser, consider the pickups on Monday at Mid-Ohio or Friday at Giant Eagle.
  • Help us stock Friday morning at 10 am and leave just in time for lunch!

For more info on volunteer opportunities, click here.

News

Click the image for the full announcement. Click Here to Donate

Contact Information

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we will be creating new email distributions lists and will implement their use beginning October 10. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

Contact Form

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 26, 2020

By Weekly Update

Announcement

Click the image for the full announcement. Click Here to Donate

Update

Service Statistics

September 22, Tuesday: 58
September 23, Pop-Up: 42
September 24, Thursday: 48

Pop- UP date

Please read this update from volunteer leaders Janice Rook and Melody Smiley.

The Pop Up Pantry continued to successfully serve clients in their local communities during September.  Food was distributed to clients/families at the following agency sites:

  • September 2:    Commons at Livingston, 29 households
  • September 9:    Southpoint Apartments, 35 households
  • September 16:  Commons at Grant, 40 households
  • September 23:  Commons at Buckingham, 40 households

144 clients/families were served in September, an increase of 21 over those served in August.

Our team of three volunteers skillfully bagged food each Wednesday during the month. We were able to facilitate a safe working environment by bagging food outside, limiting our number of volunteers, maintaining physical distancing, masking, and hand hygiene. Our volunteer van drivers have assisted greatly in loading the food in the van after bagging is completed and delivering it to the designated site.

We’re thankful this month for the assistance of our Share and Learn Garden and the Seeds of Hope Garden in providing us with the ability to add fresh produce to the dry food items served to our Pop Up Pantry clients. We’re also grateful to Carol Baker and the Monday Meals for the Homeless team for sharing bread and dessert items with our clients.

Our entire team of dedicated volunteers worked diligently to ensure the needs of our clients were met each week.  Those volunteering during September were Kitty Rohrer, Kathleen Hatcher, Rose Kandel, Carla Edlefson, Glen Zook, Steve Young, Mark Tucker and Boyce Lancaster. Our clients and their agency contacts/case managers expressed much appreciation for the efforts of our team.

The Pop Up Pantry team looks forward to continuing to grow this outreach initiative by serving more clients with food insecurity needs and in expanding our work with other community agencies and sites. We are blessed by the opportunity to further the mission of Heart to Heart and our church in serving others as God calls us to do.

News

Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers are required to complete this online training. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Are you interested in being a shift leader? Please let us know.

Volunteers interested in being shift leaders will need to complete the online Food Safety course. The cost to complete the course and receive certification is $15. Training is available on the ServSafe website. Follow the instructions on their site to purchase the course and take the assessment online. If you’re interested in the training, but the cost of the course is burdensome, please send us an email so we can purchase the course online and send you the information to access it.

Are you a volunteer interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective?

Click one of the links below to sign up for one of three virtual training sessions:

For more info on volunteer opportunities, click here.

Work in Progress

Progress is being made in Lincoln Road Chapel to accommodate our plans to move operations into the building as the weather turns colder.

  • Mold inspector has visited and given recommendations
  • Dumpster was removed from parking lot on Friday
  • Received a proposal with estimate to replace some of the flooring
  • Contractor visited and working on proposal for interior work including replacing drywall, plasterwork, stonework, windows, etc.
  • Contractor working on proposal for outdoor wheelchair ramp

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 19, 2020

By Weekly Update

Dear Friends,

After two weeks off, we are ready to reopen Heart to Heart next week and we are looking forward to seeing our regular volunteers again and meet some new people. A lot of changes have occurred in the past two weeks and we anticipate many more to come. We have opted to continue the drive-thru pantry model until it is no longer realistic to serve clients completely outside. There are plans to erect a sturdier tent structure to provide shelter as the weather changes. We hope to be completely moved into Lincoln Road Chapel as soon as possible. To accomplish that goal, we will have contractors, inspectors, and cleaners in and out of the building for the next several weeks to adequately prepare the space. This is a big change that will require the use of Heart to Heart funds, effort on behalf of the volunteers and staff, and most of all, patience.

Simply put, change is hard. The circumstances in the world today have us all on edge, unsure what to expect next. It is hard to feel like we are out of control of so many things in our lives. We understand that these past few weeks have been difficult for the group volunteers so dedicated to the work of Heart to Heart. It has been difficult for us as well. Our goal is and always will be to do what is best for the clients we serve at Heart to Heart. We are doing the best we can in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. While Kate and I are, of course, interested in hearing suggestions, questions, and concerns from those who make Heart to Heart run, please remember that we are human beings. Please continue to grant us grace in this transition; your patience and prayers are so appreciated.

One of our major priorities in the immediate future is to improve communication with volunteers and donors.  We will contribute to this effort by providing more information, asking for more feedback, and being as transparent as possible. But we will need your help. Please keep up to date with the information available, keep in touch with us, and answer our requests for feedback. This blog will serve as our primary source of distributing information, but we will also increase the use of our social media platforms- Facebook and Instagram. Please read the Contact Information portion of the blog below and participate as soon as possible.

We have included a lot of information to read in this blog post, but also know that photos speak volumes. With that in mind, we have included a few photos of progress made in the past couple of days. Many thanks to Steve Shaner for our new indoor ramp. We encourage you to come to see it for yourselves by signing up to volunteer next week.

We look forward to seeing you,

Amy Caskie
Missions Administrator

Update

Service Statistics

September 16 (Pop-Up): 40 households served

A Closer Look

These slides indicate how our service numbers have changed over time. Click to enlarge each graph to see details.

Return to Work

We will resume our services the week of September 21. To volunteer for those shifts, please make sure you have completed the Civil Rights training (see below), then use the Sign-Up Genius to let us know you are coming. If you are a minor, we must have a Waiver Form on file for you.

Please note: We must adhere to CDC guidelines for all of our volunteer shifts. In order to do that, we cannot accept volunteer walk-ins and the number of volunteers per shift will be limited. We hope this is a temporary solution to a temporary problem and we ask for grace as we work together to figure this out.

Sign Up Genius

News

Volunteer To Do List

  • Take the online civil rights training course here>>
  • Verify you have completed the course using this form>>
  • Mark your calendar for October 6 at 1:30pm for PantryTrak training via Zoom. This training will be conducted by Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Volunteer shift leaders on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be required to take this training. Use the Sign-Up Genius to indicate your interest and you will be sent a link to the Zoom prior to the meeting date.
  • Let us know if you’re interested in being a volunteer shift leader via email>>
  • All shift leaders can take the online food safety training for $15, and send us a PDF of their completion certificate. The course is called Food Handler (level 1) and you will follow the instructions on the ServSafe website to purchase the course. Please contact us if the cost of the course will prevent you from completing it and we will make arrangments.
  • Register your Kroger card for Community Rewards which earns money for Heart to Heart when you grocery shop. More info here>>
  •  To sign up for upcoming volunteer shifts click here>>

Heart to Heart Finances

We are working with our business office to provide more information and deeper transparency to all those that support Heart to Heart. Please let us know if there is specific information you are looking for, and we will do our best to provide accurate information. Click the image below to view the chart showing the change in our total income and expenses over time.

Survey for Volunteers

We are planning for the colder weather and trying to anticipate our volunteer needs as we move indoors. Please participate in the following survey to share your opinion and willingness to return to volunteering in light of the pandemic.

COVID-19 Survey

Contact Information

We are trying to streamline our communications at Heart to Heart. We want to make sure you’re getting all the information you want, and only the information you want. In order to better serve this goal, we will be creating new email distributions lists and will implement their use beginning October 1. Please click below to sign up for the appropriate email list(s).

Contact Form

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 15, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

Dear Volunteers and Supporters,

We want to give you an update on the progress, discussions, and decisions made in the past week-and-a-half while Heart to Heart has been closed. We have been having very productive and insightful morning discussions with several key volunteers. We are learning a lot about how operations can be improved, what works well, and what everyone enjoys about being here. We have a lot more work to do, and we appreciate your patience as we adjust to the many transitions occurring now and forthcoming.

We plan to reopen next week using the same outdoor drive-thru model we have been using the past few months. Because of this decision, we have canceled the volunteer shifts that remained this week for moving storage between the two buildings. However, if you’re still interested and available to help, please send me an email and I can get you set up on a different small project. We will continue to hold the morning discussions and will add topics for Thursday and Friday. We have also canceled volunteer reorientation on Sunday and will reschedule at a later date.

In the near future, as the weather changes, we are working toward moving our operations to Lincoln Road Chapel.  Our agency rep from Mid-Ohio Food Collective is visiting this week to give us a better idea about how we can operate safely indoors during the pandemic once it gets too cold to be outside.  Once we have a more definite plan, we will share that with you.

The good news is that majority of our stock is already in the basement and changes are being made to other rooms to accommodate our needs for additional storage and space to move about. We are working with our Facilities Director, Pam Jameson, plus professional cleaners, inspectors, electricians, HVAC, plumbers, and builders on improvements that make this environment safe for everyone.

You are welcome to submit feedback and ideas to us, and we will take them all into consideration as we move forward. Please know we are looking into every aspect of Heart to Heart operations as we plan our future. Your experiences as a volunteer are invaluable to us, so please share ideas with us.

Sincerely,

Amy Caskie
Missions Administrator

News

Mark Your Calendar

Heart to Heart will reopen for volunteer shifts on September 21, and for client services on September 22. Sign up to volunteer online.

Volunteer To Do List

  • Take the online civil rights training course here>>
  • Verify you have completed the course using this form>>
  • Participate in this Doodle poll for PantryTrak training if you are interested in learning how to use it.
    Volunteer shift leaders on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be required to take this training.
  • Let us know if you’re interested in being a volunteer shift leader via email>>
  • All shift leaders can take the online food safety training for $15, and send us a PDF of their completion certificate. The course is called Food Handler (level 1) and you will follow the instructions on the ServSafe website to purchase the course.
  • Register your Kroger card for Community Rewards which earns money for Heart to Heart when you grocery shop. More info here>>
  • Click on the buttons below to sign up for upcoming volunteer shifts or the morning discussions scheduled for the remainder of this week:
    • Wednesday: Financial Assistance and Other Resources
    • Thursday: Volunteer Orientation and Retention
    • Friday: COVID-19 Policies (both Heart to Heart and MOFB)
Volunteer Sign Up GeniusDiscussion Sign Up Genius

Service During Hiatus

As suspected, not everyone got the message about our two-week hiatus and we have had clients show up on all of our regular service days. We did our best to serve those who had already made their way here thinking we were open. Additionally, the Pop-Up pantry continues to operate on Wednesdays. Below are the service statistics during the hiatus, so far.

September 8 (Tuesday): 3 households

September 9 (Pop-Up): 35 households

September 10 (Thursday): 11 households

September 15 (Tuesday): 24 households

Thank you to everyone who has joined us for morning discussions in the parking lot. We are so grateful to Melody and Carol for helping with the stock room. Thanks also to Kathleen for helping sort spices!

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 5, 2020

By Weekly Update

Update

As many of you know, Lamar Graham, Director of this ministry for the last seven years, recently resigned. In his letter of resignation, he noted, “I’m saddened and encouraged at the same time. Saddened because I am going to miss our clients, my volunteers, and the community of First Community. Encouraged because I know the work we started will continue.” We wish Lamar well in the ventures before him.
As she done in the past, Rev. Kate Shaner will oversee Heart to Heart operation during this time of transition. Amy Caskie, Missions Administrator, will also be playing a vital role at this time. Heart to Heart will be closed September 8-19 for cleaning, inventory, and planning for fall. The Wednesday pop-up pantry will continue during this time. Rest assured during this time, all produce has been redirected, retail pick-ups have been notified, and HandsOn Central Ohio as well as Mid-Ohio Food Collective are aware of the plan.

News

Photo Gallery

We have been keeping busy the past few weeks! Volunteers working outdoors are enjoying cooler temperatures, but we could do without the rain! We are grateful for the donations of fresh produce from local gardeners as the season winds down. Click the arrows above to browse through the photos.

Service Statistics

Pop- UP date

Please read this update from volunteer leaders Janice Rook and Melody Smiley.

In August, the Pop Up Pantry continued our successful efforts to serve clients weekly in their local communities.  Working with National Church Residences, an organization that manages several supported housing complexes throughout Columbus, food was distributed to clients/families at the following agency sites:

August 5:  Commons at Livingston-27 clients
August 12:  Southpoint Apartments-32 clients/families
August 19:  Commons at Grant-24 clients
August 26:  North 22nd Street/Commons at Buckingham-40 clients

123 clients/families were served in August, an increase of 25 over those served in July.

Our team of three volunteers skillfully bagged food each Wednesday during the month. We were able to purchase 3 light-weight, portable dollies to use not only in the bagging process but also in loading the bags into the van and unloading these at the site. Additionally, we were able to purchase 2 folding tables for bagging food.  This equipment improved our efficiency as well as provided for increased safety in the process (i.e., injury prevention).

We’re thankful this month for the assistance of our Share and Learn Garden and the ability to add fresh produce to the food provided for our Pop Up Pantry clients.

During August, we welcomed the addition of volunteer drivers who assist us by driving the van to our agency sites.  One driver accompanied our volunteers each week, meeting us at the pantry after the bagging process was completed, assisting in loading the bags of food, and transporting and delivering it to our designated site.  We’re grateful for the ability to use one of our church vans for the Pop Up Pantry.

Our entire team of dedicated volunteers worked diligently to ensure the needs of our clients were met each week.  Those volunteering were Kitty Rohrer, Kathleen Hatcher, Rose Kandel, Carla Edlefson, Glen Zook, Steve Young, and Mark Tucker.   Clients and agency contacts expressed much appreciation for the efforts of our team.

We’re grateful for Heart to Heart’s support of our outreach initiative and look forward to continuing to grow the Pop Up Pantry in serving more clients and in expanding our work with other community agencies to identify new sites for the pantry.  The Pop Up Pantry is committed to furthering the mission of Heart to Heart and our church in serving others as God calls us to do and in meeting the needs of our local communities during this time of a serious pandemic and increased food insecurity.

The Pop-Up Pantry will continue to operate during the brief hiatus.

Optional Volunteer Training

Are you interested in being a shift leader? Please let us know.
Volunteers interested in being shift leaders will need to complete the online Food Safety course. The cost to complete the course and receive certification is $15. Training is available on the ServSafe website. Follow the instructions on their site to purchase the course and take the assessment online. If you’re interested in the training, but the cost of the course is burdensome, please send an email to ACaskie@FCchurch.com. Amy will purchase the course online and send you the information to access it.

Volunteers interested in learning how to use PantryTrak from a representative at Mid-Ohio Food Collective should indicate their interest by completing the following.

Doodle Poll

Required Volunteer Training

As part of our agreement with Mid-Ohio Food Collective, we must maintain certain standards. One of these is Civil Rights training for all of our volunteers. All volunteers will be required to complete this online training before we can resume normal pantry activity on September 21. There are three steps to this process.

  1. Take the free online training course available here.
  2. Complete the quiz at the end of the slideshow.
  3. Use this online form to let us at Heart to Heart know you have completed your training, so we can verify with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Please note you are not required to login as a First Community member to complete this step.

Hiatus Schedule

There are very specific reasons we have scheduled this hiatus for Heart to Heart services:

  1. Cleaning
  2. Inventory
  3. Fall/Winter Planning
  4. Accreditation Review
  5. Training

For the first week, we are asking our dedicated and hard-working group of volunteers to rest, reinvigorate, and remember why you love Heart to Heart. You may consider taking this time to do the following:

  1. Register your Kroger card for Community Rewards which earns money for Heart to Heart when you grocery shop. More info here>>
  2. Take the online Civil Rights Training.
  3. Make sure to sign up to volunteer online.

The following week, we will be asking volunteers to join us for specific projects and to attend planned discussions. You can view the schedule and Sign-Up Genius online. We look forward to our conversations with you about how we can help Heart to Heart serve the community in the best way possible.

Sign Up Genius

Mark Your Calendar

Heart to Heart will be closed from September 8 through September 19.

Return to Work

We will resume our services the week of September 21. To volunteer for those shifts, please make sure you have completed the Civil Rights training above, then use the Sign-Up Genius to let us know you are coming. If you are a minor, we must have a Waiver Form on file for you.

Please note: We must adhere to CDC guidelines for all of our volunteer shifts. In order to do that, we cannot accept volunteer walk-ins and the number of volunteers per shift will be limited. We hope this is a temporary solution to a temporary problem and we ask for grace as we work together to figure this out.

Sign Up Genius

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