HFF Information Newsletter

Thank you!

2011-12-22T09:24:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who helped over the last few weeks to make our Holiday Store a huge success! Everyone of our families will be sharing a wonderful holiday with their children.

Happy Holidays!

Santa Letter

2011-12-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

What are your children asking Santa for this year? A young man, age 11, living with his family at The Homeless Families Foundation recently told Santa what he wants and it probably sounds like your child’s list. He listed WWE action figures, Tee-shirts (size 14, XL in boys), and Ohio State football items, etc. I am posting a copy of his letter so that you can see his entire list.

HFF is setting up our annual Christmas store so that parents can chose gifts for their children, using HFF dollars, and wrap them with the help of volunteers. This unique and wonderful program helps these families enjoy Christmas.

Anything you can do to help the children and families being served by HFF would be greatly appreciated. Our store still needs of tween and teenager items, baby dolls, trucks, learning games and clothing. Please feel free to contact Karie for more information (614) 461-9247 or by email – kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Holiday Wish List

2011-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season is approaching we at The Homeless Families Foundation are looking forward to another successful season. Last year we were able to provide a wonderful holiday for approximately 225 children, helping over 100 families.

For the past several years we have set up a Holiday gift “store” where the mothers and fathers could go “shopping” to choose gifts for their children. We did this as a way to more involve the parents in the Holiday season. We helped current families and some previous families that found themselves still needing assistance.

We are going to be doing the same thing this year and are asking for donations for newborns through the age of 18. (See list below) We need to have new toys and clothing into our main office by Tuesday, December 13th. We are also asking for donations of gift wrap, tags and tape.

It is such a joyous time at The Homeless Families Foundation and without community support we would not be able to provide such a wonderful Holiday for our families. We thank you in advance for your support.

Should you have any questions please call Karie @ (614) 461-9247 or by e-mail
kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Wish List

Clothing
New sweatshirts/sweatpants/ jeans and tops all sizes both boys and girls
New underwear all sizes toddler to teenager both boys and girls
New socks all sizes toddler to teenager both boys and girls

Toys
Fisher Price toys
Lego sets
Learning toys (all ages)
Board games (monopoly, sorry, checkers, operation)
Popular DVD’s
Basketballs, Footballs, Soccer balls/ pumps
Diary’s with gel pens
Books (Harry Potter, Junie B Jones, Box Car Children etc)
Make-up and Hair accessories

Teenagers tend to get left out so we are asking for gift cards from: Target, Wal-mart, Old Navy, Famous Footwear, Bath & Body Works, AMC Movies, Best Buy, McDonalds etc.

On-Going shelter needs:
Gift cards (Kroger, Wal-Mart, Target) $5/$10/$20
Pots and pans
Twin size bedding (sheets, blankets, pillows)
Bath & Kitchen towels
Cleaning supplies (409, Pine-sol, Dish Soap etc)
Lysol Disinfectant Spray & Wipes
Diapers/Wipes (all sizes)

Holiday Help

2011-12-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Holiday Help

December 13th~ Donations should be dropped off by this day
Monday-Thursday 8:30-5:00 and Friday 8:30-3:00.

December 12th-December 16th ~ We need help setting up the holiday store & organizing general donations. The hours will be Monday-Thursday 9:00-4:30 and Friday 9:00-2:30.

December 19th-December 22nd ~We will need help organizing the store and general donations, helping the families shop for their children and then gift wrapping the items. The hours will be Monday-Thursday 9:00-4:30 and Friday 9:00-2:30.

January 3rd -January 6th~ We will need help cleaning out the holiday store and putting away general donations. The hours will be Monday-Thursday 9:00-4:30 and Friday 9:00-2:30.

Thank you in advance for your help this year we certainly could not do what we do at HFF without community support….

Halloween 2011

2011-10-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you Diane and Joy for bringing 70 Halloween Costumes for our children to wear this year! Thank you to everyone who supported this project at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Upper Arlington....Our children are going to be thrilled!

Come Home for the Holidays

2011-09-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again! The annual Come Home for the Holidays silent auction and wine tasting event at Brookside Golf and Country Club is scheduled for Friday, November 4th from 6:00pm-10:00pm. Come Home for the Holidays is the premier fundraise for The Homeless Families Foundation (HFF).

HFF is a family shelter in Columbus, Ohio. It provides shelter and support services for homeless families and an extensive tutoring and enrichment program for homeless and at-risk school aged children. HFF's mission is to provide shelter, support, stability and nurturing to homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire permanent housing.

Your support as a volunteer is critical to Come Home for the Holidays and to the continued success of HFF in providing shelter and critical programs to families and children in Central Ohio. Over 60 volunteers are needed. I hope you will consider volunteering from 6:00pm-10:00pm on Friday, November 4th for Come Home for the Holidays.

Please let me know if you are interested in assisting the children and families of Central Ohio by volunteering at Come Home for the Holidays and what volunteer jobs you are most interested. Positions available for volunteering:

Silent Auction Table Staff Greeters
Raffle Ticket Sellers and Surprise Boxes
Check In
Registration/Check Out

In addition, please feel free to pass this information along to your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and colleagues. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at subhalembach@gmail.com or 614.743.0104.

Best,

Subha Lembach
Chair, Volunteers
Come Home for the Holidays
http://www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org/

Community Care Day

2011-09-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you NBC4 and Bob Evans....So fun to see everyone's smiling faces as they gave back to their community today!

Thank You....

2011-08-23T11:02:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow starts a fresh new school year for our kids...Thanks to our wonderful community over 120 children (current and former families) will return on the first day with a new outfit and a back pack full of supplies....The smiles on everyone's faces is contagious!

Back To School Project

2011-08-19T09:47:00.001-07:00

Thanks to our dear friends and supporters with the Tom Fennessy / Mike Harden Back-To-School Project for the wonderful backpacks full of supplies. The project helps us every year so that we may send our kids back to school with everything they will need to start the year out right!

http://www.tomfennessy.org/history.htm

Back To School

2011-07-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

July is quickly coming to an end, hard to believe. The staff and volunteers @ HFF are starting to get things ready for our children to return to school, but we can not do this without your help. Our goal this year is to help approximately 125 children with their first day of school. This will include a new outfit and backpack full of supplies.

Volunteers shop for the younger children and our teenagers are given a budget and are taken shopping to see how many fun things they can purchase, with one requirement - they must purchase at least one complete outfit, the rest can be used for accessories, make-up or cologne etc.

It is really an exciting time and we look forward to sharing the results with you!

For more information please feel free to contact Karie - kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org or by phone (614) 461-9247.

Thank you for your support and have a great day!
www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Ohio State Fair....

2011-07-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine never having been to the Ohio State Fair??

Most of the kids at HFF have never experienced it. Our summer school teachers want to take our 5th and middle school students to the Fair as a reward for doing excellent work on the curriculum being used through the Main Library. The reward is for students who have shown 80% mastery in their prescribed standard areas in both math and reading. These children have shown a willingness to succeed and an excitement for the overall program.

The funding for our summer programs was cut by over 35% this year. We need another $375 to take this trip so we can reward our kids for their great academic achievement. Will you help us raise this by tomorrow?

Please go to www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org or contact Susan Davis at 614-461-9247.

25th Anniversay Kick Off

2011-07-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

What a great way to kick off our 25th Anniversary! Employee Appreciation Breakfast was put together for the staff today and what a wonderful morning it was. Muffins, scrambled eggs with bacon, juice, fresh fruit, and great conversation. Thanks so much to Lynne Smith, Lisa Newkirk and her daughter Brenna for all their hard work and thank you staff for 25 years!

Back To School

2011-07-12T12:08:00.001-07:00

Wow is it really July 12th already? How fast time flies! We know that school just ended for most the first part of June but here at the Homeless Families Foundations we are already in full motion so we can be ready for the new school year in August.

Our goal this year as well as in years past is to provide each elementary child with 2 new outfits, new socks, underwear and a backpack full of supplies. For our Middle School and High School children we give them a budget and take them shopping. With guidance, most have come home with 4 tops, 2 pairs of pants and accessories.

It is a very exciting time but we need your help! We are currently accepting donations of new clothing, socks, underwear, and cash (for teenage shoppers/to purchase outfits and uniforms). We will also need volunteers to assist with organizing donations, filling the backpacks with supplies, shopping for uniforms and assisting our teenagers with their shopping experience.

If you have any questions or are interested in assisting us this year you can call Karie @ (614) 461-9247 or e-mail kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful day!

St Matthew's group lends a helping hand....

2011-07-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the youth group from St. Matthews who came today with helping hands. They were only here for a short period but they got a lot done....Thanks kids!

Cassie's Artwork....

2011-06-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

I’m having my first gallery showing and am inviting everyone to come out and not only see my work, but check out the this wonderful little gallery that supports local artists.

My pieces will be hanging from June 4- June 14th but the Artist Reception Event is on Saturday, June 11th from 8:00pm-Midnight at CS Gallery, located at 66 Parsons Ave. (Between E. Broad and Main St, Cattycorner to CaraBar). The gallery is open during the week (Monday-Friday normal business hours) so patrons are always welcome to stop by and view the art prior to the reception. All the artwork is done by local artists and is up for sale.

I have a wide arrange of things I can do and am more than happy to meet with people to show them my portfolio. My prices are very reasonable right now because I am working on establishing myself as an artist.

For more information on CS Gallery and Studio, go to http://www.cobenickstudios.com/csgallery/index.htm

Thanks and I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Heart of Ohio Run

2011-06-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

The upcoming 5K, 10K, 1M Heart of Ohio event will be held in Downtown Columbus on July 30, 2011 is designed to be a fund-raiser for HFF. This event was created to help Ohio area non-profits raise much needed funding. The process for our organization is simply that we gather as many volunteers as we can to walk, run, wheelchair or str...oll the race. They take pledges for doing so. Every penny they raise goes directly to HFF. We report how much we have raised to Champions for Charity.

http://www.heartofohiorun.com/

We need a volunteer to head this up for HFF. Training is provided. Please call Susan Davis @ (614) 461-9247 ext. 121 if interested. Thanks so much.

The Dowd Center Gardens

2011-05-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

The Dowd Gardens have been created to teach our children in the afterschool and summer programs about gardening, nutrition and using fresh vegetables in their meals; to increase the amount of fresh produce used by the Center’s cook in preparing meals for the children; and as a way to supplement the food supply for the families of the participating children. In these pictures the kindergarten and first grade classes are preparing their beds for next week’s planting.

Email Address....

2011-05-18T11:23:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered - am I missing something? Well don't let that be a worry! We are working hard to update our data base and we need your help....Please email Karie with your email address so you never have to miss an update, a wonderful success story, or an upcoming event... kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Stay dry and have a wonderful afternoon!

www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Fans....

2011-05-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been beautiful! With the weather heating up, so will our apartment units for our families. We are in need of fans! We have found the fans that work best are the ones shown in this picture. We have purchased them in the past from places like Wal-mart and Target in the $25-$30 price range. If you have any questions please feel free to call Karie (614) 461-9247 or email kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org. Enjoy the sunshine!

Happy Mother's Day...

2011-05-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

Homeless Families Foundation staff would like to wish all the beautiful mother's a Happy Mother's Day....Relax and enjoy!

http://www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org/

Tiffany...

2011-05-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Tiffany is a Case Manager with the Rolling Stock Program. She holds a Bachelors Degree from Randolph Macon College in Ashland Virginia. She is originally from the Westside of Columbus, and now lives with her husband and daughter here in town. Tiffany brings a variety of experience to the team. Tiffany enjoys backpacking and being in the mountains or on the beach.

Rotary Day 2011

2011-05-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you Rotarians for all the help on Saturday! Bushes were pruned, weeds were pulled and mulch was spread at The Dowd Education Center.

It is only through community support that we can continue our mission. To provide shelter, support, stability, and nurturing for homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire permenant housing.

http://www.homelessfamiliesfoundation.org/

Pine Wood Derby 4/14/2011

2011-04-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Homeless Families Foundation Dowd Education Center hosted its Annual Pine Car Derby. The Center's Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, and staff all built and raced their cars while families cheered them on. Everyone had fun during the race and afterwards enjoyed a family style dinner and swapped stories.

A Dear Friend

2011-04-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that I share with you that Nancy Young, our Board secretary, devoted Trustee and friend of HFF, passed away yesterday at her home. Her obituary is in today’s paper. The family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to HFF. I know you will join me in prayers for her family. Nancy’s unique personality and love of life will be missed. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=nancy-belville-young&pid=150279054&fhid=6004

Kroger Rewards Program....

2011-03-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Kroger Community Rewards Program Make your groceries count – We all have to eat! If you shop at Kroger already your purchases can help benefit The Homeless Families Foundation. It is time to re-enroll in Kroger Community Rewards for the coming year. Please visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com starting Friday, April 1st. List The Homeless Families Foundation as your recipient, encourage your family and friends to join as well. Even if you have not participated in the past we would encourage you to go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com and sign up now. You will need to have a valid Kroger account and a Kroger plus card to participate. If you do not have a Kroger account you can sign up here as well. Re-enrollment must be done through the internet so please if you have a friend or family member that does not have access to the internet help sign them up to support The Homeless Families Foundation. If you have any questions please feel free to call Karie @ (614) 461-9247. If you are interested in making a general contribution please click the “donate now” button and follow the prompts. Thanks again for your continued support and Happy Spring!

Daisy Girl Scout Troop

2011-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a wonderful group of Daisy Girls Scouts came to HFF to deliver over 50 boxes of cookies...There were such fun and asked some really great quesitons...

*Where do you receive your funding from?

*Do we serve healthy meals?

*Do we allow pets?

*Do the kids here celebrate their birthday's and what do we do for them for their birthday"s

*How long can families stay with us?

*How many families do we help?

Mind you these were 6 and 7 year old young ladies! Great quesitons!

Happy Spring...

2011-03-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day....

2011-03-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.....

Food Boxes....

2011-03-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, March 13th we received 400 food boxes from our friends at St Joan of Ark church to help benefit The Homeless Families Foundation....We had over 25 volunteers here to help with the project....Thank you so much to everyone who participated. It is only through community support that we can continue our mission. To provide shelter, support, stability and nurturing to homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire permanent housing.

New Development Director, Susan Davis

2011-03-11T08:49:00.002-08:00

I’d like to introduce you to our new Development Director, Susan Davis. Susan has over 10 years of development experience with local non-profits including OhioHealth, Netcare and PDHC. She also has a master’s degree in business from Franklin University. Susan will be concentrating on major donor solicitation, donor relationship management and metrics associated with our very generous support base. She will also be working on our very special 25th Anniversary celebration and the Come Home for the Holidays event. In her spare time Susan enjoys spending time with her family and friends and sings alto in her church choir. Susan is excited to be in her new role and looks forward to meeting everyone associated with The Homeless Families Foundation.

2011-03-11T08:49:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all the wonderful young ladies in Girl Scouts! We have had several Troops bring us in cookies, mini homemade loaves of banana bread, sheets, pillows, blankets, cleaning supplies,and books...Thank you ladies for your continued support!(Pictured is Troop #2303)
Thank you to all the wonderful young ladies in Girl Scouts! We have had several Troops bring us in cookies, mini homemade loaves of banana bread, sheets, pillows, blankets, cleaning supplies,and books...

Thank you ladies for your continued support!

(Pictured is Troop #2303)

60 Minutes story on Homeless Children

2011-03-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7358670n

The Dowd Center Olympics 2011

2011-02-28T10:18:00.001-08:00

Thanks to David Zid and the Columbus Rotary for sponsoring the 3rd Annual Dowd Olympics yesterday. 45 children ages k - 8th grade competed in obstacle courses, long jump, sit ups, push ups, etc as well as learning about good nutrition. Many proud moms, dads, siblings and HFF staff and Board.

Fun New Tables....

2011-02-18T09:23:00.001-08:00

ABB Inc. volunteers from left to right: Daryl Davis, Electronics Technician; Bill Buss, Applications Consultant; Dave Chappell, Proposal Engineer; Sarah Zaremba, Marketing Communications Manager; Stephanie McCool, Business Administrator; Susan Dudley, Administrative Assistant; Christian Colon, Breadstick Specialist; Miguel Colon, Electronics Technician; not pictured – Cassie Phipps, Senior Software Engineer.

Tuesday, February 16, 2011 proved sweeter than Valentine’s Day for the children who attend The Homeless Families Foundation Dowd Education Center. This is the day that volunteers from ABB Inc. in Westerville brought a pizza party to them to help celebrate the new tables in the Center cafeteria. ABB Inc. in Westerville applied to the ABB Inc. Foundation for a sizable grant that secured ten, 12-stool modern, easy to clean, easy to move cafeteria tables. The new tables provide greater safety for the children and greater flexibility in using our large upstairs room. We truly appreciate this gift and all that ABB Inc. has done for us for the last few years. ABB Inc. is one of the world’s leading engineering companies. They help customers use electrical power effectively and increase industrial productivity in a sustainable way. Their corporate culture allows them to reach out into the communities where they work and we are very grateful that these wonderful people continue to come alongside The Homeless Families Foundation.

Daytime Columbus

2011-01-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Adrienne Corbett our Executive Director will be on Daytime Columbus with Gail Hogan today at 11:00 on channel 4....Please join us....

Barnes and Noble Reading Program

2011-01-25T08:06:00.001-08:00

The Barnes and Noble Reading Program for the Dowd was buy one children’s book and by a second book to be donated to the Dowd Center. They brought approximately 1000 books, kindergarten through middle school.

The pictures show Stephanie Mendelson, the Dowd Center’s Reading Interventionist, working with a group of children in the library at the Dowd Center. The books the children and Ms. Mendelson are reading are some of the books donated by Barnes and Noble.

Thank you....

2010-12-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season at The Homeless Families Foundation was once again very busy and festive. We would like to thank those who made the holidays a special time for our children and their families. With overwhelming community support we were able to provide a wonderful holiday for well over 200 children, helping over 100 families.

Your kindness and generosity have helped make a difference in the lives of our families. It is only through community partners like you that we are able to achieve our Mission to provide shelter, support, stability, and nurturing for homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire and maintain permanent housing. We thank you again for your concern, support and generosity.

Evening Street Elementary

2010-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

Children reaching out to other children – the third grade classes from Evening Street Elementary in Worthington gave the gift of their talents to the children at the Homeless Families Foundation. The Evening Street students wrote individual stories about a favorite animal. After illustrating their special stories, they donated a stuffed animal AND fashioned gift bags decorated as the animal described in their story. Adrienne Corbett, HFF Executive Director met with the children to talk with them about the challenges of being homeless and answered many thoughtful and insightful questions. Special thanks to Mrs. Smith who coordinates this activity.

2010-12-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

This is a copy of the letter we received with a wonderful check!

Hello, my name is Annie Davis. I am a sixth grader at Saint Michael School in Worthington, Ohio. I was reading an article that said there was not enough room in the shelter to allow any more people in. I felt very bad; I have everything I need, and those people don't have even a warm blanket. That's when I though of an idea. I though that since I am a Christian, I need to do whatever it takes to protect God's people. I told Anna Sabatino, one of the four sixth grade student council members, my idea that we all bring in blankets. She took along Olivia Di Carlo as the guest that day, who helped persuade the student council to do something. They brought the idea up, but they all thought of a better idea. They thought we should gather money to send in so you could use it however you need.

We had a dress-down day on December 10, 2010 to raise money. Everyone who paid two dollars could dress our of uniform, while of course following our dress code. We raised over $1,000 dollars. Anna, Olivia, and I are very proud and happy to present the money to you today. We sincerly hope this will help with whatever you may need to purchase and allow more people in.

Yours truly,
Annie, Anna and Olivia

A Path to Hope and Home

2010-12-15T09:31:00.000-08:00

The Magic of the Holidays is in the air....

2010-12-06T11:09:00.001-08:00

City Year Volunteers...

2010-12-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

City Year Volunteers helped orgainize and sort food boxes as well as putting together Thanksgiving food boxes for all our families...

Thanksgiving Celebration....

2010-12-06T11:04:00.001-08:00

Jones Middle School prepared a lovely Thanksgiving meal for our families...Everyone had a wonderful evening...

Shoes....

2010-11-30T11:00:00.001-08:00

The Homeless Families Foundation has been chosen by Payless ShoeSource to be part of this year’s Payless GivesTM Shoes 4 Kids program! We’re one of many nonprofit groups chosen to receive coupons to give to children in need. Children we serve here in our community will be able to redeem these coupons at Payless for a free new pair of shoes.

Magical Season of Giving....

2010-11-30T08:39:00.001-08:00

Magical Season of Giving - Eastland Mall - please see this link to get information on how you can help The Homeless Families Foundation....

http://www.eastland-mall.com/go/mnogHome.cfm

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a very happy turkey day!

Holiday Information

2010-11-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season is approaching we at The Homeless Families Foundation are looking forward to another successful season. Last year we were able to provide a wonderful holiday for approximately 225 children, helping over 100 families.

For the past several years we have set up a Holiday gift “store” where the mothers and fathers could go “shopping” to choose gifts for their children. We did this as a way to more involve the parents in the Holiday season. We helped current families and some previous families that found themselves still needing assistance.

We are going to be doing the same thing this year and are asking for donations for newborns through the age of 18. (See list below) We need to have new toys and clothing into our main office by Thursday, December 9th. We are also asking for donations of gift wrap, tags and tape.

It is such a joyous time at The Homeless Families Foundation and without community support we would not be able to provide such a wonderful Holiday for our families. We thank you in advance for your support.

Should you have any questions please call Karie @ (614) 461-9247 or by e-mail
kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Wish List

Clothing
New sweatshirts/sweatpants/ jeans and tops all sizes both boys and girls
New underwear all sizes toddler to teenager both boys and girls
New socks all sizes toddler to teenager both boys and girls

Toys
Fisher Price toys
Lego sets
Learning toys (all ages)
Board games (monopoly, sorry, checkers, operation)
Popular DVD’s
Basketballs, Footballs, Soccer balls/ pumps
Diary’s with gel pens
Books (Harry Potter, Junie B Jones, Box Car Children etc)
Make-up and Hair accessories

Teenagers tend to get left out so we are asking for gift cards from: Target, Wal-mart, Old Navy, Famous Footwear, Bath & Body Works, AMC Movies, Best Buy, McDonalds etc.

On-Going shelter needs
Gift cards (Kroger, Wal-Mart, Target) $5/$10/$20
Pots and pans
Twin size bedding (sheets, blankets, pillows)
Bath & Kitchen towels
Cleaning supplies (409, Pine-sol, Dish Soap etc)
Lysol Disinfectant Spray & Wipes
Diapers/Wipes (all sizes)

Holiday Help

December 9th~ Donations should be dropped off by this day

December 6th-December 10th~ We need help setting up the holiday store & organizing general donations. The hours will be Monday-Thursday 9:00-4:30 and Friday 9:00-2:30.

December 13th-December 17th ~We will need help organizing the store and general donations, helping the families shop for their children and then gift wrapping the items. The hours will be Monday-Thursday 9:00-4:30 and Friday 9:00-2:30.

December 20th -December 22nd ~ Catch all days and we would need help straightening up the holiday store area as well as the donation room. The hours will be 9:00-4:30

January 3rd -January 7th~ We will need help cleaning out the holiday store and putting away general donations. The hours will be Monday-Thursday 9:00-4:30 and Friday 9:00-2:30.

Thank you in advance for your help this year we certainly could not do what we do at HFF without community support….

Give a Little: Family Volunteering: Give a Little: Family Volunteering

2010-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Give a Little: Family Volunteering: Give a Little: Family Volunteering

St. Joan of Ark - Food Box Drive

2010-11-15T06:43:00.001-08:00

Thank you St. Joan of Ark for the abundance of food boxes and turkeys that were delivered today! Thank you to all the helpers that gave of their time today! With all your help we will continue our mission....To provide shelter, support, stability and nurturing for homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire permanent housing...

Come Home for the Holidays.....

2010-11-08T08:54:00.001-08:00

Adrienne Corbett, Executive Director,

with Lori and Don Overmyer

Cindi Schillig "Ask and Auctioneer"

HFF raised more than $100,000 at the

2010 Come Home for the Holidays
event at Brookside Country Club

Designs by Lucinda

2010-10-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

The story of Lucinda - creator of Designs by Lucinda

Lucinda was always - and still is - known to be a uniquely creative person with strong sense of purpose and self direction. Growing up through the 60's, Lucinda fed her creativity by teaching herself jewelry design and craft - a skill that would serve her, and her community, well later on in life.

Due to divorce and financial setback, Lucinda and her daughter became homeless. This was unacceptable. So with the help of friends and family and the strength of will, she found a home and began anew.

With a roof over her head and a young child to support, Lucinda turned the cramped attic of her small apartment into a studio where she launched a line of fashion jewelry. It was 1983 and she was back on track. Over the next few years, demand for her work grew.

While designing her fall 1988 line of jewelry, Lucinda created a pin that was a simple, geometric representation of a house. This simple pin got Lucinda thinking about how she could help the community. She decided the pin would be a fund raiser for The Preble Street Resource Center, a community Breakfast Program in Portland, Maine. The idea behind the pin was to raise money for the organization and, at the same time, a greater awareness of homelessness in the community. The pin was a success on both counts. At that point Lucinda closed her fashion jewelry company and established a company with a conscience.

To learn more about Designs by Lucinda, visit her website at http://www.lucinda.com/

This is just a small sample of the pins we sell at The Homeless Families Foundation. Each pin sells for $15 and they make great gifts!

For more information on the house pins please call Karie @ (614) 461-9247

Theater at the Dowd Center

2010-10-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

2010 Hero Awards

2010-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Marcus Salter was a recipient of the Hero Award yesterday. He is a former case manager with the Homeless Families Foundation and we are so proud of his accomplishment!

The 2010 Hero Award recipients we honored yesterday. Each of them brings a special passion to their work to end homelessness. Aren't they amazing?

In this photo: Ricketa Hurdle, Gladden Community House, Michelle Heritage Ward, Kevin Ballard, Gladden Community House, Donna Woods, Gladden Community House, Sherry Syx, Gladden Community House, Mardi Ciriaco, Gladden Community House, Erika Clark Jones, Sheila Prillerman, Citizen's Advisory Council, Marcus Salter, Lutheran Social Services-Faith Mission, Renna Abdullah, Salvation Army

Halloween Costumes

2010-09-30T09:45:00.001-07:00

Can you believe tomorrow will be October 1st? Time certainly is flying by! This is a busy time of year for HFF. One of our current projects is to round up enough Halloween costumes for all our children. We currently have 110 children and what fun it would be to see them all dressed up on the 31st...If you have any questions please feel free to give Karie a call (614) 461-9247...

Skully's

2010-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

SOUND EFFECTS AND CHANGE
FIRST ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT

Benefit for the Homeless Families Foundation on Tuesday, October 5th at Skullys in the Short North. Advanced tickets are $5.00 and $10.00 at the door. For more information you can contact Everett Jones at ejones@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org or by cell phone (614) ...506-8573.

http://www.skullys.org/calendar.htm

Upper Arlington Rotary

2010-08-31T11:51:00.001-07:00

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....

2010-08-27T07:15:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-08-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-08-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-08-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-13T10:50:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-08-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-08-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

Happy Days...

2010-08-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-08-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Community Service with a Smile: Getting the Kids On Board

2010-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Community Service with a Smile: Getting the Kids On Board

Shoes...

2010-07-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Al Edwards came in yesterday to deliver several pairs of shoes...Every single one will be put to good use to include our back to school program...

Lunch...

2010-07-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Steven Fields of Huntington Bank joins the children at the Dowd Education Center to hear the stories of their activities.

Wish List needs....

2010-07-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Today Ryan, Sarah, Ally and Jonathan from Champions for Change came in today with some wonderful doantions. They called to see what our needs were, they had a fund raiser and then they delivered donations to us. Included in the donations were diapers, sponges, toothpaste, tooth brushes, paper towels, mops, baggies and shampoo. Thanks kids!

2010-07-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

HFF lost a dear friend and supporter this weekend. Andy “man” Davis died this weekend while vacationing with his family in Michigan. Andy, a well know radio personality was a tremendous fan of HFF, especially the children. For the past 12 years, Andy gave a weekend of his time for the Andyman Telethon. HFF was privileged to be one of his favorite charities. He always gave us the microphone to talk about our work and to encourage donations. He leaves behind his wife and three children, his family at CD101 and a community of faithful fans. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. Andy, my man, you will be dearly missed.

Girl Scout Cookies

2010-07-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Kate (7 1/2) and her sister Sarah (5) deliverd Girl Scout cookies to us today from Troop 2456. The girls were full of smiles and very excited to be donating the cookies to our families. Our families always get very excited when we pass out Girl Scout cookies.

Thanks girls!

Volunteer Support

2010-07-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

We want to thank the groups from St Matthew the Apostle Church and Gril Scout Troop 1342 for their help last week. Between them we were able to organize and sort through food boxes, fill the shelves with food, organize toys in the basement, and help us clean things up in the basement. We certainly could not do what we do without community support!

Back To School...

2010-07-07T12:32:00.001-07:00

Back to School

Wow is it really July 7th already? How fast time flies! We know that school just ended for most the first part of June but here at the Homeless Families Foundations we are already in full motion so we can be ready for the new school year in August.

Our goal this year as well as in years past is to provide each elementary child with 2 new outfits, new socks, underwear and a backpack full of supplies. For our Middle School and High School children we give them a budget and take them shopping. With guidance, most have come home with 4 tops, 2 pairs of pants and accessories.

It is a very exciting time but we need your help! We are currently accepting donations of new clothing, socks, underwear, cash (for teenage shoppers) and gift cards to Target, Wal-Mart and Old Navy (to help with uniforms). We will also need volunteers to assist with organizing the donations, filling the backpacks with supplies, shopping for uniforms and assisting our teenagers with their shopping experience.

If you have any questions or are interested in assisting us this year you can call Karie @ (614) 461-9247 or e-mail kgallegos@homelessfamiliesfoundation.org

Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful day!

In the summer time...

2010-07-06T12:11:00.001-07:00

Columbus Offers Options For Residents To Beat The Heat

Mayor Michael B. Coleman is urging Columbus residents to take extra steps to stay cool and safe as temperatures reach the mid-90s this week. To help beat the heat, residents are invited to visit any of Columbus Recreation and Parks’ eight air-conditioned recreation centers, four outdoor pools or its outdoor sprayground pad.

“I urge all our residents to do what they can to stay cool during this week’s heat wave,” Mayor Coleman said. “While anyone can suffer from a heat-related illness, extreme heat is particularly dangerous to young children, seniors and people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.”

The following Columbus air-conditioned recreation centers have programming for and are geared for seniors:
Gille, 4625 Morse Centre Rd.
Dodge, 667 Sullivant Ave.
Lazelle Woods, 8140 Sancus Blvd.
Marion Franklin, 2801 Lockbourne Rd.
Martin Janis, 600 E. 11th Ave.
Whetstone, 3923 N. High St.

In addition, the following two recreation centers also have air conditioning:
Beatty Recreation Center, 274 N. Ohio Ave.
Brentnell Recreation Center, 1280 Brentnell Ave.

Also, Columbus’ four outdoor pools are open from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. and are free to the public:
Dodge, 545 Sullivant Ave.
Marion Franklin, 2699 Lockbourne Rd.
Tuttle, 240 W. Oakland Ave. (open until 7:30 p.m. each day)
Windsor, 1300 Windsor Ave.

The Columbus sprayground is also free and open daily from noon to 7:30 pm each day and is free. It is located at 1184 Barnett Rd.

Meanwhile, Columbus Public Health offers the following tips to stay cool and safe during extreme heat and humidity:
Drink plenty of water; do not wait until you are thirsty.
Stay inside in air conditioning whenever possible. If you do not have an air conditioner, use recreation centers, movie theatres, malls, libraries and other public places that are cool.
Avoid beverages with alcohol, caffeine and sugar that will dehydrate you.
Eat light meals.
Wear lightweight, light colored clothing and a hat.
Stay in the shade.
Limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.

Heat related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can strike at any time. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, headache, absence of perspiration and dry, hot flushed skin. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

In addition to these safety tips, cooling assistance programs are available to qualifying people from several community organizations:

The Breathing Association and OhioHealth Home Energy Assistance Program – Summer Crisis Program, providing electric bill assistance and air conditioning units for elderly households and customers with qualifying incomes and medical conditions, July 1-August 31. Call for appointment at 566-0750.

LifeCare Alliance and 10TV Fan Club – Free fan program for households with immediate family members with chronic health conditions. For more information, contact 278-3130. (Currently, there is a waiting list.) New box fans also can be donated for the program at any City of Columbus fire station. For more information, call Michelle Jones at 437-2803.

Impact Community Action – Summer Crisis Program providing energy bill assistance to households that meet income eligibility guidelines and have a member more than 60 years of age with certain medical conditions. For guidelines and appointments, call 866-747-1038.

Franklin County Senior Options – Free fan program for current clients ages 60 years or older without a working air conditioner. (Clients who received a fan in the last two years are ineligible.) For more information, call 462-6200.

For more information on summer cooling programs or heat safety, visit the Columbus Public Health Web site at http://www.publichealth.columbus.gov/.

Kids making a difference...

2010-07-01T12:17:00.001-07:00

Amanda brought her son to deliver his generous gift to help homeless families. He saved for one year from his allowance and was assured he was making a big difference in the lives of our children. After touring the Dowd Center, he asked, "what is the favorite sport?" He plays baseball right now but is planning to attend OSU (in a few years) to play football. What a generous young man.

Back to School...

2010-06-24T12:30:00.001-07:00

Soon These Seats Will Be Full

Soon these seats will be full of students eager to learn and achieve. HFF wants to be sure that every child is off to the right start for the school year. We need donations of money, gift cards (Target, Old Navy and Wal-Mart) and school supplies. HFF's supply of new socks and underwear has also been depleted over the past year. Please help fill these seats with happy, confident students ready for a new beginning. Please contact us for more information.

Make Them Cry...

2010-06-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

David Zid at Columbus Health Works volunteers his time and staff to work with our students on the Dowd Center Olympics. CHW recently held a fundraiser to benefit The Homeless Families Foundation. The event, Make Them Cry, was a success. Client turned the tables and paid $5.00 per minute to invite their trainers to perform feats of skill. More than $1,000 was raised for HFF.

Glenwood and Broad

2010-06-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Incident that happened over the weekend...All families are fine and back in their apartments (see article below)

Hazmat Situation at Glenwood and Broad
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus fire department hazmat crews are on the scene trying to figure out what is causing a strong ammonia smell in the area of Glenwood and Broad. There have been evacuations, and police have a perimeter blocked off around what they say is an ammonia leak. No word on how the leak occurred.Hazmat Situation at Glenwood and Broad
Posted: Sunday, June 13 2010, 01:44 PM EDT

Mother's Day...

2010-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Ladies from Victoria Secret were here today to celebrate Mother's Day with our mom's...Every mom got a fun gift bag, each child made a card for their mom and they served cookies and punch...It was a ton of fun for everyone!

Wish List

2010-05-04T06:12:00.000-07:00

As the warm weather is quickly approaching we are in need of fans for our families. We prefer the ones that are round and sit on the floor (see picture). They have seemed to work for us best in the past.

We are also in need of new pillows, paper products and cleaning supplies (see list).

Thank you for your continued support! It is only through community support that we can continue our mission. To provide shelter, support, stability and nurturing to homeless children and their families as they prepare to acquire permanent housing.

Cleaning Supplies:

All purpose cleaner

Toilet Bowl cleaner

Disinfecting wipes

Rubber Gloves

Brooms & Mops

Paper Products:

Toilet Paper

Paper towels

Plastic Silverware

Paper Plates

Plant the Seed of Hope...

2010-04-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Plant the Seed of Hope took place on Saturday, April 17th at The Dowd Education Center...It was a wonderful evening filled with music, good food and lots of fun...If you were not able to attend please mark your calendars for our next event...Come Home for the Holidays to be held on Friday, November 5th @ Brookside Country Club...

Comic Books

2010-04-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Fate Spears of Comic Book Connection Initiative (CBCI) delivered lots of fun comic books to us this week to pass out to our children...The comic books have been a big hit!

More Easter Fun...

2010-03-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

More Easter fun showed up this afternoon for the Easter Holiday...

Easter Bags...

2010-03-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

Church of the Resurrection donated 100 fun, colorful Easter Bags for our children for the Easter Holiday. They are absolutly darling!

Food Boxes

2010-03-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friends at St. Joan of Ark we now have enough food to stock our pantry! We received over 300 food boxes last Sunday and lots of help to boot!

Kids Helping Kids...

2010-03-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

Julia wanted to give back! She set out with an idea, had a plan and here is what she did.

Helping Kids: Bundles for homeless children...

You cannot imagine how much just giving needed items can give homeless kids hope for their future. This may be surprising to you, but the average homeless person is only nine years old. With your help, I am hoping we can make a difference in many homeless kids' lives.My name is Julia, and I am a sixth grader. For my Mitzvah project, I decided to make packages for homeless children and families. In order for this project to be successful, I would love to have you help and support. This project not only benefits children now, but it will benefit their future by providing them with hope.

Here is the result of her hard work!

New Staff

2010-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

HFF is happy to announce two new memebers of our family...Cassie and Everett are both case managers and will be working in the Family Services Department...We are thrilled to have them here!

Birthday Club

2010-02-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today Jim, Michelle, Natalie, Morgan, Nick and Jack brought us 3 full plates of wonderfully decorated cupcakes and a present for one of our children that is currently staying with us in the shelter. The family is part of the Upper Arlington Birthday Club. They are given a current list of birthdays for the month and then as each birthday approaches the club delivers a cake and a present for the children. It is a wonderful program!

Baby It's Cold Outside...

2010-02-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

Limited Brands donated several new coats for our families so on Monday and Tuesday we had a coat giveaway...We not only helped current families but former ones as well...Families that were not able to attend Cecelia delivered them to their homes...Everyone received coats, hats, scarves and mittens...Now everyone can be toasty warm! Thanks Limited Brands...

Donation...

2010-02-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

John Martin with Martin Painting and Coating Company visited HFF today and made a donation of $1,000. Thank you!

Heritage Middle School

2010-02-08T11:52:00.001-08:00

Students from Heritage Middle School explore the mural at the Dowd Education Center...

5th grade student Colleen wrote a grant for her "Warm Thoughts Program," purchased the materials and taught her classmates to make scarves on a loom for our students. Colleen presents these at the Dowd Center

Hats & Scarves

2010-02-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Today the Limited Brands droped off several boxes of handmade fleece hats and scarves for our families. Since we are expecting a big storm in the morning they are sure to come in handy!

Children Bags...

2010-02-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday JRobert Enterprises brought us wonderful children bags - each bag had several outfits, diapers, shoes, socks, blankets and a toy. All were arranged by size and each bag was marked with the items that were in there. Thank you!

Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today we received a visit from the First Link Groundhog. He delivered a box full of handmade braclets for our children.