Big Back to School Bash!
Our 10th Annual Jaqui Willis Back to School Giveaway was a big success! We had more than 280 Oberlin public school students get supplies on Thursday, Aug. 13… with parents and siblings, we estimate about 500 visitors to the Cooper Center for this annual event! Families also had the opportunity to get winter coats and healthy snacks from OCS, free vision screenings courtesy of Walmart, clothing from the Oberlin Free Store for Kids, info on kindergarten prep opportunities from OberlinKids, light bulbs from POWER, and lots of additional resources from Colors+ Counseling, Oberlin City Schools, Second Harvest, Oberlin Cable Co-op, and Rural Response Network.
Thank you to all the donors who gave school supplies, to Jay Shrewsbury of Oberlin Cable Co-op for organizing the Stuff the Bus campaign, and to all the volunteers who helped pack supply bags, pass out backpacks, move tons of heavy boxes, and complete all the other behind-the-scenes tasks so the giveaway could be a success!
This event is — and will continue to be — held each year in memory of Jaqui Willis, a lifelong educator, volunteer, activist, and OCS board member who believed EVERY child should have the tools needed for academic success. The giveaway ensures Oberlin students in kindergarten through high school can start the year on equitable footing.
Remembering Neighbors Lost to Overdose
OCS Resilience Coordinator Marla Brewer placed 77 purple flags in front of the Cooper Center and 77 more at First Church in Oberlin. Each represents one of the 77 people who died of drug overdose in Lorain County last year. The display is for International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday, Aug. 31. Overdose continues to affect every community, yet it can be prevented. Health care professionals and nonprofit partners have together reduced the number of overdose deaths in Lorain County communities: They have worked with pharmacies to get information to customers about addiction dangers, provide prescription lock bags, and give folks medicine disposal pouches. They have also distributed fentanyl test strips and Narcan, a nasal spray that can halt an opioid overdose. FREE Narcan (naloxone) kits are available at the Cooper Center, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin, and many other locations around the county. By speaking openly, learning from one another, and treating each other with care and respect, we build a world where fewer lives are lost.
This annual fundraising drive by Community Foundation of Lorain County gives donors the chance to support organizations they care about. The button below will take you to a catalog featuring 111 nonprofits and government entities (schools, libraries, etc.). Gifts can be made between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. Thank you! Your support means the world to us because it makes a world of difference to so many people who need food!
Overnight stay, lasting impact
Thank you to The Hotel at Oberlin for making OCS the beneficiary of its GIVE campaign between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31! This means the hotel will offer its guests a discount if they donate to OCS when reserving rooms. This special package is used throughout the year to benefit not only OCS but other Lorain County nonprofits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters. When local businesses support social safety net organizations, it makes our whole community stronger!
Bottoms Up! Diaper Drive
OCS is in need of diapers, especially sizes 4-7. This year, a $3,000 grant from the Women’s Fund at Community Foundation of Lorain County has helped us get diapers to hundreds of local families with babies. That funding has been used — and now we’re relying on you to help! We will happily accept diaper donations at the Cooper Center, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin.
Thanks for the toiletries
We were blown away by the generosity of the Schmittle family, which dropped off a huge haul of hygiene supplies at the OCS pantry on Aug. 4! Steve Schmittle is the financial advisor at Edward Jones in downtown Oberlin, where items were collected during July. He said helping OCS was a passion project for his daughter, Liliana. Soap, shampoo, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, menstrual products, adult diapers, baby diapers, can openers, floss, wipes, and other hygiene items are ALWAYS helpful for the 350-400 local families who access the OCS food pantry each week!
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.
