End of a Magnificent Growing Season
Lead Gardener Tayna Kerpics spent October harvesting the last major fall yields from the OCS gardens: beautiful peppers, squash, turnips, and herbs. This growing season, she was able to cultivate 1,111 pounds of produce for the OCS food pantry!
The most bountiful part of the season is now past, but that doesn’t mean Tayna is putting the gardens to bed for the winter. Mustard greens and lettuce will continue to grow for the next couple of months, while Swiss chard and kale will carry on through the winter.
These cold weather crops may have a better-than-usual chance to thrive this year. The “Super El Nino” in the Pacific has pushed water temperatures to record highs. The results have been largely devastating, whipping up damaging storms in some parts of the country while worsening drought conditions and wildfire hazards in others. The silver lining could be a mild winter for Northeast Ohio and Tayna hopes to continue supplying the food pantry with greens.
Tayna also recruited her husband, John, to help install deer fences. Earlier this year, they raised netted fencing around our row gardens. This fall, they again went to work raising fences for an expansion area that will be used next year for strawberries, blackberries, and other fruit. While we love deer, the goal is to move as much produce inside the pantry for our neighbors to use!
Thank you to the McGregor Foundation
… which in October generously awarded OCS a grant for the very first time! We’ve formed a new friendship with the McGregor Foundation this year as it expands into Lorain County. The organization is committed to enhancing the well-being, independence, and opportunities of older adults by investing in nonprofit organizations that strengthen the lives of seniors and promote equitable, healthy, and fulfilling aging experiences. That’s OCS! This past fiscal year, we got food to 1,432 seniors in need. We also helped many seniors struggling to keep up with rising housing and utility costs. Seniors come to the Cooper Center looking for help with benefits paperwork, getting incontinence supplies, attending workshops, socializing, and connecting with our resource hub partners. A $15,000 grant from the McGregor Foundation helps OCS to provide these opportunities and more!
A 40-year friendship
Second Harvest Food Bank recognized OCS for 40 years of partnership during its annual Fall Forum for partner agencies on Friday, Oct. 16.
As a private nonprofit, OCS has worked with Second Harvest since 1986 to get food to rural southern Lorain County families in need. The food bank provides the vast majority of items OCS needs to serve about 400 families each week through our choice pantry, prepacked boxes, curbside service, deliveries, and federal senior boxes — this past fiscal year, Second Harvest provided us with about 523,000 pounds!
PICTURED: OCS Food Programs Coordinator Suzette Sanchez is pictured accepting a milestone certificate from Sam Flores, Second Harvest Director of Program and Partner Services.
Holiday Food and Gifts for Oberlin Families
OCS offers several upcoming events to ensure Oberlin residents can share in all the magic of the holidays!
• Click here to sign up for our special Thanksgiving food pantry or our December holidays food pantry.
• Click here to sign up for our Holiday Helping Hands program, which ensures all Oberlin children have the opportunity to get gifts during the December holiday season.
High Holiday Helpers
Thank you to Mark Atzenhoffer, who stopped by the Cooper Center on Thursday, Oct. 15 to deliver food and funds collected by Temple B'nai Abraham in Elyria! For the past several years, the Jewish congregation has held a High Holidays drive to benefit the OCS food pantry. Every bit helps, especially with need growing — this fall, we've seen a large jump in the number of families turning to OCS for assistance. Most weeks, we've gotten food to more than 400 households. OCS is extremely grateful to have strong support from local faith groups. Thank you to EVERYONE who donates!
OCS will be closed to the public on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. We are proud that several of our staff members volunteer their time each Election Day to work the polls. Because we will have reduced staffing that day, we will close the Cooper Center so remaining staff have time to complete paperwork, clean, work on special projects, and go vote. This also means volunteers have the day off — except Meals on Wheels delivery drivers! We still need you to do your routes, please and thank you. We hope volunteers will take this free time to cast ballots. Anyone who has business with our partners, such as POWER, Colors+ Counseling, or NAMI, will be met at the door.
Special Thanks
Our Envelope Experts™, Heather Laughman and Anne Sprague, are pictured here folding, stuffing, stamping, and addressing nearly 1,000 letters! They were joined by Kathy Carpenter, Karla Sanderson, and Ann Longsworth Orr throughout the week of Oct. 12 to do the enormous job of sending out our annual appeal letters. Each fall, we ask supporters to give by check, online, Donor Advised Fund, or any other way to support the day-to-day operations of OCS. We are extremely grateful that roughly 45 percent of our funding comes from everyday people who see the need in our community and act to help. We’re also so thankful to have volunteers like Heather, Anne, Kathy, and Charlotte to help with the heavy lifting!
Outstanding Dedication and Service
OCS' Rosa Gadsden was honored Saturday, Oct. 3 with the 2026 Community Service Award, presented by Metro Central NAACP Unit 3183. The award recognizes Rosa's "outstanding dedication and service to the Oberlin community" in her role as Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at OCS.
The honor was bestowed at the NAACP Freedom Fund Scholarship Gala, held at the Lorain County Community College Spitzer Center.
Congratulations, Rosa! We are proud of you!
Can’t make it to the OCS food pantry? Try a mobile pantry offered by our partner, Second Harvest Food Bank!
Save the Date
Please join us Friday, Dec. 11 for this annual fundraiser by the Oberlin Pottery Co-op with amazing performances by Oberlin Conservatory of Music students and Oberlin Choristers!
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.
