Holiday Helping Hands spreads joy in Oberlin

Our Holiday Helping Hands giveaway was held Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the Cooper Community Resource Center. It ensures every child in Oberlin has a chance to get presents! Our "elves" really love this annual tradition and look forward to it all fall. Client Services Coordinator Kathy Burns works hard for months to match local families to donors who provide gifts in the spirit of the season — and the community really steps up to provide wrapped toys, books, clothing, shoes, candy, and more. Thank you to all our donors who have helped us bring smiles to so many kids' faces! People from First Church in Oberlin, Mercy Health Allen Medical Center, Green Circle Growers, Oberlin Rotary Club, Oberlin College, and many other groups and individuals made this year’s gift distribution a huge success!

Empty Mugs raises $10,500 in support of OCS

Oh what a night! So many people turned out Friday, Dec. 12 to show support for OCS, enjoy a holiday concert, and shop for earthenware mugs, bowls, and plates. Between pottery purchases, auction items, and cash donations, you contributed $10,500 to help OCS continue to offer food, emergency financial assistance, and educational opportunities to neighbors in need!

First Church in Oberlin was jam-packed full of smiling people, with the largest turnout for this event since the pandemic. We were wowed by the talents of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music’s Brass Ensemble, the Tim Park Jazz Combo, the Oberlin Choristers una voce musica, and First Church organist Dr. Thomas Bandy.

Thank you to auctioneer Mark Hatfield, First Church for providing the venue, Oberlin College for providing snacks and drinks, and all the volunteers who helped pull off this year’s concert and pottery sale! Special recognition goes to Zoe Holland, Michelle Chen, Jan Thorton, and Jack Flotte of the Oberlin Pottery Co-op, as well as the many potters who contributed pieces; the Rev. David Hill of First Church and Shelly Rasmussen of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (both OCS board members who helped organize Empty Mugs 2025), and all the donors who turned out to show their support!

Amazing grant support from friends at Community West Foundation

Thank you, Kendal at Oberlin

OCS Executive Director Margie Flood and Communications and Development Coordinator Jason Hawk were welcomed Dec. 4 to Kendal at Oberlin’s Heiser Auditorium. Residents of the retirement community invited us to share insights on the need OCS is seeing in Oberlin and Lorain County, especially in the aftermath of the federal government shutdown.

Need rose sharply in October and early November as local families struggled to afford food without SNAP benefits — and that need didn’t immediately disappear when the shutdown ended. So many people had to make decisions about whether to buy food or pay rent, whether to buy food or pay utility bills, and whether to buy food or afford medicine. Those are choices no one should have to make and the disruption’s effects will be felt for months to come.

Kendal residents asked insightful questions about how OCS met basic needs during this time and what they can do to help. We are extremely grateful for the support these residents show through thick and thin, both in terms of monetary contributions and volunteer hours. Thank you, Kendalites!

Closed for the holidays

OCS is closed for the holidays through Sunday, Jan. 4. Our offices will reopen Monday, Jan. 5. The choice food pantry will also resume regular operating hours the week of Jan. 5 (Monday from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Wednesday from 1:30-4:30 p.m., and Friday from 1:30-3:30 p.m.) at 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin.

SAAC delivers to the food pantry

Folks from the Oberlin College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee made a wonderful donation to the OCS food pantry just before we closed for Thanksgiving. Thank you, SAAC, and thank you to everyone who is donating through the holiday season to ensure there is plentiful food for the thousands of families we serve!

You can donate right from our Walmart wishlist

Did you know we have a wish list? You can buy items for the OCS food pantry via our Walmart online registry. It highlights dozens of low-cost nonperishable staples that are especially useful for the thousands of families we serve. To buy food to donate to the OCS pantry, visit www.tinyurl.com/OCSwishlist and browse the list! Donations can be shipped or brought to the Cooper Center, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin, OH 44074.