Growing up in Cleveland, Barbara Underwood was active in supporting organizations that aimed to eliminate hunger. It became a part of the fabric of her identity, so when she moved to New Albany, she brought that mission with her.
“As I settled into New Albany, I realized there are people who could use a little bit of assistance,” says Underwood, founder and director of the Village Coalition Against Hunger. “We have folks from all walks of life.”
The coalition is a nonprofit organization that’s 100 percent self-funded, relying solely on volunteers and donors to operate its many endeavors. The coalition includes a food pantry and a closet for donated clothing, as well as a community garden to supplement its food offerings.
Feeding the Community
The Body of Christ Food Pantry is located on the grounds of Christ Fellowship Church at 4481 E. Dublin-Granville Rd. The pantry was initially operated by the church, but became a joint effort with the coalition in 2009.
“We don’t exist without them and they don’t exist without us,” says David Hedrick, pastor for Christ Fellowship Church. “It is truly a partnership.”
The pantry is open twice a week – Tuesdays from 1-2:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3-4:30 p.m. – and is staffed mostly by volunteers from the church and the coalition. About 95 percent of the food comes from the Mid-Ohio Foodbank; Hedrick says $10 in donations can buy $100 worth of food from the food bank. Other donated food items include dairy products from Smithville Creamery and baked goods from the nearby Giant Eagle in.
While New Albany may not seem like an area of central Ohio that would require a food pantry, Hedrick says hunger is just as much of a problem in his community as it is anywhere else.
“Hunger in the New Albany area is sort of a hidden secret; we don’t talk about it, but it’s there,” Hedrick says. “Hunger has no ZIP code.”
The pantry also serves people in Westerville, Gahanna and parts of Columbus. It provides for 200 to 250 people per month, with each person being eligible for up to nine meals per visit and two visits per month. To obtain food, the organization requires a referral from a reputable source, such as HandsOn Central Ohio, or documentation stating the need for the pantry’s services.
Additional needs are also met at the church through the New Albany Closet, which is open during the same times as the food pantry. The closet provides donated clothing and shoes, along with toys and everyday household items such as toothpaste and soap, to help area residents stay clean and warm.
Gardening for a Cause
The coalition initiated a community garden in 2012 to complement the pantry’s selection of donated food items. Located behind the food pantry on the grounds of Christ Fellowship Church, the garden is organized into a series of raised boxes – 18 in total – that measure 4-by-4-feet each and can be “adopted” and tended to by volunteers. So far, 11 have been adopted, but more support is still needed to keep the garden running efficiently.
“The exciting thing is there are so many people willing to help,” says Cathy Abromowitz, coordinator of the community garden. “The difficult part is getting the long-term commitment, because it’s an enormous amount of time and energy. It’s definitely a labor of love.” Abromowitz has received help from children and families around her neighborhood – including her daughter, who initiated the installation of the garden – but would love to see more community involvement.
Deciding what to plant isn’t as easy as it may seem. “You have to take a lot into consideration. Some of the homes, they’re not able to cook. Some of the homes, they’re not willing to cook,” Abromowitz says. “You’re trying to look at the population of people who need help and what would be easiest for them to eat and also what would wear well.”
Focusing on nutritional and sustainable plants, the garden yields a variety of fresh produce, including tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash, melons, berries and greens. There’s also a separate area managed by the Columbus Academy that grows potatoes. For now, most of the produce only grows in the summer months, but Abromowitz says she’d like to extend the garden’s offerings.
“We’d like to start doing some hoop houses to be able to carry it into the cooler months,” says Abromowitz. A hoop house, a less expensive and less permanent form of a greenhouse, can extend growing time into the spring and fall. Abromowitz would also like to start pickling crops and storing them in jars to carry products into the winter.
Continuing Efforts
Though it’s not yet fully off the ground, Underwood is in the process of developing a new program called SOAR, or Student Outreach and Area Resources, which is intended to deliver healthful meals to schools with hungry students.
“It might be a granola bar, it might be cheese and crackers,” says Underwood. “(It’s) something to put in their stomachs to help sustain them until they get
to lunch or until after school.”
Also still in the works is an index card program, which Underwood says she’s seen succeed for other organizations. The cards would be filled out by those in need, indicating what food items they require, and then distributed to members of a local organization. Members would select the cards and purchase the items on the lists, enabling the donors to provide exactly what’s been requested.
While Underwood enjoys helping her community, she hopes her efforts will one day be unnecessary.
“The day that our food pantry goes out of business will be the happiest day for me because that means there are no more hungry people,” Underwood says. “And I look forward to that day. I look forward to not being needed anymore.”
Rose Davidson is a contributing writer for Healthy New Albany Magazine. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com
Photos from the Village Coalition
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