Upcoming Events
Show your support by attending one of these upcoming fun events that benefit the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Take the Pledge for Hunger Action Month—All of September
September is Hunger Action Month, and we’re asking everyone throughout central and eastern Ohio to take action to fight hunger in our community.
Help the Mid-Ohio Foodbank collect as many pledges as possible and we could receive a truck load of food through Feeding America. Click here to Take the Pledge!
Share the Secret About Hunger—September 7 through October 16
Women’s fashion retailer Vanity and pop band OneRepublic are teaming up to help Feeding America and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank “Share the Secret About Hunger.” Their goal is to provide 100,000 meals through an in-store food drive and CD sales.
From Tuesday, Sept. 7 through Saturday, Oct. 16, customers can bring in food donations, and with each food item donated, they will receive a coupon for 25% off one regular priced item! Customers also can purchase OneRepublic’s “Waking Up” CD, featuring a Vanity-exclusive live version of their latest hit “Secrets.” Each CD sold will provide 21 meals. Customers who purchase the CD also will receive a coupon for 25% off one regular priced item. For more details, or to find a store near you, visit http://evanity.com/category/customer+service/social+responsibility.do
Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Fundraiser—September 11-12
Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark Resort is hosting a Food Drive for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank the weekend of September 11-12.
Visitors can save $1 on waterpark admission for every non-perishable food item donated at Fort Rapids -- up to a $10 savings. For hours and directions, visit www.fortrapids.com.
Game of the Week with The Basement Doctor
The Basement Doctor will be on-hand at every ABC6 Game of the Week throughout the high school football season, collecting donations for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Check out our Facebook page for weekly updates and to see where they’ll be next!
ABB and Max & Erma’s Fundraiser—Tuesday, September 21
Employees of ABB in Westerville are longtime supporters of Mid-Ohio Foodbank, and they’re inviting the public to help them raise even more funds this year.
Dine at Max & Erma’s Polaris location on September 21st, and 20% of your receipt will benefit the Foodbank. Just be sure to print out the coupon and present it to your server.
The 2010 Hunger Summit—Wednesday, September 29
In conjunction with the Foodbank’s 30th Anniversary and Hunger Action Month, the 2010 Hunger Summit is set for Wednesday, September 29, at Mid-Ohio Foodbank. This is an opportunity for community members of all ages and backgrounds to explore the issue of hunger, make a meaningful contribution to how the community responds to hunger, provide useful feedback for organizations involved in hunger-related work, and learn about ways to take action and make a difference, both personally and professionally. Click here to learn more.
Franklin County CROP Hunger Walk – SUNDAY, October 10
Come rain or shine, many people in Franklin County are getting ready to walk for the hungry again this year. The 32nd annual Franklin County CROP Walk will be on Sunday, October 10, 2010. Registration takes place between noon and 2:30pm.
The CROP Walk is an interfaith, community event involving thousands of people who raise funds for local and global hunger programs. Organizers of the event have a goal to raise $100,000 to help hungry people, both in Franklin County and in countries around the world. Mid-Ohio Foodbank receives a portion of the funds raised by this walk. For more information, "contact the local Church World Service office at 614-481-4416 or by emailing mstevens@churchworldservice.org."
SIGN-UP YOUR KROGER PLUS CARD TO BENEFIT MID-OHIO FOODBANK
The Community Rewards programs resets on April 1st. Don’t forget to log-on to the Kroger site and re-new your Foodbank designation! You can register your Kroger Plus Card to benefit Mid-Ohio Foodbank. It’s a great way to support the Foodbank, and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Kroger's Columbus Division is giving up to $5 million to nonprofit organizations this year through their Community Rewards Program.
Each time a participating cardholder swipes a Kroger card after shopping for groceries, the organization automatically earns money, up to a maximum of $50,000 quarterly. To sign up for the program, visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com and register your Kroger Plus card (Most people will have to sign up online as a new customer and register their existing card).
When asked which charity you’d like to support, enter in Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s organization number - 83610. Within 10 days, a percentage of your grocery purchases will benefit Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Grove City Cruise-In’s—Every Wednesday
Wednesday Night Cruise-In’s start at 6:00pm and run until 10:00pm every Wednesday night at Steak 'n Shake (1759 Stringtown Rd, Grove City). They ask all attendees to bring a non-perishable food item for Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
The event is open to cars and trucks. For more information or directions, call Tim 614-539-5336.
Fudha - good.eating.
Fudha is pioneering a unique way to connect people heading out to restaurants with good deals for a good cause – fighting hunger. The Columbus-based internet startup offers discounts from locally-owned restaurants, donating revenue from every meal to support families served by the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Fudha offers members one dining deal a day (which can be used like a coupon), until time runs out or the maximum number of deals is sold (whichever comes first), and then they offer a new deal the next day.
Membership is free at the Fudha website. For every Fudha sold (that’s what they call their deals), the site donates $1 to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. The site features deals from many local dining favorites including Betty’s, Due Amici, and Bodega.
AN INSPIRING LIFE
Shanile Goggins was a vibrant college student with a strong will to help those in and around her community. At age 19, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and given only weeks to live. The Summer That Changed My Life details her experiences after the diagnosis, as she continued to work and volunteer while undergoing cancer treatments. Towards the end of her life, she chose to donate a large portion of her savings to the Foodbank to help families need.
The book is a sobering, yet uplifting and spiritual account of a young woman who’s desire to help others never diminished despite her daunting illness. This book has been made available by her family in hopes that it continues to provide support for others diagnosed with cancer and their families. A portion of the proceeds from this book will benefit both Mid-Ohio Foodbank and Lutheran Social Services.
Ladybug Baby Bug
Janice & Mark Perkins’ first book is a children’s book about a baby lady bug and her family. The sweet tale is aimed for toddlers, and the pair donates a percentage of the book sales to Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
To purchase your own copy, visit Amazon.
USx8
Because of food donations and our bulk purchasing power, a $5 donation (the price of a burrito, latte or movie ticket) really equals $40 worth of food!
USx8 is a movement to create awareness among a generation strapped for cash that even giving a little goes a long, long way. Help spread the word! Print your own USx8 posters.
What we’re celebrating
Our community partners make our events possible - raising crucial resources for the fight against hunger.
GRAINGER FEEDS FAMILIES IN NEED
Grainger Industrial Supply & Grainger Foundation presented Mid-Ohio Foodbank with a $5,000.00 donation to help feed Ohio families in need.
The company is also looking forward to having local associates come out to the Foodbank and volunteer.
Franklin County Coroner’s Office Annual Skulls & Balls Golf Outing
Our thanks to the volunteers who organize the Franklin County Coroner’s Office Annual Skulls & Balls Golf Outing. Their June outing raised $3,000 for Mid-Ohio Foodbank!
Special thanks also goes to Johnson Controls and Ketchum & Walton, Inc. for supporting the event.
Thank You Haley
Haley Wilson collected over $200 at her 10th birthday party. She asked friends to make donations to the Foodbank in lieu of gifts. She and her mother and little sister stopped by for a tour today to drop off the funds.
They were all excited to hear that the Foodbank can provide $8 worth of groceries for every $1 donated.
Nationwide Insurance Receives National Award for Work at Mid-Ohio Foodbank
Feeding America has honored one of Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s strongest partners, Nationwide Insurance, with its 2010 Group Volunteer Service of the Year Award for the company’s work with our, and other, food banks across the country. Each year Feeding America honors a volunteer group that demonstrates outstanding commitment to service at a local food bank and dedication to feeding the hungry.
Feeding America selected Nationwide because of it’s long tradition of supporting Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Nationwide employees began volunteering at Mid-Ohio Foodbank nearly 30 years ago. In 2009 alone, more than 2,200 Nationwide associates donated more than 5,800 hours at the Foodbank, sorting and packing food that is distributed to food 
pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters in the Foodbank’s 20-county footprint. Nationwide volunteers accounted for nearly one-fourth of all Foodbank volunteers. Nationwide employees also provide leadership to the Foodbank by holding board seats and lending their expertise on various committees. Additionally, Nationwide raised more than 1 million meals for the Foodbank’s 2009 “Operation Feed” community food and funds drive – representing 30 percent of the campaign total. Since 2000, more than 330,000 families (of four) have received food specifically because of Nationwide’s work with Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
“As our oldest and largest partner, Nationwide’s enthusiasm has never waivered,” says Matt Habash, Foodbank president & CEO. “And, because of Nationwide’s leadership, along with the extraordinary compassion shown time and again by the Nationwide family of associates, thousands of hungry people in central and eastern Ohio are able to provide for their most basic necessity --- food.”
“Too many people in our community are struggling to put food on the table, and Nationwide employees are determined to help,” said Chad Jester, president of the Nationwide Insurance Foundation. “This award belongs to our employees because it honors their generous service to address a critical need in our community.” In addition to volunteering here, Nationwide partners with 19 different regional food banks throughout the country.
Mid-Ohio Foodbank Plants the Seed
Thanks to a donation from WalMart, we now have a wonderful seed-starting greenhouse to grow our plants. The seeds we’ve planted will be transferred into our on-site garden in May, which will serve as a demonstration garden to members of the community about how to grow food, a hunger-awareness touch-point, as well as a supply of produce for our forthcoming, on-site food pantry.
So far, we’ve started seeds for cabbage, swiss chard, zucchini, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, cucumbers and three different types of squash. Some of our plants are already a couple inches tall and we look forward to moving them out to the greenhouse soon!
Donations Come in Different Shapes and Sizes
Towlift Inc.'s donation of a Caterpillar Quad Mast Stand-Up forklift will allow Mid-Ohio Foodbank to maximize its new 7,500 sq. ft. of freezer & cooler space from floor to ceiling,; effectively cutting costs without the expense of paying for outside storage space.
The donation ultimately allows the Foodbank to increase food storage capacity and helps further its mission, of providing food to all those who need it in central and eastern Ohio.