What we’re celebrating

Our community partners make our events possible - raising crucial resources for the fight against hunger.

Columbia Gas of Ohio and Santa Spread Holiday Cheer

Columbia Gas of Ohio today presented Mid-Ohio Foodbank President Matt Habash with a $50,000 corporate donation, in support of the Foodbank’s Campaign to Sustain for its new distribution facility in Grove City. This is the second of two checks from Columbia totaling $100,000 for the campaign this year.

Columbia President Jack Partridge noted that Columbia has been a strong supporter of the Foodbank for nearly 30 years through philanthropy, volunteerism and employee food drives. “We are proud to be a part of the new facility that triples the Foodbank’s capacity to serve more families in central Ohio,” Partridge said.

The Campaign to Sustain is a $16 million fund raising effort in support of the new distribution center. To date, the Foodbank has raised $14.8 million and is working to meet a March 31, 2010 fundraising challenge issued by the Kresge Foundation. If the Foodbank meets its $16 million goal by March 31, Kresge will contribute an additional $1.45 million. For more information on the campaign, or to donate, visit www.campaigntosustain.org.

Woodforest Bank

Woodforest Bank donated $3,850 to Mid-Ohio Foodbank to use for the Take-Home groceries for kids program. The Weekend Take-Home grocery program provides groceries every other Friday to children in after-school programs to take home to their families.

Sooryakumar Family

The Sooryakumar Family raised $8,000 from their Indian classical dance recital featuring Dhriti Sooryakumar -- who is pictured to the left of Matt Habash, Foodbank president and CEO.

Local ten-year-old sells home-made crafts to raise money for Foodbank

Ten year-old, Ethan, made record bowls to sell at the Bexley Festival of the Arts to raise money for Mid-Ohio Foodbank. In all, Ethan raised $25! Because each donated dollar to Mid-Ohio Foodbank provides $8 worth of food – Ethan’s donation will provide $200 worth of food to a local family in need.

Thank you for your donation, Ethan! We’re proud of you! Click on Ethan’s photo to hear what he had to say about his kind donation.

‘Tis the Season to Volunteer – Mayor Coleman Packs Holiday Food Boxes

Mayor Michael Coleman joined a group of volunteers at Mid-Ohio Foodbank Thursday, Dec. 17 to help pack remaining holiday food boxes.

The boxes will be distributed to pantries in the Columbus area including: Gladden Food Pantry, Providence Pantry, Freshstart Church of God and Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center.

That’s a lot of sandwiches! - Aunt Millie’s Bakeries donates 2,400 loaves of bread

Just in time for Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s three busiest distribution days of the year, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries donated 2,400 freshly baked loaves of bread that will be circulated to those in need this holiday season.

“Aside from distributing food, it’s also our job to raise awareness of hunger issues,” said Matt Habash, president and CEO of the Foodbank. “This generous donation from Aunt Millie’s helps us on both fronts by providing food and gaining attention.”

In all, Aunt Millie’s will donate more than 57,000 loaves of bread this holiday season to food banks throughout the Midwest.

Nascar driver, Kyle Busch, volunteers at Mid-Ohio Foodbank: with a few of Columbus' favorite mascots

On Dec. 9, 2009 Nascar driver, Kyle Busch, Brutus Buckeye; Columbus Blue Jackets' mascot, Stinger; and a group of hardworking volunteers from Nationwide Insurance, volunteered packing holiday food boxes that will be distributed to Mid-Ohio Foodbank's network of central Ohio food pantries. Without all of the dedication and passion from our network of volunteers, Mid-Ohio Foodbank would not be able to sort, pack and distribute the volume of food our agencies demand. Thank you Kyle, Brutus, Stinger, Nationwide and all devoted volunteers for helping us ensure that no one goes hungry this holiday season.

Watch Kyle talk about his thoughts about Mid-Ohio foodbank and his volunteer experience.

A Million Pounds in Just Three Days

Mid-Ohio Foodbank is preparing for greater demand at food pantries during the holidays and as winter sets in. On Dec. 9 through Dec. 11, the Foodbank distributed more than 1 MILLION pounds of food to Franklin County food pantries. Tune in to see some of the madness.

Netapp Collects Food

Netapp employees turned a regional meeting into a windfall for Mid-Ohio Foodbank. They asked all 30 Ohio Valley associates to bring donations of nonperishable food for Mid-Ohio Foodbank to their Columbus meeting.

They collected over 1,200 lbs for Ohio families in need.

Enterprise Donation

Enterprise Fleet Management of Central/Southwest Ohio recently presented at check for $700 to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Columbus on behalf of their customers in the Greater Columbus area.

Pictured are Enterprise Accounting Supervisor Mindy Holder, Mid-Ohio Foodbank President & CEO Matt Habash, Senior Account Manager Brittany Gehringer, and Controller Joe Kraichely.

Charter One Volunteers

The Charter One Foundation recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Mid-Ohio Foodbank, which will provide 447 turkeys to needy central Ohio families for the holidays. The Carving Out Hunger initiative is an annual campaign to raise awareness of hunger issues and provide holiday meals to local men, women and children in need. Charter One volunteers also visited the Foodbank recently to sort food for the Foodbank's network of 530 agencies. "We hope our efforts will help alleviate hunger in central Ohio and we are proud to help families put nutritious meals on their tables this holiday season," said Ken Marblestone, president, Charter One, Ohio.

City Barbeque Shares Feast

Local restaurant chain, City Barbeque, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary and decided the best way to celebrate was by giving back to the communities they serve. On Tuesday, November 10th, Mid-Ohio Foodbank was one of three Ohio food banks to receive pulled pork, brisket, ribs and turkey donations just in time for the start of the holiday season.

“It’s been 10 years since we opened our first joint on Henderson Road in Columbus inside an old donut shop. We’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received. All we ever wanted to do was introduce Ohio to true, authentic barbeque while being a good neighbor and giving back to the community,” said Rick Malir, President of City Barbeque.

“We certainly appreciate City Barbeque’s generosity and it couldn't come at a better time as more and more people will be visiting our agencies as winter sets in and the holidays approach,” said Matt Habash, president and CEO at Mid-Ohio Foodbank. In order to get through these hard times, Mid-Ohio Foodbank is counting on special promotions by central Ohio companies and events that give our community the opportunity to help.

A tomato grows in Westgate

As the fall harvest season comes to a close, it’s fitting to tell you about John, a friend of the Foodbank who found a unique and thoughtful way to give this summer: he grew his donation! John’s green thumb made a significant difference for hungry people. His backyard urban garden, as well as a community garden plot he tends on the near west side of Columbus, produced fresh vegetables of all kinds--tomatoes, peppers, pole beans, collards, cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, and plenty more—which he donated, week after week, through the end of September, to the Foodbank.The tally? Over 310 pounds of nutritious produce that we could share with food pantries.

A labor of love, he started every vegetable from seed under fluorescent lights in his basement. In the spring, he planted more seedlings than he needed with the thought that he would donate the excess to the Foodbank, which was all part of his larger plan to help others.   A father of four and a gardener since 1968, John knew that he had a special opportunity to use one of his special talents and passions to make a difference for people in his community. We are extremely grateful to John and others like him who choose to help hungry people in ways that are meaningful to them AND to others. Especially in underserved urban areas where fresh food is hard to come by (or if it is available, is too expensive to purchase for a low-income household), John’s gift of healthy, locally-grown food means healthier children and adults, and a lower carbon footprint from field to fork. Thank you, John!

You don’t have to be a master gardener to make a difference for hungry people. Please consider planting some extra vegetables in your garden next year, and donating them to the Foodbank. Or, remember us this holiday season with a bag of groceries that will add to the joy of the season for ALL.