2021 Annual Report | Mid-Ohio Food Collective

A N N U A L R E P O R T

2021 July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021

I Mid-Ohio Food Collective 2019 Annual Report

OUR MISSION ENDING HUNGER ONE NOURISHING MEAL AT A TIME

WHILE CO-CREATING COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYONE THRIVES.

II

OUR VISION Mid-Ohio Food Collective 2019 Annual Report HUNGER-FREE AND HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

what’s on the menu 03

LETTER FROM THE CEO

04

COVID-19 TIMELINE

06

20-COUNTY FOOTPRINT

08

OHIO NATIONAL GUARD

09

VOLUNTEERISM

10

GIVING IMPACT

11

ADVOCACY

12

ROOTED IN YOU

13

INNOVATIVE PATHWAYS

14

MID-OHIO FOODBANK

15

MID-OHIO FARM

16

MID-OHIO FARMACY

17

MID-OHIO KITCHEN

18

MID-OHIO MARKET

19

HUNGER AWARENESS

20

BOARD OF TRUSTEES & COUNCILS

21

MANAGING RESOURCES

1

Mid-Ohio Food Collective 2019 Annual Report

2

Friends, On behalf of all those we serve, please accept my deepest gratitude for being a compassionate community that continues to inspire us. This pandemic year wasn’t easy. Our customers faced job displacement, heightened food insecurity, and isolation. There are more challenging times ahead, especially for our hundreds of thousands of neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet. Our work has never been more important—or more impactful.

Because of the amazing resiliency and perseverance of our customers, One Team and Board, and our volunteers and donors, we can celebrate the fact that our families were able to share nutritious meals with each other. Finding strength in work that matters continues to drive us in our mission to end hunger, one nourishing meal at a time while co-creating communities where everyone thrives.

This past year, many of our neighbors had to make the often-difficult decision to ask for food. For thousands of families, it was their first time asking for help. The stigma of seeking food assistance should not be a barrier as we work to lift each other up, especially during this COVID chaos. Our hungry neighbors will continue to need us in the weeks, months, and years to come.

Thankfully, we benefitted from the Ohio National Guard, whose work helped us ensure the safety of our customers and volunteers. Our internal team—both on-site and remote—remained dedicated to moving food in our warehouse and out to the 20 counties we serve.

The story of this last year is the story of the Food Collective running a marathon at a sprinter’s pace. As we say here, it is a “yes, and” story. Yes, we all worked together to feed our hungry neighbors during the pandemic, and we continued to push forward in our vision of hunger-free, healthier communities. We worked on innovations that will create better experiences for our customers. We continued to plan for the future—and you were alongside us every step of the way.

As you go through this report, I hope you will reflect on what we have accomplished together.

With deep gratitude,

Peace, Matt

The New Brand Story

3

State of Emergency

Paycheck Protection

MOFC began seeing the impact of the pandemic when Ohio declared a State of Emergency on March 9, 2020, followed by a national declaration on March 13. In our footprint we had 129 cases.

Policymakers enacted the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This legislation provided $483 billion in additional business assistance and funding for health care providers and COVID-19 testing.

Stay-at-home Order Many of our customers were unable to work and provide for themselves and their families due to the stay-at-home order.

Distance Learning Schools move to remote learning.

Meals and snacks from schools and childcare centers fulfill up to two-thirds of children’s daily nutritional needs.

Businesses across the state close. Household incomes are affected as Ohioans find themselves out of work or with reduced hours.

100k 90k 80k 70k

Number of COVID Cases

Number of Services

110k

MAR 09

MAR 12

MAR 14

MAR 18

MAR 22

MAR 23

Governor outlines principles to protect the health of employees, customers, and their families, supporting community efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 and responsibly getting Ohioans back to work.

Many businesses and schools remain closed.

The 68 waivers initiated helped cover SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), WIC (Women, Infants, Children), Child Nutrition, and TEFAP. Ongoing changes included the loading of benefits onto recipients’ bankcards as part of the Pandemic EBT program.

Shut down

2020

Re-openings

Food Waivers

APR 07

APR 11

APR 24

MAY 04

70k 50k 30k 10k 1k

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEPT

OCT

Data is only covering our 20-county footprint.

4

Weekend Hunger

FFCRA

In order to assure students had food on the weekends, MOFC purchased nearly $500,000 worth of backpack kits to for school districts and community agencies. More than 100,000 kits were provided to families in our 20-county service area.

On March 18, 2020, the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) helped provide economic support. This legislation, totaling $192 billion, included a number of key components such as enhanced unemployment insurance benefits, increased federal Medicaid and food-security spending, and free COVID testing.

COVID-19 TIMELINE

Child Tax Credit

FACING HUNGER IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC

Monthly child tax credits begin hitting checking accounts. Half the total credit amount was paid in advance through monthly payments. The other half could be claimed when filing 2021 income tax returns.

MARCH 9, 2020 - JUNE 30,2021

The COVID-19 response dominated our advocacy efforts. We worked with state and national government leaders to generate administrative changes in food procurement and delivery methods. To help support a more expanded yet safe and efficient response system, we secured additional funding from national, state, and local sources.

COVID-19 Vaccine

These expanded operations include the deployment of the Ohio National Guard’s humanitarian mission. In addition, many budget deliberations within state and federal committees were key focal points of outreach, ensuring that relief programs received funding at needed levels. As a result, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) received additional allocated dollars to support increasing needs.

COVID-19 vaccines become available statewide.

Mid-Ohio Food Collective President and CEO Matt Habash spoke before a congressional subcommittee on the pandemic response. To hear Matt’s testimony, go to https://youtu.be/A5MlDzHJQHc?t=7716.

Stimulus Checks

MOFC continued its advocacy efforts throughout the pandemic to respond to multiple federal rule proposals on hunger and health. Much of the legislative response will continue to shape the future of hunger relief.

DEC 12

DEC 29

MAR 13

2021

Neighbors in Need

660,470

MAR 17

Children in Need

First Time in Need

230,732

Only Came Once

38.61%

227,387

Children served is based off data that indicates ages 0-19.

JUN 30

COVID-19 case data collected by the Ohio Department of Health. https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards/overview

3m

1m 500k NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

250k

Deployment of the Guard

Drive Thru Model

The emergency declarations allowed for the deployment of the Ohio National Guard and Military Reserve to the state’s food banks. Beginning March 23, 2020, more than 100 citizen soldiers were deployed at MOFC to supplement a substantial decrease in volunteers due to the stay-at-home order.

Relaxing regulations for TEFAP food distribution allowed for MOFC and its partner agencies to adjust their traditional methods of food distribution to safer and faster, no-touch models of assistance.

Food Purchases

2m

COVID Relief Funds Donated

The CARES Act included a provision for a round of stimulus payments.

Three stimulus checks hit bank accounts.

5

Stories from across our footprint.

We continued to provide services during the pandemic while switching to a digital model. We helped 2,626 customers submit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications. SNAP is linked with reduced health care costs. Participants incur about $1,400 less in annual medical costs than low-income non-participants. (Source: Centers for Budget Policies and Priorities)

Elma has lived her whole life on the Southside of Columbus in a community where neighbors look after one another. “If someone is hungry, neighbors bring them food,” she said. She could often be found looking after the neighborhood children, making sure they all had enough to eat. But when the pandemic began, all of this changed. Elma’s neighbors, who had relied on each other for decades, were suddenly forced to isolate at home. In addition, the economic challenges caused by the pandemic meant that many, including Elma, were now struggling to make ends meet.

Although the impact of 1.97 million reliable and accessible meals through SNAP is immeasurable, we can also examine our aggregate annual impact through the number of SNAP applications submitted. Feeding America’s SNAP Impact Calculator determines the benefits generated by our work and the effect on the local economy caused by the resulting boost in food spending.

With the help of our Benefits Outreach team, Elma was approved for SNAP and was able to “scratch food off [her] worry list.” Elma’s experience is characteristic of our work. Through SNAP assistance, we can provide many of our customers with a sustainable food resource that can make a difference.

SNAP benefit amount generated

1,966, 635

meals provided through SNAP.

$5,556,808 provided in SNAP benefits. $8,557,487 generated for local economies.

Quality and quantity: You can have both.

Before the pandemic, a family would visit us on average 6.53 times a year. We’d like to change that. We know having access to weekly free, fresh produce improves health outcomes. It also removes some of the burden of having to spend money in limited budgets on food. Markets are one of our assets working toward that change. In 2020-21, we had Markets strategically located in Downtown, where 44.1% of households have at least one child or senior, and Reynoldsburg, where 19.5% are children between the ages of 10 and 14. In October 2021, we opened the Mid-Ohio Market at MYProjectUSA in the Hilltop neighborhood. It will serve 32,386 hungry neigbors, 12,677 of which are children. In 2022, we are projected to open up to two more Mid-Ohio Markets.

6

Reynoldsburg Downtown

Hilltop

Where hunger lives.

542,902 neighbors

20K

living within our 20-county footprint were in need of services.

18K 16K 14K

68% of our hungry neighbors live in Franklin County

12K 10K 8K

173,802 customers in outlying counties.

369,100 customers in Franklin County.

6K 4K 2K

11

4

Marion

13

Morrow

16

7

Knox

6

Union

Delaware

Harrison 8

7

Licking

Madison

Guernsey

8 5

14

Belmont

Muskingum

Franklin

Jefferson

4

5

Coshocton

11

8

Before the pandemic, the Harrison Hills Mobile Market was managed by two school staffers and about 10 retirees. When COVID-19 hit, the students could no longer volunteer, and the retirees stopped coming. That’s when the community rallied together. Volunteers from two pantries in Cadiz came to help, and village officials allowed employees, while on the clock, to help get food out to the community.

4

Noble

Fairfield

6

Monroe

Pickaway

Fayette *FY21 MOFC 20 County Service Area Unduplicated Individuals data with ASC2020 population data.

7

Percent of the population that sought out assistance.

Ross 5-10%

11-15%

16-20%

21-25%

Number of events the ONG assisted us with across our footprint.

26-30%

7

The Ohio National Guard & Ohio Military Reserve.

One Team - One Fight.

The pandemic shed a light on the important role communities play in supporting each other. When the stay-at-home order began in March, we lost our volunteer base. Fortunately, the Ohio National Guard and Ohio Military Reserve were activated to assist us in transporting, packaging, and distributing food to homes in vulnerable areas, community-based locations, and partner agencies.

Mid-Ohio Food Collective received the support of 100 of these brave men and women who answered the call to serve their communities. For three, the mission would go beyond the uniform. Denver Burkhart, Nick Boettcher, and Zach Terry would go on to be employed at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. This is not a mission they felt they could be dismissed from.

200,000+ soldiers a year on average transition from active-duty military to civilian life. This is a critical time where we are looking for a new mission to dedicate ourselves to.

3,039,000 pounds of food was processed by the Ohio National Guard and Ohio Miliatary Reserve.

144 events beyond Franklin County were also supported by the Ohio National Guard and Ohio Miliatary Reserve including distributing Thanksgiving turkeys, distributing to seniors, delivering backpack kits, serving the homeless, and much more!

k Nic

“We want to serve our communities and our country. Sometimes that presents itself in untraditional ways.”

“It has been powerful to see the impact we’re able to make here.”

ve r

h

Zac

Den 8

“I had just got off active duty.

I was looking for my purpose, and it found me.”

Small(er) but mighty!

You not only stepped up but doubled down.

Those who came in to help us worked on average almost twice as many hours as in previous years.

Those who were unable to come in stayed in touch and were eager to return. We received thank-you notes and emails of encouragement. We’re thankful for all you did, but also for staying connected during these tumultuous times.

Volunteers

Hours

3K

6K

Pandemic 27.2% 16K

32K

Pandemic 48.2%

9K

12K

15K

Pre-pandemic

48K

64K

Pre-pandemic

80K

Sign up for a volunteer shift today at mofc.org/volunteer Keith Morton Keith was introduced to Mid-Ohio Food III Portland, Collective while visiting family duringOregon the holidays. The Portland University freshman said he decided to volunteer after learning about hunger in the United States from his Oregon church. “I feel really blessed to travel between here and Portland, so I wanted to give my time back to help,” Keith said. As a food sorting and packing volunteer, Keith helped us distribute food to our customers last year.

Keith

Keith is transferring to Eastern Michigan University to play football for his sophomore year. He is looking forward to living closer to home, which will allow him to volunteer at MOFC more often.

Nancy and Ray have been volunteering with Mid-Ohio Food Collective since Christmas of 2019. They have a history of community service, but they first heard about Mid-Ohio Food Collective through their grandchildren who attend Columbus Academy. They needed community service hours for school. After hearing about MOFC, Nancy and Ray decided to sign up for a volunteer shift.

They immediately felt like they were at home. “The people who work there knew our names after the first time we came to volunteer,” Nancy said. “They treated us very well, and that helped make it a wonderful experience.”

Nancy and Ray witnessed the increased need for food throughout the pandemic.

Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s on-site pantry increased to serving 700-800 families a day. Nancy says seeing so many people dealing with food insecurity for the first time helped further inspire her and Ray to be involved. “It is easy,” she said. “You sign up week by week, and you go see how wonderful it is. It is something me and my husband can do together.”

Nancy & Ray

Since they have started, Nancy and Ray have volunteered at other locations within MOFC’s network, including Mid-Ohio Market at HEART.

9

Increased Demand Met by Increased Support.

When the pandemic began in March 2020, it immediately became apparent that many more people were being plagued by hunger — including many people who had never had to rely on food pantries before. And we were going to need to dramatically change our food acquisition and distribution practices to meet that need. Corporate, individual, and foundation donors in Central and Eastern Ohio communities stepped up and gave financial support at unprecedented levels to support our work and feed the waves of people coming to pantries in our network.

Deb

Over $16M

raised across four major campaigns.

Holiday Meals - $157K Operation Feed - $1M Double Your Donation Day - $3.75M COVID Relief Fund - $11.13M

10

When Deb began looking for volunteer opportunities after retiring, the Food Collective’s mission stood out to her. “It was helping and feeding people, which is something I think is mightily important,” said Deb, a Mid-Ohio Food Collective volunteer of 13 years. “It’s a way that I can help the world in a small but important way.”

Deb values the friendly, collaborative atmosphere among her team and enjoys helping new volunteers. She sees the work she does as twofold. She provides a much-needed service to our customers and educates the wider community about the Food Collective’s mission and the people it serves.

Deb is aware of the stigma that surrounds those who need food assistance, and she works to mitigate it by providing firsthand knowledge from working with the Food Collective.

“We’re here to show people this is much broader than they think,” she said. “It’s helping a much wider population.”

For those who are interested in volunteering, but aren’t sure where to start, Deb has some advice: Explore the possibilities.

“If you’re volunteering for the mission, then any little thing you do counts,” she said.

Amplifying Voices

CARES and Families First Acts Federal COVID relief legislation: Worked with local governments to procure funds allocated from the federal and state level for pandemic relief assistance for additional food purchases and storage and distribution support.

State Budget and SNAP

The voice of the community is important for policymakers to hear - it is not just us as a hunger-relief organization, speaking up for our neighbors in need. It is all of us saying we must respond in an effective nonjudgmental way to help those who are struggling.

Our efforts are based on a vision to ensure access to needed assistance through sufficient funding, supply, and humane regulatory oversight.

This includes federal and state budgets and administrative rules that support assisting neighbors in need.

Over the past year, we contacted local officials in all 20 counties and all state and federal officeholders in our service area. We also worked with the USDA and other federal agency constituencies and state officeholders, including the governor and lieutenant governor.

In addition, we expanded our reach to county and city health departments, schools, and partner human service organizations to broaden our local footprint.

The state’s two-year budget was enacted and provided continued level funding for Ohio’s surplus food program and an additional $12 million reserve fund for food banks. Provisions limiting benefit access related to SNAP and other assistance program eligibility were initially added from Senate Bill 17 to the state budget bill, but ultimately removed. Mid-Ohio Food Collective and a wide range of human services providers opposed SB17 in its standalone form and as part of the budget bill.

Emergency declarations and regulatory waivers Successfully worked with Feeding America and the Ohio Association of Food Banks to extend SNAP, TEFAP, and other regulatory waivers, including the emergency declarations at the federal and state levels, enacted in response to the pandemic providing continued deployment of the National Guard and rapid response for hunger relief.

National Stage Greg Ibach, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs for the USDA, visited Mid-Ohio Foodbank. He received feedback on the CFAP program and our operations, facilities, and programs. Matt Habash testified before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Nutrition Oversight & Department Operations on the Farmers to Families Food Box program and anti-hunger efforts during the pandemic.

Local Visits Mid-Ohio Food Collective at various times hosted Senator Rob Portman, staff of Senator Sherrod Brown, Representative Joyce Beatty, and Representative Steve Stivers, as well as the lieutenant governor and governor and their staff. Virtual visits were held with local officials in all 20 counties served as well as on-site visits.

Members of the MOFC state delegation also visited multiple times.

11

Ending Hunger Will Take All of Us. Two years ago, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective began work on a comprehensive strategy to build innovative customer-centric solutions and transform how we address hunger and its root causes (wages, income, health care, housing, childcare, racism).

On April 22, 2021, MOFC publicly launched Rooted in You, our Campaign to ReImagine Ending Hunger. The campaign encompasses our Mid-Ohio Farm, Mid-Ohio Kitchen, Mid-Ohio Markets, data and insights, and building a robust annual fund.

We know that foodbanking alone will not end hunger. Leveraging data insights, we are meeting customers where they are — connecting our hungry neighbors to the right food, at the right time, in the right place. For more information, visit RootedinYou.org.

Campaign Leadership KIRT & CINDY WALKER Nationwide

NICK & DONNA AKINS American Electric Power

STEVE & PAT TI STEINOUR Huntington Bank

CONNIE ARGUS Retired

THERESA HARRIS TMH Solutions

BRETT KAUFMAN Kaufman Development

ANDY ROSE Worthington Industries

MARY AUCH PNC Bank

MICHAEL (CASEY) HERMAN PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

LORRAINE LUTTON Mount Carmel Health System

IRA SHARFIN & MEGHAN COOK Continental Office

OT TO BEAT TY III & CHRISTIE ANGEL Otto Beatty Jr. & Associates YWCA Columbus

DALE HEYDLAUFF Retired

STEVE MARKOVICH OhioHealth

BOBBY SCHOTTENSTEIN & JERI BLOCK M/I Homes Foundation

CHRISTINA BROWN Huntington Bank

DAVID HOLLADAY CoverMyMeds

MIKE & LEAH MCCOY Bob Evans

ALEX SHUMATE Squire Patton Boggs

MICHAEL & JANELLE COLEMAN Ice Miller American Electric Power

LISA INGRAM & GREG GUY White Castle System, Inc. Air Force One

HAL PAZ The Ohio State University Medical Center

PAT TIBERI Ohio Business Roundtable

AMY GILMORE IGS Energy

LARRY & DONNA JAMES Crabbe, Brown & James LLP Lardon & Associates

DAVID & CATHY PRESPER Retired

ALEX TIMM Root Insurance Company

MIKE & JOY GONSIOROWSKI Retired

CHAD JESTER Nationwide

RICK REMIKER Retired

LOU VON THAER Battelle

JOE HAMROCK NiSource

TOM KATZENMEYER Greater Columbus Arts Council

TIM ROBINSON Nationwide Children’s Hospital

SUE ZAZON Huntington Bank

12

Paving New Pathways Out of Poverty.

Learn more about our apps.

Since 1980, we’ve addressed emergency feeding, building on our strengths of acquiring and distributing food to our neighbors in need. We’ve learned that hunger does not work in isolation. We are evolving to address the whole person focused on ending hunger.

Insights to underlying causes.

FreshTrak

We have developed an advanced analytics platform using software, data, analytics, predictive modeling, and machine intelligence to help foodbanks and partners get food where its needed and address hunger’s underlying causes.

The needs of our customers change every day – which became especially prevalent as COVID-19 progressed. So, we must constantly adapt to be sure we are continuing to meet hunger where it lives.

We are building software-driven solutions using data that help us and our partners meet customers’ needs, understand how to best support our network, and identify intervention strategies. This year we launched a beta version of the Collective Insights Platform (CIP). Our platform will inform decision-making processes that support strategy development for business models and identify the development of new programs centered around the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).

Much of the data pulled for this report came from our Collective Insights Platform.

ReadySkill

Access to education.

We developed the ReadySkill platform to prepare learners for higher-paying careers in growing industries by providing holistic support. We hope to empower today’s talent for tomorrow’s opportunities, connecting learners with eligible social services to reduce barriers along their career path.

13

Prepared for increased need.

We are committed to getting the right food at the right time to the right place. It’s what we do. So, when the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) developed Farmers to Families Food Boxes, we joined as distribution partners (see below).

3.7K Protein boxes

23.6K Dairy boxes

14.8K Milk boxes

86K Combo boxes

62.2K Veggie boxes

31.5K Fruit boxes

Total Pounds

by Source

Produce Pounds

by Source

Purchased - 23% Donated - 35% Government - 42%

Purchased - 31% Donated - 69%

Distributed Product Mix Other Fresh - 11% Produce - 41% Shelf-Stable - 48%

14

Right food: 82,889,875 pounds, 52% fresh (produce, meat, dairy, and grains).

Right time: We purchased $11,785,421 in truckloads (485+ semis) to support communities when they needed it the most.

Right place: We drove 351,705 miles across our 20-county footprint delivering to partner agencies to make sure no one goes hungry.

Be our guest.

A “smart edu-farm” seven-acre concept on the Hilltop in Columbus can seem like we’re dreaming on cloud nine (no magic beanstalks here). So, this past year, we invited the community and corporations on tours to share the current and future vision of the Mid-Ohio Farm, where we’re making every acre count. Nineteen visits encouraged guests to imagine the future of farming and what the next season will bring. In addition, Highland Youth Garden students eagerly joined us on multiple occasions to learn more about new growing methods and assist us in harvesting.

Lettuce plugs Failed - 3,840

Plug Plants

Germinated - 7,838

n Colli Collin, a senior at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, spent nine weeks this summer interning with Mid-Ohio Farm. During his internship he created a printable 3D model of the vertical tower pots that can be used in community outreach and scaling the adoption of this innovative farming technique. Collin said, “I really enjoyed this internship experience and am so grateful that it was part of my professional and personal journey.”

Spinach plugs Failed -2,560

Germinated - 1,152

Kale plugs Failed -100

Germinated - 668

This season saw us experiment with innovative techniques and efficiencies. Plug plants (data from our tests above) are seedlings germinated and grown in trays of small cells. When roots grow sufficiently, we can transplant them to vertical growing towers. We focused on precision fertilizing and the prevention of crop pests, weeds, and diseases. Due to those efficiencies, we exceeded the harvest rate of the average Verti-Gro client by 6% for a harvest rate of 98%. When at full production on a quarter-acre, we’ll be able to produce 235,000 lbs of mixed produce, 35,000 lbs more than projected!

15

Just what the doctor ordered.

We all struggle to build a healthy and balanced diet, but for some of us it’s not about making a choice. We believe in a food-based health care system for all. When you visit a Mid-Ohio Farmacy site every week, picking up a prescription can be fresh, vivid, and full of flavor!

COVID-19 has made it even more critical for this work to continue. As we know, our neighbors are experiencing higher rates of job loss and poor health. It is also more challenging to see a provider in-person. So we began enrolling patients via telemedicine so that the program could continue to reach those in need. One of our partner medical systems worked with us on an internal process to prompt clinicians to screen for food insecurity during telemedicine visits. It automatically generates the unique Farmacy ID card number assigned to a patient when signing up for the program, allowing us to mail Farmacy ID cards — typically handed out in person to the patient at the office — to people after their visit. For folks who cannot access the doctor’s office, this also increases health equity in expanding their options to “see” a provider and enroll in the program.

30K

Since 2016, we have worked with Federally Qualified Health Centers, insurers, and health systems across Ohio to increase access to fresh produce, connect patients to SNAP and other benefits, and advocate for policy change at the state and federal levels. This year, we brought on one additional managed care organization as a partner, bringing our total number of health care partners to eight.

We have enrolled more than 29,000 patients to date.

Years listed are financial years, which run from July 1st through June 30th.

28K

tie

nts

26K

of

pa

Terri

Nu

mb

er

24K

22K

20K 2019

16

2020

2021

“My husband is paralyzed and is in a wheelchair, and we have no transportation.

We learned about Mid-Ohio Food [Collective] through his doctor. Mid-Ohio provides us with fresh produce, milk, bread, fresh fish, and fresh meat. People may think it’s substandard; it’s not. Now since we get the fresh produce and fresh fruits that he needs, his A1C has gone down immensely, and his sugar level has gone down, so they are helping him get healthier.

I love them, I do. They’re so kind and caring and listen to you. I really, really appreciate them. They are not only feeding your belly, but they are feeding your soul.”

“Carry-out” our mission.

This past year, the pandemic hit us hard, like many restaurants.

The Mid-Ohio Kitchen at Roots along with our home at Reeb Avenue Center closed for a time in March 2020. When the center reopened in May, the Kitchen at Roots did not reopen for sit-down service, but instead shifted to a carry-out model to keep our customers safe and nourished. We continued to serve our Kid’s Cafe and community meals. 474,487 meals were distributed across all programs at 77 sites.

6 ibuted 178,4

d i s tr sC a fe

% of all kid’s meals Summer meals

e 6m

al s.

64%

of all kid’s meals were distributed during Summer months.

Kid

’

After School At Risk Child and Adult Care Food Program National School Lunch Program Summer Food Service Program

ick r t a P

Our neighbor Patrick regularly visits to pick up lunch and dinner at Mid-Ohio Kitchen at Roots. He was able to land a steady job during the pandemic and reconnected with his daughter after 19 years of never having the opportunity to see her. Each time he visits, he reports back on his living conditions and milestones. He is sure to mention his appreciation for his meals and “for being a reliable resource for him to depend on when things get tough.”

He is looking forward to the indoor dining of the café reopening to share a “good, quality meal” with his daughter one day.

17

Removing stigma around who hunger affects.

Mid-Ohio Markets are an exciting approach to free food markets. We provide customers access to a no-cost grocery store experience that offers convenient access to space for more! We’re making fresh, healthy food and wrap-around services more accessible. And we’re doing it one market at a time. Current markets are in Reynoldsburg (HEART) and on the campus of Columbus State Community College. We plan to open three more markets next year!

New households 4K

Single adult households with children

Household only came once

3K 2K

Households with children

Households with seniors

Households with three members or less 2K

iu s

Market at Columbus State Market at HEART

Dar 18

3,397 households 5,147 households

3K

4K

5K

6K

Our first Mid-Ohio Market opened at 400 Grove St. in partnership with Columbus State Community College. Through our partnership, the market seeks to raise awareness and change the stigma around student hunger. Wrap-around services include assistance with SNAP, technology distribution, and direct cash assistance to students. Students using the market are 7% more likely to stay enrolled verses the overall student population. The market served 1,000 students this past year.

“Halfway through last semester, I lost the other job I had outside of Columbus State, and that’s where it really got a little bit rocky.

You have to think about, do I want to pay my bills, or do I want to eat? I can come here and get all of my produce, get all my rice and potatoes and cereal. It really eliminates a lot of the stuff I have to go get. I think if you just come one time, you can see the benefits it has.”

For more student stories go to:

Reach out. Ask Questions. Speak up. Share your story.

We’re working hard every day to discuss why hunger exists, to encourage curiosity, and to educate the public about who it affects. We don’t pass judgment because we know the whole story isn’t surface-level. Instead, we use the power of media and social media to help spread our message and keep people informed. As a result, we were featured in print, digital, and televised stories 662 times at the local, state, and national levels.

Here are some of our highlights:

Tom Tom renewed his vows after 55 years of marriage, and only six weeks later, his wife Joan passed away. “When you sit around and think about things like that too much, it really brings on depression, so I didn’t want that to happen,” Tom said. Joan volunteered at a soup kitchen that shut down during the pandemic. So, in April, Tom visited the Mid-Ohio Food Collective.

After his tour, Tom was signed up for a shift once a week and said, “I’d prefer to come every weekday if you’ll have me. I want to help where I can, even if I am 81 years old.” Tom views volunteering as his full-time job. After three years in the Army, 19 years active duty in the National Guard, and 15 years as a warehouse worker, Tom says, “It’s a great job. It’s something I don’t want to give up soon. Joan would be happy.”

60 Minutes - COVID-19 Recession

This year our social media strategy moved away from prioritizing growth and engagement into prioritizing impressions and reach so that customers could access as much information as possible.

PBS - ONG Help State Food Banks

10TV - Expanding Pantry Hours

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Board of Trustees (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021) Chair AMY GILMORE IGS Energy

Vice Chair BRIAN JEPSON OhioHealth West Market

Secretary/Treasurer ARIANA ULLOA -OLAVARRIETA Ohio University

Immediate Past Chair RICK REMIKER Retired

BRENT BAHNUB Apogee Process Improvement

PHIL DION American Electric Power

THOMAS L. KIRKPATRICK American Electric Power

DAMON PORTER Grange Insurance

REV. VIRGINIA LOHMANN BAUMAN St. John’s United Church of Christ

DEVIN FUHRMAN Nationwide Insurance

TAMMY MCCONNAUGHEY Alliance Data

RICH ROSEN Indigo Strategies

MICHELLE CHRISTENSEN Big Lots Inc.

MICHAEL (CASEY) HERMAN PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC

AMY MCCORMICK The Kroger Co.

JOSH SELL Wendy’s QSCC

DANIEL CREEKMUR NiSource

ROD HOUPE Education Networks of America

BOBBY D. MOSER The Ohio State University, Emeritus

MARK STEWART Stewbean Productions LLC

DONALD DENNIS Huntington National Bank

ERIC JOYNER Cardinal Health

VAMSHI PASHAM OSU Fisher Fellow

JIM WEEAST OhioHealth GREGORY P. ZUNKIEWICZ Edward Jones

Agency Council (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021) STEPHANIE BAKER Community Resources Center Pantry

GLORIA CLOSSER Yorkville UMC Pantry

KATHY KELLY-LONG Broad Street Presbyterian Church

TIM SNYDER Betheda Christian Church

WINNIE BREWER Marion City Schools

TOM COVER Muskingum Network

AMY KERNS St. Stephens Community House

DON SWOGGER Grove City Food Pantry

ALEX BROKWACCLOT TEY Inprem

VICKI CRAFT Lifecare Alliance

NICK LINKENHOKER Worhtington Food Pantry & Resource Center

MICHELLE TIBURZIO Moms2be

MARTIN BUTLER Neighborhood Services, Inc.

MISTY DECKER Lutheran Social Services Network of Hope

BETH MCGEE Clintonville Community Resource Center

KEELY WARDEN Christ’s Table

MARDI CIRIACO Gladden Food Pantry

JENNIFER FRALIC Lutheran Social Services Network of Hope

CANDICE MCMILLEN Salvation Army Cambridge

LINDSAY WILLIAMS Victory Ministries

ROY CLARK NNEMAP

KATHY HOFF People in Need

ALETHA MULLINS Canal Winchester Human Services

2020 Fresh Perspective Council JOSHUA BISHOP Huntington National Bank

TARYN HAMMOND Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

ELLEN MACKE NiSource/Columbia Gas

ASHLEY OTLER OhioHealth

KIMBERLY ROGERS Rogers Krajnak Architects, Inc.

BRIT TANY BOULTON Finance Fund

KAYLEE KARSH Abbott Nutrition

RACHELLE MCDONOUGH JobsOhio

MONICA PLUCINSKI Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities

KATIE SHIRLEY Grange Insurance

BRIAN GLORIOSO American Electric Power

CRAIG LONG Installed Building Products

MAT T OCHELTREE North Central Mental Health Services, Inc.

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KAYLEE POWERS Justice

LEE ANN WHALEY Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services SARAH ZIPF JPMorgan Chase

Managing resources to best support our hungry neighbors. how we use our resources 93%

monetary support

sources of support 69%

4.5%

31%

% 2.5

2%

9.8% 5.

25 .5

%

2.6% 22 %

.9 34 PROGRAM SERVICES ADMINISTRATION FUNDRAISING TOTAL

$114,982,997 $5,627,572 $ 3,121,936 $123,732,505

FOOD VALUE MONETARY VALUE TOTAL

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR

$87,075,393 $ 38,422,125 $125,497,518

$26,982,999 $37,557,246 $64,540,245

32

%

INDIVIDUALS $13,396,210 GOVERNMENT $ 9,807,062 CORP & FOUNDATIONS $8,447,822 OTHER $ 3,753,710 EARNED INCOME $2,000,736 OPERATION FEED $ 1,016,585 TOTAL $38,422,125

States represented + Washington D.C. and Armed Forces

18,535 donors With your support, alongside our community partners, $3.7 MILLION was raised for Double Your Donation Day on December 16, 2020, to help connect nutritious food and groceries to our hungry neighbors across Central and Eastern Ohio. Whether you donated, volunteered, or spread the word, we deeply thank you for a #DYDD of overwhelming support for our mission of ending hunger — today, tomorrow, and for a lifetime.

New donors - 9,058 Returning donors - 9,477 Top 5 County Engagement 1. Franklin 2. Delaware 3. Fairfield 4. Licking 5. Madison

Top 5 City Engagement 1. Columbus 2. Westerville 3. Dublin 4. Hilliard 5. Powell

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mid-ohio food collective

foodbank | farm | farmacy | kitchen | market 3960 Brookham Drive, Grove City, OH 43123 614.277.FOOD (3663) | www.mofc.org development@mofc.org | info@mofc.org

please visit our website to see the many generous donors and supporters who advance our mission.

mofc.org/2021report 22 Designed in-house by

Mid-Ohio Food Collective

Mid-Ohio Food Collective 2019 Annual Report