COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sponsored: Mid-Ohio Food Collective
It takes all of us to create hunger-free communities
Thanks to the support of a devoted volunteer base, Mid-Ohio Food Collective is providing fresh, nutritious food to people across 20 counties.
Mid-Ohio Food Collective began assisting people struggling with food insecurity in 1980, first as Operation Feed and later as Mid-Ohio Food Bank. In its early days, the organization focused on emergency feeding, and while that is still a large part of the group's mission, its understanding of hunger has evolved over the decades.
Mid-Ohio Food Collective knows food banking alone will not end hunger. By shifting the focus to the root causes of food insecurity, MOFC is better equipped to help its customers succeed in other areas of their lives and set them up for long-term success.
MOFC focuses on the aspects of life that impact a person’s ability to succeed and thrive, all with the goal of ending hunger. By providing fresh, nutritious food to its customers, the people MOFC serves can put their limited resources to other expenses, including housing, child care, and healthcare.
The Food Collective’s five assets—Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Mid-Ohio Farm, Mid-Ohio Farmacy, Mid-Ohio Kitchen, and Mid-Ohio Markets—work with local agency partners to address the root causes of hunger and poverty.
- Mid-Ohio Foodbank is still the core of what the organization does and focuses on emergency feeding.
- Mid-Ohio Farm is transforming a vacant and underutilized site on the Hilltop into a productive, smart urban farm.
- Mid-Ohio Farmacy works with local health care providers and insurers to connects patients with the healthy foods they need.
- Mid-Ohio Kitchen provides prepared meals to schools and communities across the organization’s 20-county footprint.
- Mid-Ohio Markets are community resource hubs that provide families with a no-cost, grocery store experience with wraparound services.
MOFC’s work is also made possible thanks to its network of nearly 700 partner agencies and programs that distribute the majority of the more than 77 million pounds of food the organization distributes annually.
Growing the organization includes partnering with other companies that also have a mission to help the community prosper. MOFC is grateful for the continued support of its partners Kroger, AEP, and Molina.
Established in 2018, the Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation works to create a more equitable system where everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food and no surplus is wasted.
The American Electric Power Foundation provides a permanent, ongoing resource for charitable initiatives including providing basic human services in the areas of hunger and housing to assure that people have the necessities to build successful lives.
Molina is committed to making a difference in the communities it serves through philanthropic activities and providing health care to people in need.
So much of the work Mid-Ohio Food Collective does is made possible by a community of dedicated volunteers. Whether it's a few hours one day a month or once a week, volunteers’ contributions of time and energy help MOFC feed its hungry neighbors in Central and Eastern Ohio.
MOFC offers a variety of volunteer opportunities from food sorting and packing in the pantry to meal prep in the kitchen to assisting shoppers at its markets. Volunteer shifts are available in the morning, afternoon, and evening six days a week and can accommodate groups of up to 40 individuals.
For more information on volunteer opportunities and to schedule a shift today, visit mofb.volunteerhub.com. For additional information or questions, call us at 614-317-9703 or email volunteers@midohiofoodbank.org.
Please share this message with your friends and family. It will take everyone to build healthier, hunger-free communities.
Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) serves 20 Ohio counties, stretching from Marysville to the Ohio River and Marion down to Chillicothe, including Franklin County and Columbus, which account for over two-thirds of our service.
Mid-Ohio Food Collective connects nutritious food to seniors, veterans, the homeless and children through a 680-partner agency network that includes food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, after-school sites, senior sites and other entities throughout its footprint.
