Complete Story
05/10/2022
Mid-Ohio Food Collective Dedicates New Mid-Ohio Market
MOFC announces completion of “Rooted in You” campaign
Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) is dedicating its new Mid-Ohio Market at Norton Road, located on the far west side of Columbus. This is the largest Mid-Ohio Market to open and it vastly expands access to fresh, nutritious food in one of Franklin County’s most diverse communities. The market provides a grocery-store experience and wrap-around services to address customers’ holistic needs and reduce the stigma around food insecurity. As MOFC’s foremost market, the Norton Road location is just one example of how the organization is reimaging ending hunger.
The completion of MOFC’s “Rooted in You” campaign will also be announced at this event. The campaign began in April 2021 with a goal of raising $30 million to implement innovative strategies to end hunger. These solutions include the Mid-Ohio Market strategy, Mid-Ohio Farm, and a robust data and insights platform.
“This new market and the success of this campaign shows how this community responds swiftly when our neighbors are in need,” said Matt Habash, president and CEO of Mid-Ohio Food Collective. “This campaign helps us evolve to address the root causes of hunger and provide our customers with the right food, at the right place, at the right time.”
“Rooted in You” was co-chaired by three CEOs and their spouses, who have been major supporters of MOFC’s work to connect nutritious food to hungry families: Nationwide’s Kirt and Cindy Walker, AEP’s Nick and Donna Akins, and Huntington’s Steve and Patti Steinour.
“Cindy and I are thrilled with how quickly the community rallied to not only achieve but exceed the goal for helping to meet the food security needs of families across the region,” said Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker. “The generous response shows tremendous support for Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s comprehensive strategy to address hunger on multiple levels.”
Business, philanthropic and community leaders came together during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to raise a total of $41 million in support of building a healthier, hunger-free future across Central and Eastern Ohio. The Osteopathic Heritage Foundations played a pivotal role in the purchase of the Norton Road building, as well as in helping the Rooted in You campaign cross the finish line.
“We are honored to be a partner in making Mid-Ohio Market at Norton Road a reality,” said Terri Donlin Huesman, president and CEO of Osteopathic Heritage Foundations. “Our mission to improve health in the community is founded upon osteopathic medicine’s philosophy that many factors impact individual and community health. The market’s approach to serving our neighbors mirrors this through increased access to healthy food paired with services critical to their wellbeing.”
“Adequate food and good nutrition are basic human rights, yet too many of our neighbors go without. Mid-Ohio Food Collective works to fill this need in Franklin County and throughout much of Ohio, and the Mid-Ohio Market concept allows families to access essentials with dignity and grace,” said Franklin County Board of Commissioners President Erica Crawley. “I’m proud of the board’s recent $7 million investment with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. We will continue to partner with them to help our neighbors thrive.”
