Home for Families

This holiday season, you can make a difference in the lives of Franklin County families struggling with housing insecurity. Consider hosting a toy drive with friends, family, or coworkers! It's simple:

🎁 Register your drive on our website! Registering help us plan accordingly and makes it easier to schedule the delivery of your items.

🎁 Share our wish list with your group! You'll receive our ✨ HFF Toy Drive Wish List ✨ that's created with input from children in our programs. It makes gift giving easy peasy!

🎁 Collect those gifts! Choose a central location for your collection bin, and consider decorating it with festive wrapping paper! Place your given signage with our QR code on or near your bin for participants short on time who may choose to give a monetary donation instead.

Learn more about hosting a Toy Drive and our Holiday Joy! program at the link below!

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/events/events/2024-holiday-experience.html

Celebrated in the U.S. each year in November, National Native American Heritage Month recognizes and honors the culture, traditions, and achievements of the nation's original inhabitants and their descendants. ✨

We want to take a moment to shout out a few Ohio-area organizations that support indigenous community and culture: Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio Urban Native Collective

Happy Halloween from Home for Families! 👻🎃 Wishing you a delightful day filled with lots of treats! Stay spooky, stay safe, and may your Halloween be filled with frightful fun! 🧛‍♂️🍬

Thousands are waiting on housing at one local affordable housing community, according to a new report from WSYX ABC 6. You can read more at the link below.

https://abc6onyourside.com/on-your-side/problem-solvers/2600-on-waitlist-for-87-units-at-one-columbus-affordable-housing-community-economy-central-ohio

We're thrilled to be participating in a Combined Federal Campaign charity fair on Friday, November 1st from 2-5 p.m. at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base 4771 Lahm Circle, Building 800, WPAFB, Ohio 45433. ✨

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) gives Federal employees and retirees the chance to come together to raise money and volunteer for their favorite charities. 💖 We are grateful to be a participating charity and have the opportunity to receive support for vital programs and services that empower Franklin County families challenged with housing instability. Federal employees can make a donation by using code #16500. We appreciate the support!

It's Staff Spotlight time! 📣 Meet Melissa Humbert-Washington, our Vice President of Programs and Services. Melissa supports and oversees all HFF programming and assists in driving the strategic programmatic direction of our organization. She is instrumental in developing and maintaining crucial relationships throughout the city, county, and state, and she works with other teams to pursue funding opportunities for new and existing programs.

Melissa has worked at HFF for five years, and she is most inspired by our organization's people and culture. 🌟

Melissa says: "We have some of the best staff of any social service organization ANYWHERE, and not only are they passionate and fantastic at their jobs, but they are all so very different and unapologetically themselves. Housing is a human right, so anything we can do to get people one step closer to housing stability is a mission I will live until I take my last breath."

Get ready to move your feet! 👟
You can catch The Conspiracy Band-Columbus, Ohio-Sutton Entertainment at our Community Concert on Thursday, November 21st at KIPP Columbus! With over 30 years of experience, this Columbus favorite is known for being the best party band in the region, playing the best classic and modern hits in pop, rock, country, jazz, R&B, and reggae/dance. 🎵 We're so excited to see them perform next month -- we'll see you out on the dance floor! You can RSVP for our concert at the link below.

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/eventregistration/community-concert.html

We are still in need of sponsors for our families for our Holiday Joy! program. ❄️ You can help ease the financial burden for families challenged by housing instability by registering as a Family Sponsor. You can choose how many families to sponsor -- contributions of any size all make a difference! Upon registering, you'll receive a child's holiday wish list, including their top three gift items. 🎁 Check out the link below to learn more about Holiday Joy! and how to sign up to become a family sponsor. 💖

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/events/events/2024-holiday-experience.html

We want to share a big thank you to Columbus Children's Charity, who donated 100 move-in kits! 🎉 The effort was a considerable one, with children volunteering over several weeks to help assemble the kits.

Our Move-In Kits, which contain essential move-in supplies and basic material goods, help families make their new house a home. 🏠 Community support is a crucial part of our ability to provide resources that empower our families struggling with housing insecurity, and we are so grateful for partners like Columbus Children's Charity! ❤️

What an amazing outpouring of support! We are so grateful for community partners like Installed Building Products!

At Installed Building Products, we believe in supporting our communities in meaningful ways. Through our partnership with Home for Families, we were able to contribute to their Family Stabilization and Aftercare Program: nearly 1,900 families received essential resources, including 99 move-in kits, 230 winter coats, and 250 backpacks for children.

We’re honored to be part of this mission, helping families in Columbus find stability and success, one step at a time.

Keeping our Resource Pantry fully stocked is a crucial way that we help our families. ❤️ You can easily help address urgent needs by visiting the link below to view our Amazon Wishlist. 🛒 You can also drop off items at Home for Families, 727 E. Main St, Columbus 43205, Monday-Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thank you in advance! ✨
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/36U3OB4MKI0U7/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_3

Make the holiday season a bit brighter for families struggling to overcome housing instability. We give you the wish list to make gift giving easy peasy! 🎁 All you need to do is sign up at the link below. Join us in spreading joy to families in need!

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/events/events/2024-holiday-experience.html

It's time for a ✨ brief but informative ✨ monthly update from HFF! 📣 Check out the link in our bio to learn more about exciting new happenings, including how you can participate in our Holiday Joy! ❄️ program, our upcoming Community Concert, 🎵 and more! View our blog at the link below and catch the latest post!

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/about/newsroom/current.html

We're thrilled to share that our Community Concert, hosted by KIPP Columbus, will be held Thursday, November 21st! Featuring Columbus favorite The Conspiracy Band-Columbus, Ohio-Sutton Entertainment, this evening of family fun will include food trucks and light refreshments. Join us from 5-7 p.m. at KIPP Columbus, 2901 Community Dr. Entry is free, but registration is preferred, so please RSVP at the link below. We'll see you there with our dancing shoes on! 🎵

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/eventregistration/community-concert.html

Thank you to Jewish Family Services for the opportunity to participate in the Financial Wellness and Housing Stability Open House this past Thursday. In the midst of an affordable housing crisis, providing our community members with resources is more important than ever. We appreciate the opportunity to work in tandem with other local organizations to share vital information and help empower those struggling with housing and financial instability.

On Indigenous Peoples' Day, we recognize and honor Indigenous Americans and their vibrant histories, cultures, and contributions to our communities. 🌟

As part of this recognition and reflection, we want to take a moment to shout out a few Ohio-area organizations that support indigenous community and culture: Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio Urban Native Collective

Do you do your best work when you know you're making a difference? As a Housing Case Manager, you can change the lives of families and youths facing housing instability. You have the power to give the gift of a brighter future. 🌞 Join us as we work to end family and youth homelessness in central Ohio. 🏠 Visit the link below and apply for a Housing Case Manager position today!

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/about/careers.html

Everyone deserves a place to call home, and yet central Ohio's affordable housing crisis means that more and more families are facing housing instability. 🏠 On World Homeless Day, we recognize and honor the journey of families and children who are unhoused or in danger of becoming unhoused. We remain committed to ending family and youth homelessness in central Ohio through programming that empowers families and youths experiencing a housing crisis.

Yesterday some of our staff had the privilege of attending the Community Shelter Board Community Summit. We are grateful for the continued discourse on the affordable housing crisis in central Ohio as well as the support from our community leaders who participated in an inspiring panel discussion about next steps. Together, we can all work together to find solutions to ensure that everyone has safe, stable housing.

Early in-person voting for the General Election begins today at the Franklin County Board of Elections - Ohio. See the dates/times at the link below and make sure to get out and make your voice heard! 🗳️
https://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/Voters/Absentee-Voting

❄️ The holiday season can often be stressful -- but it's incredibly so for families experiencing a housing or financial crisis. That's where you come in: This winter, you can help ease the financial burden that accompanies the holidays by sponsoring a family through our Holiday Joy! program.

🎁 It's easy: Sign up as a sponsor at the link below and receive a child's holiday wish list to make gift-giving a snap. ✔️ It's a small action that will go a long way in making a child's holiday season a bright one. 🌟

https://www.homeforfamilies.org/events/events/2024-holiday-experience.html

Our Afterschool Achievers Program is officially back up and running for the school year! 🎉 Last week, our kids kept busy working on homework and academic enrichment projects. 💡 Some of our older students also participated in Girls on the Run of Central Ohio programming! 🌟

Designed to provide a safe and welcoming place for kids outside of school, our Afterschool Achievers Program helps children in grades K-8 build foundational academic and social-emotional skills they will carry with them in the classroom and beyond! ✨

Affordable housing continues to be a challenge in central Ohio, and popularity is driving up prices, according to a recent report from WSYX ABC 6 that shines a light on some central Ohio residents' challenges and hopes for homeownership. You can read more at the link below:
https://abc6onyourside.com/news/focusing-on-your-finances/affordable-housing-remains-elusive-for-many-in-central-ohio

We are grateful to have the support of the Mercator Club of Columbus, a charitable organization that focuses primarily on Columbus youth. It was an honor to attend the club's 2024 Mercator Charity Giveaway earlier today and share with attendees how our programming helps families in our community. 💖 Support from organizations such as the Mercator Club is crucial in enabling us to uniquely tailor our services to meet each family's needs. Pictured here is our Fund Development Manager, Jeanette Moore, addressing attendees.

Yesterday two of our volunteers, Linda and Morgan, helped us unload and organize items for our Move-In Kits, which contain essential supplies and basic material goods to help families make their new house a home. 🏡 A variety of volunteer activities are available on a rotating basis for individuals as well as groups. To learn more about volunteering and other ways to get involved, you can visit this link: https://www.homeforfamilies.org/get_involved.html