Upper Arlington Rotary

Celia Crossley, Bill Mielke, Steve LaRosa and Rozanne Landers at Upper Arlington Rotary luncheon. The U.A. Rotarians provided the funds and the labor to build a small barn on the playground at the Dowd Education Center. It will be used to store the outdoor toys and balls. We are very grateful to the Rotarians for their support of all of our programs.

Fall is in the air....

There is a touch of fall in the air this week and time is flying by! The kids started school this week, maybe you noticed the corn moon in the sky, college football is just days away. Having said that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you know it. We currently have 104 children in our program... and we would love each one to have a Halloween costume this year. We have newborns on up and what a fun time of year for all of them. If you have any questions please feel free to call Karie (614) 461.9247....Enjoy the weekend...

Mural

We have a new mural on the side of our builiding. Below is the background about the murals in the Franklinton Area...

The murals were produced by the Franklinton Arts District (FAD) at the annual Urban Scrawl event. FAD is a small group of individuals who have come together to improve the image and condition of Franklinton through the Arts. These artists, residents and activists are working to make Franklinton a place where people and businesses will come and stay.

The organization has been host to a number of events to date, everything from “instant gallery” events, to the popularly attended Urban Scrawl and recently, GO WEST. Urban Scrawl is held in Dodge Park and is currently in its 3rd year. Dozens of local artists and aspirants take advantage of the donated sheets of wood which they can fill with the product of their talents.

In the past FAD has kept all of the art produced. Some have been sold to raise funds for the organization while others have been donated to other groups like the Franklinton Board of Trade. Of course several pieces were reserved to be hung in the community as part of a Broad Street beautification initiative.

Back to School Project...

The Back to School project was a huge success! We were able to help 76 children with a new outfit, 8 teenagers went shopping and over 100 children in our program and in the Franklinton area with a back pack full of supplies! Thanks for all who contributed to the success....

Come Home for the Holidays...

Save the date for a fun evening...Wine and beer tasting, hot hors d'ouevres and dessert buffets all evening, silent and live auctions -- and lots of fun.

Friday, November 5th from 6:30-10:00
Brookside Golf and Country Club 2770 West Dublin-Granville Road

Supplies

Thank you so much for the wonderful supplies that were donated this week from the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center residents and St. Mark's Episcopal Church parishioners...Every single one of our kids received a new back pack full of supplies!

Back to School Project...

The back to school project was a huge success! The kids are thrilled and ready to return to school on the 25th...

Here are just a few quote we heard in the office this week~

"I love my new backpack, it is beautiful!"

"Now I am all ready for school and I can not wait for the first day."

"Thanks for everything! If I had not received your help I don't know what I would have done."

"My new outfit is in my favorite color!"

Thanks again for your support!

Hair Cuts....

On Monday Brad and Kurt joined us for a day of hair cuts for the kids returning to school...The kids were so excited and loved their new looks! Thanks guys!

Last Week of Summer Program

The kids are having a great time the last week of school. Look at all the milk mustaches.
Soon, back to class. Staff is working to get everyone ready: haircuts on Monday, backpacks on Wednesday and new outfits all around.

Back to School Supplies

Thank you so very GBQ Partners, LLC for the large amount of back to school supplies! Everything will be put to use in just a few weeks when the kids return to school...

Mary Kirkey

Thank you to our longtime friend and supporter Mary Kirkey for her always thoughtful donations of pillows. Mary and her husband Bob started out donating pillows to us years ago during the holidays. Since Bob's passing Mary has continued to be a huge support to Homeless Families Foundation bringing us baby items and new pillows. We appreciate her always thinking of us!

Backpacks...

Thank you to the Tom Fennessey group today for the backpacks and supplies that were donated to help our children with back to school...Great group of people!

Back to School...

Byrnna & Victoria along with Byrnna's mom Lisa had a blast shopping from our kids back to school list...We truly are blessed to have them support us...Thanks ladies!

Lack of access to nutritious fare in poor areas contributes to obesity, other problems

Lack of access to nutritious fare in poor areas contributes to obesity, other problems

Happy Days...

I read this article today and thought I would share....

This month's challenge in Woman's Day magazine: Family

Of all the resolutions I’ve tried for my happiness project, one stands out as my favorite. It’s free, fun and easy, yet it has a dramatic effect on the atmosphere in my house. What is it? I make it a point to hug my husband and my kids more often. Being affectionate with your family is one of the fastest ways to feel happier. Study after study shows that hugging relieves stress, increases feelings of closeness and even diminishes pain. And a Pennsylvania State University study found that people who gave five hugs a day for a month to as many different people as possible were happier than those who didn’t.

To get the most out of your squeeze, hold it for at least 20 seconds. That magic number triggers an increase in the mood-boosting hormone oxytocin, according to research from the University of North Carolina.

I’m really enjoying this resolution: I give my husband proper good-morning, welcome-home and good-night hugs and kisses. And I go out of my way to show affection to my two daughters throughout the day-cuddling them in my lap, stroking their hair, pulling them close when I sit or stand near them.

While it’s nice to be able to point to research that underscores the benefits of affection, the truth is we really don’t need scientific studies to prove that sharing hugs with the ones we love leads to happiness. That we know from experience.

~Gretchen Rubin

Lending a Helping Hand....

Volunteer, Joe LaRosa, helps load donations into the HFF truck. The donations are used for our shelter units and for our families when they move into their own homes.