Mid-Ohio Food Collective 2022 Impact Report

ENDING HUNGER ONE NOURISHING MEAL AT A TIME WHILE CO-CREATING COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYONE THRIVES.

Friends, as I reflect on last year, I am humbled by the collective resilience and compassion that made it possible to build on our work through another year of the unexpected. With our network’s help, MOFC continued to meet our neighbors’ immediate needs while laying the groundwork for the future. We didn’t just hold the line in our fight against hunger— we pushed ahead.

Families who came to MOFC and our partners left with fresh, healthy foods for their tables despite supply chain disruptions and record inflation. What’s more, we expanded our network of reimagined neighborhood markets and urban farms, provided fresh produce to more Ohioans through our “food is health" strategies, and pushed forward on solutions addressing our customers’ holistic needs.

All this is proof that with our combined efforts and fresh perspectives, we can realize long-term strategies to create healthier, hunger-free communities. On behalf of our customers, volunteers, Board, and staff, thank you for your support and dedication. I look forward to building on these successes with you in the years to come.

Matt Habash President & CEO

Managing resources to best support our hungry neighbors How we use our resources Sources of Revenue

MONETARYREVENUE

Net Assets

With your support, alongside our community partners, $3.2 Million was raised for Double Your Donation Day (DYDD) on December 14, 2021, to help connect nutritious food and groceries to our hungry neighbors across central and eastern Ohio.

*primarily due to unrealized loss on investments.

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.

Engagement by County (Top 5)

Delaware (12.95%)

Franklin (67.19%)

Other Counties (1.73%)

Fairfield (5.29%)

Licking (3.41%)

Madison (1.73%)

MOFC surpasses campaign goal with help from the community.

The Rooted in You campaign set out to re-imagine our community’s approach to ending hunger. Our goal was ambitious: raising $30 Million to transform our work to better meet the needs of customers.

Learn more at RootedInYou.org

The campaign set out to tear down barriers and meet customers where they are. It targeted five major investments: MidOhio Markets, data and insights, MidOhio Farm, facility innovations, and sustainability support. Re-imagining our

work in hunger relief relies upon a generous, caring community. Rooted in You was led by six extraordinary campaign co-chairs and a dedicated campaign steering committee.

Transformational support came from both the public

and private sectors, including individuals, businesses, foundations, and local governments coming together to tackle the root causes of hunger. We surpassed our campaign goal, raising over $41 Million to end hunger in central and eastern Ohio.

Tackling Students’ Weekend Hunger

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed how students accessed school meals. Households with children learning remotely could receive up to a full week of lunches and breakfasts through their school district, but these students’ plates would be empty over the weekends. MOFC, through generous donations, was able to source much-needed food to distribute through backpack programs within our 20-county network to address this weekend hunger.

Backpack programs in Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, and Jefferson counties received pre-assembled backpack kits so they could efficiently distribute them to their local schools. More than 10,000 kits were distributed between October 2021 and March 2022, helping meet the nutrition needs of upwards of 1,000 school-age children.

County Highlight

This year, MOFC launched the “CrossCounty Team” with a mission to build equity for all counties we serve. The team features employees from across our organization working together to improve access to food and

wraparound services throughout our service area. Members of the team have been networking in selected counties to deepen local relationships. Through meetings with Chambers of Commerce, local elected officials, community development

organizations, and small businesses, the Cross-County Team is raising awareness of MOFC’s work and exploring opportunities for collaboration to better serve our customers.

The Team has been working to develop better models of

In the news

MOFC saw increased services for individuals in our 20-county footprint.

Percent of population that sought out assistance

information gathering, including the creation of a county-level template to match needs and services in individual counties. Outreach continues county–by county with a focus on potential Mid-Ohio Markets and other strategies to make a difference in every community.

Building the model

Making it all possible

The Norton Road market was made possible with support from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, which committed $2 million to the Mid-Ohio Market strategy, supported MOFC’s Rooted in You campaign, and played a pivotal role in the purchase of the Norton Road building. We thank them for their critical support!

MOFC expanded our dignified, free grocery store strategy with a new Mid-Ohio Market located on Columbus’ previously underserved Far West Side at 620 Norton Road. In the months since its grand opening in May 2022, the Mid-Ohio Market at Norton Road has served 300-500 families each day with access to fresh food and supportive services.

Access for all

Linda and her husband Rodney are seniors and Norton shoppers. They value the market for its quality food, convenient location, and friendly staff. “I don’t have a computer, and they helped me,” Linda said. “We’ve already taken several neighbors there to see it for themselves.”

Help us keep the shelves full!

Visit mofc.org/volunteer to sign up for a stocking shift at Norton Road and experience our innovative model firsthand. Or visit mofc.org/donate to learn how your gift of food or money can help hungry families.

“As someone who grew up in Columbus, I’m happy to serve my community at Norton Road. Working here has brought me a lot of insight and growth. We have accomplished so much in our first year here, and I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store.”

Jasmin Cendejas, Market Team Lead

In the news

The Mid-Ohio Food Collective provides enough food for more than 189,000 meals a day. The food bank just opened a new market on Norton Road in Columbus, in hopes to feed even more families.

“It was a pleasure to serve Norton Road. I was impressed with the setup where customers who struggle with food insecurities are able to select nutritious foods for their families that fit their wants and needs with respect and dignity. You guys rock!”

Nancy N., Market Volunteer

What's next?

MOFC remains committed to bringing accessible, healthy food options to every corner of our 20-county footprint, and our network of Mid-Ohio Markets will keep growing. Up next is the Market at St. Stephens Community House in Columbus’ Linden neighborhood. The updated location will offer shoppers their choice of fresh produce and groceries using our innovative shop-through model. MOFC also looks forward to opening its first Mid-Ohio Market outside of Central Ohio in the coming year.

Fresh Solutions

We continued tackling hunger by growing programs that bring fresh, healthy food to our neighbors.

With support from Humana, MOFC helped two agency partners expand their programs with capital and transportation investments.

Mid-Ohio Farmacy enrolled thousands more customers getting free produce

after referrals from health providers.

“When people can eat healthily, they can be healthy. Last year, we collaborated with 11 health care partners to grow Mid-Ohio Farmacy enrollment by more than 6,700. Now, more than 35,000 Ohioans in that program can reap the long-term wellness benefits of fresh produce,” said Amy Headings, Ph.D, MOFC Director of Research

and Nutrition.

In June, we broke ground on a new urban farm on the property of NBC4 to increase awareness of our work and feed the surrounding community.

Our Farm at NBC4, was made possible by the generous support of the station, CAS, Battelle, the City of Columbus, OhioHealth, the Riverview

International Center, and our Franklin County Commissioners.

Fresh and familiar

Mallory learned about the Farmacy program through her doctor’s office. She said the healthy food has been helpful for her and her daughter.

“I feel blessed to receive such fresh produce,” she said. “I feel more energized, and it’s easier to make better choices when they are easily available.”

Ready for a fresh perspective?

Consider volunteering at one of our farms or schedule a tour with your school or community group to learn how MOFC can support growers in your neighborhood. You can also help spread MOFC’s “Food is Health” message by visiting www.mofc. org/farmacy.

“When the opportunity to help with the Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4 came about, I jumped at the chance to participate [and] provide fresh, healthy food to the community. Being able to participate was immensely satisfying, especially since we were able to see fresh produce being distributed to those in need.”

Karen S, Farm Volunteer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The MidOhio Food Collective and NBC4 announced a joint venture urban farm to grow up to 100,000 pounds of food annually. A fallow 2.7 acres behind NBC4 is being converted into the Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4.

What's next?

MOFC looks forward to our continued collaboration with NBC4 on spotlighting the value of urban farming to our Central Ohio neighbors. Together, we will tell stories that widen the impact and knowledge of the farm and work to connect other MOFC assets into a network of fresh food access. We also look forward to the continued expansion of our Farmacy program through strategic partnerships with more of Ohio’s managed care organizations and other health systems.

Serving the whole person

Hunger doesn't exist in a vacuum, and neither do its solutions. That's why MOFC continued to help customers tackle the upstream causes of hunger.

From feeding kids in after-school programs to offering job skill development and helping families enroll in SNAP and related programs, we continued to help our communities address hunger's root causes.

When Rusty unexpectedly lost his job and his car, he was unsure how he’d eat or pay his bills. Help with SNAP and Medicaid enrollment from MOFC helped him turn things around. “They helped me navigate and understand the process,” he said. “Receiving assistance has saved my life.”

“Providing food is only part of what we can do. We can support the whole person as well.

With more than 335,000 low-income Ohioans being uninsured, our team spent the past year expanding our mission to include assisting customers with enrollment in Medicaid and other health insurance programs,” said Juanita Burden, Director of Benefits and Customer Outreach.

In the news

Summer feeding program will make sure no child goes hungry. The Mid-Ohio Food Collective needs your help to make sure no child goes hungry this summer.

The value of time

Tamara volunteered at MOFC’s on-site pantry with her mother, who lives with dementia. “She loved putting [food] in the cart and would say, ‘there goes another happy family,’” Tamara said. “I am

hoping the day we spent together will stay in her heart forever.”

Whatever you bring to the table, you can help fight hunger. Spend a morning preparing meals at one of our Mid-Ohio Kitchen locations by signing up as a volunteer or learning how you can advocate for policies that help our neighbors. Sign up or learn more at www.mofc.org/ get-involved.

“Like many donors, we want to make sure our financial resources are put to good use. MOFC is 100% devoted to tackling hunger in Ohio and leverages every dollar raised to make the absolute maximum impact. I cannot think of a better organization and cause to donate to.”

Brendan Healy and Georgina Flower-Healy, MOFC Donors

What's next?

MOFC will continue to tackle hunger in FY2023 by strengthening our feeding programs, benefit navigation efforts, and antihunger advocacy.

In addition to our goal of distributing 360,000 meals in FY2023, we will boost efforts to help Ohioans obtain food

relief and health care benefits. And we plan to play a leading role in Ohio’s anti-hunger coalition during the state budget process and federal Farm Bill negotiations.

Learn the latest on all these efforts at www.mofc.org.

Board of Trustees (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022)

Amy Gilmore Board Chair IGS Energy

Ariana Ulloa-Olavarrieta Vice Chair Ohio University

Brent Bahnub Secretary/Treasurer Apogee Process Improvement

Andrew Badea OSU Fisher Fellow

Rev. Virginia

Lohmann Bauman

St. John’s United Church of Christ

Carol Bradford, MD, FACS

The Ohio State University

Priyam Khan Guidehouse

Daniel Creekmur NiSource

Donald Dennis Huntington National Bank

Mallory Donaldson Commission on Black Girls

Phil Dion American Electric Power

Devin Fuhrman Nationwide Insurance

Rod Houpe Education Networks of America

Eric Joyner Cardinal Health

Tammy McConnaughey Alliance Data

Amy McCormick The Kroger Co.

Brad McLean InnoSource

Bobby D. Moser The Ohio State University, Emeritus

Lacey Picazo ZoCo Design

Damon Porter Grange Insurance

Aslyne Rodriguez Central Ohio Transit Authority

Rich Rosen Indigo Strategies

Jim Weeast OhioHealth

Gregory P. Zunkiewicz Edward Jones

Partner Council (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022)

Stephanie Baker The Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center

Winnie Brewer Marion City Schools

Alex-Eric Abrokwa-Clottey Inprem

Martin Butler Neighborhood Services, Inc.

Mardi Ciriaco

Gladden Food Pantry

Roy Clark NNEMAP

Jennifer Fralic LSS Food Pantries

Beth Gibson Victory Ministries Pantry

Kathy Hoff People in Need

Kathy Kelly-Long Broad Street Presbyterian Church Pantry

Amy Kearns St. Stephen's Community House

Nick Linkenhoker Worthington Food Pantry & Resource Center

Aletha Mullins Canal Winchester Human Services

Beth Stewart-Magee The Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center

Don Swogger Grove City Food Pantry