2020 OSU Community Commitment Day

Hi and hello!

Back to school in my own best way, today by participating virtually in the Ohio State University’s Pay It Forward program, Community Commitment Day. The Office of Student Life staff (Alyssa, AJ, and team) created an innovative program of local Columbus social justice panelists. This afforded students a chance to continue connecting with agencies in our area who need volunteer assistance, gain human rights activities volunteer credits/hours, and gather together in a meaningful gesture of goodwill.

While we lament the absence of an awesome free breakfast, amazing Community Commitment day t-shirts, and posh charter bus accommodations, we’re instead placing our collective focus on the incredible social work and service STILL happening and ongoing during this pandemic. It is clear the students who showed up today are interested in moral character building and civic duty especially during crisis.

In the words of guest speaker and new incoming OSU President, Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, “We’ll always find a way!”

• • Timeline of event:
    • 9:30am – 9:45am Welcome and Introductions
    • 9:45am – 10:10am Food Insecurity Panel-
      • NNEMAP Food Pantry – (distributes nearly 1 million pounds of food per year), contact Sean Becker sean@nnemappantry.org
      • Highland Youth Gardens – (hands out fresh food market bags Wednesday and Saturday via a Pay What You Can or free model), contact Katie Carey katie@highlandyouthgarden.org
      • Mid-Ohio Workers Association (yet to close their doors a single day since the pandemic began), contact Cathi Steele cathi.steele@yahoo.com or 614-262-0567
    • 10:20am – 10:45am Housing/Homelessness Panel- both need personal care items and shelf stable and individually packaged food at this time to help with health guidelines
      • YMCA Columbus– if the government does not pass rental assistance relief, they could see an increase of 40% need for housing in the next few months), contact Nick Sheriff at nicholas.sheriff@ymcacolumbus.org
      • YWCA Columbus– has a need for face masks, particularly for kids (100-150 kids stay at a time- contact Naomi Marino at nmerino@ywcacolumbus.org
    • 10:55am – 11:20am Youth Development Panel
      • Special Olympics Ohio– associated with the global movement providing sport and social network as an opportunity to engage folks with intellectual disabilities beginning at age 8. They serve over 20,000 Athletes in Ohio. Contact Christine Hoyer  at choyer@sooh.org
        to get involved in their pen pal program with the Athletes.
      • PBJ Connections– Professional behavioral health psychotherapy through horses for families and individuals. It’s been hard on the kids, because “some of their routines were coping skills.” Contact PBJ and Erica Lewis at Erica@pbjconnections.org
      • COSI– best science museum in the country by USA Today in 2020. Open since the 1970’s with a vibrant science and technology youth curriculum. Looking for groups of 10-20 people for half day builds of the 8,000 science kit lunch boxes. Contact Molly Seguin at mseguin@cosi.org
    • 11:30am – 11:55am Environmental Stewardship Panel
      • Columbus Recreation and Parks Development– Connects people in our community to nature, wellness, and creativity opportunities. Working on Whetstone Park prairie restoration, which you can view from the Olentangy Trail. Download the INaturalist App to explore your parks! Contact Kara Johnson at KaEJohnson@columbus.gov
      • Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW)– Urged participants to gain knowledge to improve personal lifestyle choices that contribute toward effective participation in local water use. (Also had a snake in a tank behind him that I couldn’t stop watching). Contact Jim Palus- palusjim@gmail.com
      • Bethany Bronzeville Community Garden– <— Click on the name to watch a great You Tube video about their work. Serves 75 to 150 people per week. “It’s interesting with COVID-19 that people knew instinctively what to do- they turned to gardening!” They also run a Bronzeville Agricademy. Contact  Julialynne Walker- addlinkages@gmail.com
    • 12:05pm – 12:30pm Healthcare/Healthy Lifestyles Panel
      • St. Jude Hospital– Where the only mission is to heal a child and allow families to focus on getting better! No family receives a bill for treatment, housing, or food. Contact Leah Hones at Lia.Hones@stjude.org
      • SARNCO– provides advocacy and emotional support services in conjunction with medical and social services at OhioHealth Emergency Departments and other local facilities in central Ohio, particularly with regard to sexual assault. Contact Emma Gemar at Emily.Gemar@ohiohealth.com or reach to Volunteer or, in the event of emergency, phone the 24-hour Rape Help Line at 614-267-7020.
      • HAVOYOCO– International organization since 1992 focused on demystifying the US medical system and providing our vibrant New American community with healthcare access and resources. Contact Dr. Hanad Duale at h.duale@usahavoyoco.org
    • 12:40pm – 1:05pm Internal Campus Partners Panel

Get at it, Buckeyes! We are all in this together.