Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

A few days ago, Kathy and I went to visit Mid-Ohio Foodbank to take a tour of their facilities. Mainly our goal was to learn about the environmental features of their new building, which is Leed Gold Certified (a great achievement!). I have to say, I think we are making great progress at Broad Street Food Pantry. In the last two weeks, we have created and implemented volunteer and client surveys, met with a Rumpke representative for a waste audit, completed an environmental assessment, and have done a lot of research on both the environmental and transportation aspects of my project. We also have a lot on our plate for this week: an energy audit with American Electric Power, a staff meeting to discuss a new recycling plan, compiling the volunteer and client surveys, and researching options for composting, among other great things! 

In light of how busy I was with all of these ideas floating around, I really wasn’t prepared for the awesomeness of Mid-Ohio. It really is a step (or four) above the rest in terms of environmental friendliness: computer controlled air conditioning, sky lights, automatically adjusting lighting, door-blowers that retain cold air without closing doors, big plastic baling machines…the list goes on! While I am so happy for the vast improvements Mid-Ohio has made with their new facility, I couldn’t help but think: how could I ever compete with that? I am sure every small food pantry worker or volunteer could tell you of their immense struggles to feed more people with less money on a daily basis. When a place like Mid-Ohio has so much to work with, and we have so little in comparison, the idea can be, and is, daunting. 

On the ride home, as I was considering all of the obstacles small food pantries face, a memory came to me that really turned my thinking around. It was a short segment from the movie “Dirt” (which is wonderful, by the way, and you all should watch it!!). Her name is Wangari Maathai, and she tells the story of the hummingbird who tries to put out a forest fire. I won’t do the story justice, so here it is: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-btl654R_pY&feature=fvst

To me, Maathai’s story is beautiful. We are in a world where the rich are becoming richer, and the poor are becoming poorer. We are in a recession and the end seems not to be in sight. Those who give help, such as the food pantries, are in need of their own help as well just to get the funding they need to support the community. How do we fix this, such a large problem? How do we fix it when it seems like we don’t have enough? 

By doing the best we can! 

This is the last time I will think, “There is so much to be done, how could we ever be as great as the other?” I, WE, will give our best at the Food Pantry, on our other projects, in everything we do in our lives. Maathai reminds us that no matter the barrier, we cannot stand idly by, scared or unwilling, to take on the challenge in front of us. It is just not acceptable. Whatever our best may be, we have to give it, in everything we do. What else are we here for?

My second week here at the Homeless Families Foundation was filled with new learning. Related to the transportation feasibility study, I was researching online mapping tools, safety requirements (related to child transportation), and ever-changing vehicle regulations (primarily related to 15 passenger vans). I was also reaching out to community resources/ potential partners… hopefully I’ll have more luck with follow-up calls this week!

But in addition to this, I was able to learn a lot more about HFF clients. I sat in on an intake meeting at the YWCA, which is the single point of entry for homeless families to begin to receive assistance. The family that I met looked just like any family you might meet around town… at a shopping mall, etc. They were very nice people, and I would never have guessed that they did not have a place to sleep at night. It was in this meeting that I learned more about some of the barriers that people can face while searching for housing as well as some of the factors that contribute to homelessness.

I also gained a great appreciation for our caseworkers. I was able to attend a weekly case review meeting, where challenges are discussed and services are coordinated. The caseworkers were describing some pretty dire situations… And I have so much respect and admiration for them and the important work that they do!

I also happened to be here at the office when a few different homeless families knocked on the door in search of assistance. I’m told that doesn’t happen very often, as there is no sign on the outside of our building. And the single point of entry is the YWCA. However, this was a very sad reminder of the challenges that people are facing right here in our community. A pregnant woman without shoes… A single man living on the street… A large family with no where to live due to bed bug infestation. Sadly, these are very real problems that are being faced by our neighbors here in Central Ohio.

In response to these community issues, I learned more about the good work that HFF is currently doing. I attended a meeting with area landlords, where landlords are encouraged to speak with local agencies and voice concerns on housing homeless families. And I attended an HFF board meeting.

But to finish the week, I decided to familiarize myself with the Franklinton area, since many of the children who attend the Dowd Education Center currently live nearby. Using a free online routing tool that I found, I drove a route that could potentially be used during the school year.

At several different times throughout the week, I was reminded just how vulnerable children are… And just how important the Dowd Education Center is to the children of our community.

I have updated the Streetcard and currently working to translate into it into Spanish.  I passed out some of them at our booth during ComFest and gave some to the vendors.  I believe this Streetcard will help those at risk of being homeless receive more up-to-date services.  I will have this put onto the website later this week.

I have been determined to quickly form a social enterprise to employ homeless people, but I found out it’s more complicated than I thought. Firstly, Jamie, another fellow, gave me resources about a social enterprise in Chicago.  I talked with a case manager at Inspiration Corp that told me how their culinary arts program evolved from a police officer passing out sandwiches to a restaurant that employed the homeless.  Also, within the Coalition I read how Greenworks, a recycling program where homeless individuals collect and dispose of business’s recyclables, evolved from cold calling businesses and writing grants to a service that is delivered twice a week with 15 businesses.  From these two projects I know that the process can be long and tedious.  Therefore, it may be better to take it slow and tackle one issue at a time.

I am looking to start a lawn service/carpentry company within the Coalition to employ the homeless to fix/maintain the vacant buildings in Columbus.  There is a need in the community for this work because the city is having a hard time finding enough contractors to do the work.  I am currently in communication with Columbus Area, Inc. to have them donate lawn mowers for the start-up.  Also, I have been calling Ohio Department of Development and other companies that can help me write a business plan and apply for grants.  This has been a daunting task with many phone calls.  I will continue to network next week and collaborate with my colleagues to help lay the foundation for this new venture.

In addition to working on these two assignments I have noticed that there is a big push on getting these homeless individuals employed, but neglect on other aspects of their lives.  After working two weeks with some of the vendors I have built relationships with them.  I would like to see more social events for them.  Two vendors and I discussed having a bowling night and one vendor discussed organizing a homeless football league.  I have realized that the individuals are constantly hustling and try to make ends meet, but I can see that some are lonely and really want to have positive social opportunities.  The other intern is making volunteer positions and she is looking to form a social volunteer coordinator. 

Giving drugs without food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt.” Haitian Proverb

I studied health services administration in my undergraduate degree and will be pursuing a graduate degree in public health starting this fall, meaning that it’s safe to say, I’m very concerned with the health of our nation. And currently if you don’t know, health care reform (the Affordable Care Act) is being reviewed by the Supreme Court and could be in-part or completely thrown out. This in conjunction with my position at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, has caused me the past few days to do some serious thinking about the connection between access to food and health. If the ACA is indeed thrown out, that continues to leave many without health insurance, continuing the stress on the state budgets through Medicare and Medicaid, along with financial stress on uninsured or underinsured families with medical costs. With  the stress on state budgets, cuts to social programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) could further negatively impact the health of our communities, states, and nation, even without the ACA being thrown out.

The impact of policy decisions on our communities is incredibly great. With more than 1 in 3 children statewide living below 185% of poverty (according to 2006-2010 American Community Survey data), many Ohio families depend on SNAP, foodbanks, pantries, and soup kitchens, free and reduced school lunch programs, and Summer Food Service Programs in their area when school is out.

Thankfully many communities have resources address this issue in part, but more needs to be done to directly link our health and our social determinants of health (such as physical environment, social environment, social-economic standing, etc.), and thus is directly related to the food we are supplied and eat, the conditions we live in, and the attitudes that our communities share about personal health and wellness.

I read an interesting article this week by Rebecca Onie, Paul Farmer, and Heidi Behforouz, titled Realigning Health with Care  in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (great read, I highly recommend). In this article, the authors speak to a realignment of health care through expanding the scope of health, the delivery environment and, the workforce providing it, shortened to product, place and provider. For example, the article mentions a 2007 study by Johns Hopkins Medical Center in which, “98% of pediatric residents said that referring well-child patients for help with basic needs could improve the children’s health.” But only 11% of those residents routinely inquired into their patients food security. Children lacking proper nutrition cannot properly develop and often food insecurity for children can result in higher rates of depression, anxiety, behavior problems, diabetes, and can have an increased likelihood of repeating a grade or lower math scores. And so if we were to expand the scope of health to include basic necessities, expand where the public can access the resources, and expand who can provide the resources we could realign our health care system in a more effective and efficient way.

I wanted to share this to emphasize the importance of programs such as the Summer Food Service Program and the Governor’s Summer Backpack Program. I happen to be evaluating the VISTA Summer Associates volunteering with Summer Food Service Programs across the state, and having this frame  of mind has caused me to see the value of their work already! I can also see the great impact and value that the Ohio Associate of Second Harvest Foodbanks has in all areas of fighting poverty: advocacy work, the Ohio Benefit Bank, their National Service Programs, the Agricultural Clearance Program and more!

I have hopes that in the future we will address social determinants of health more effectively and efficiently, and in my humble opinion, throwing out provisions of the ACA (Yes, including individual mandate) would be a step backward. But no matter the decision, I know that communities at least have the support and assistance from organizations such as the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.

Until next time,

Melissa

The views and comments on this post are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of or shared with OASHF

After a week and a half (I must apologize for the tardiness of this post, as blogging is a challenging new adventure for me) of working with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio, affectionately noted as DSACO (di-SAH-co), I can honestly say that I am loving it even more than I had expected. What was once a fortunate combination of everything I was looking to do this Summer has become all of that and more: a pure blessing.

DSACO has a full smorgasbord of events, programs, and services to help not only the lives of persons with Down syndrome, but their families as well (new parents, dads, siblings, etc.). And this has certainly helped form a wonderful community here in central Ohio that I had never even guessed existed. The members of DSACO, I have found, seem so much like a family, and I am so grateful to be given a chance to see more into that family and even work on becoming a member myself. Per the positive stereotypes, the kids and adults I have had the fortune of working with through DSACO’s Golf Academy and Summer Learning Academy have shown a love so untainted, a smile so genuine, and a laughter so contagious, that I wake up every morning excited to go to work, excited to learn something new, and excited to notice my own life changing when I’m supposed to help change theirs.

Want to be inspired? Check out the Lose The Training Wheels bike camp hosted by DSACO each summer, and see children with Down syndrome conquer two-wheelers for the first time with the biggest grins on their faces.

Hi!  My name is Owen Pollack and I am the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (W.A.R.M.) Summer Fellow.  My primary responsibility is to serve as a leader of one Lunch Club site, maintaining and improving the standards, attendance, and positive relationships with participants and the site owner.  Truthfully, I was not quite certain what to expect in beginning my work with W.A.R.M., which has turned out to be a good thing since each day brings new and different occurrences!

Last year was the first year that W.A.R.M. was a USDA-approved Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) site.  The objective of the program is to provide children, especially those who receive free and reduced-price lunches during the school year, with a free, nutritious lunch during the summer.  W.A.R.M. served meals and offered recreational and sports activities in one Westerville area park in 2011.This year, the program expanded to three parks and one apartment complex in the Westerville City school district.  Until the start of my work, I did not realize how much marketing and publicity launching three new sites would entail.  We also found out some exciting news…W.A.R.M. was selected as one of the SFSP sites that will be providing weekend backpack meals thanks to the Governor’s initiative.  We will even receive a visit from the Governor and his staff at one of the sites at the end of this week.

My first week involved a lot of networking within the community, talking to individuals and community members in the surrounding areas of the lunch sites, producing signs and flyers to advertise the program, and even preparing press releases.  Over the course of my time at W.A.R.M., I will be focusing on creating a video of interviews from families, volunteers, and other supporters of the Westerville Area Kids Lunch Club; composing a business model to share with Trinity Health to potentially expand the lunch program to other cities and states; partnering with other Westerville area backpack programs through local churches and individuals to hopefully continue providing weekend meals for children during the school year; and overseeing operations at each meal site.  Fingers crossed that I will have a photograph to document the affair in my next post!