New Face of the OCS Gardens
Our new lead gardener, Tayna Kerpics, has reported for duty! Tayna, 40, of Oberlin, is a reader who loves horror movies and punk rock. She holds two associate degrees from Lorain County Community College, where she studied biology with an emphasis on conservation and ecology as well as sustainable agriculture. "I've always been interested in the outdoors and science, fascinated with the natural world, and have always wanted to do my job to help fix our environment," she told me this morning. Tayna's immediate goal is to grow as much produce for the OCS food pantry as possible. In the longer term, she wants to expand perennial plantings on the Cooper Center grounds — "I think an orchard would be really cool," she said. She also wants to increase native plantings and expand OCS' nature-based educational offerings.
NAMI Joins the Cooper Center
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has moved its local offices to the Cooper Community Resource Center, partnering with OCS to make services more accessible in southern Lorain County.
For more than 10 years, NAMI Lorain County has walked alongside individuals and families, offering free, compassionate mental health support throughout the many communities. "We are grateful to expand into Oberlin and the surrounding areas and happy to join the Oberlin Community Services family of partnerships," NAMI said. The nonprofit offers a variety of adult support groups, including grief support, available both in person and virtually. It partners with local schools and host groups at the Cooper Center, creating safe spaces where individuals can feel heard, supported, and understood. Whether you are facing mental health challenges, navigating life’s changes, supporting a loved one, or simply looking for connection, you are not alone.
Executive Director Tennille Power and Community Outreach Advocate Cieria Ramon are honored to serve and be part of the community. Contact NAMI at office@nami-lc.org or (440) 240-8477. For immediate support, call or text 988 — available 24/7.
Do you garden? Do you want to help neighbors in need? This is your perfect opportunity! Please plant a row in your garden this year to grow and donate to the OCS food pantry. With your help, we can get fresh fruit and vegetables to hundreds of local families each week. Even a small amount makes a huge difference if we all work together! Produce can be donated anytime OCS offices are open — we recommend mornings to avoid our busiest times.
And the Survey Says…
Starting in April, OCS has been helping the Ohio Association of Foodbanks compile its 2026 Hunger Study. This survey asks neighbors who access food pantries statewide about their needs and the pressures they face as they try to balance grocery costs, rent, utilities, medicine, and other crucial bills. We’ve asked OCS food pantry clients to answer the survey so that Lorain County’s perspectives can be included. The anonymous data collected helps to paint a picture of hunger in Ohio. It also helps show our amazing network of donors, foundations, and elected officials how supporting OCS, Second Harvest, and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks has an enormous impact!
Eyes on Local Issues
After OCS staff visited their classroom, Oberlin High School students made a trip to the Cooper Community Resource Center to learn more about how our food pantry and emergency assistance programs work. Kurt Russell — the 2022 National Teacher of the Year — said he wanted teens in his current events class to think about local needs and issues. They saw how neighbors in need get food, talked with Client Services Coordinator Kathy Burns about how she helps prevent evictions and utility disconnections, and even volunteered by packing more than 40 food boxes for delivery! OCS is excited when young people show an interest in helping others, and we welcome high school juniors and seniors who are working to complete community service requirements before graduation!
Save the Date
Mark your calendar now! Our annual Juneteenth cookout will be held Thursday, June 18 from 5-7 p.m. at the Cooper Center! Everyone is invited — especially you! Come enjoy some great food, great music, and great company. Best of all, it's FREE! This annual gathering is our way of bringing the community together in the spirit of freedom, family, joy, and inclusion. Special thanks to the Bill Long Foundation for granting $1,300 to offset the cost of this celebration!
Safety first
Scammers are hard at work tricking people who support nonprofits using the money transfer app Venmo, according to recent news reports. OCS accepts donations using Venmo, which is a legitimate and trusted payment option. While we have not experienced any issues to date, please make Venmo gifts to OCS only through our web donation page or in person at OCS events (like Empty Mugs!) to ensure your contributions are safe and secure.
How can I donate to OCS?
There are lots of ways to donate to OCS — mail a check, give online, use PayPal, make a gift of stock, even include OCS in your estate planning. Learn more by clicking the button below.
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.
