Job-readiness training, vocational assessment, and job search services are available at the Columbus Urban League, Inc. to prepare young men for the workplace; assist unemployed adults; and help women in transition. In addition, two programs target youth to reconnect out-of-school teens with education and provide summer employment opportunities. The agency’s mission is to enable African-Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights.

Goodwill Columbus provides vocational skills training, financial literacy, work adjustment, career assessment, supported-work opportunities, and job placement services. The art studio and gallery, young adult services, and workforce development programs increase client self-esteem and self-sufficiency while providing valuable on-the-job training. The agency seeks to build independence, quality of life, and work opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Residential Treatment
House of Hope for Alcoholics, Inc. provides 20 adult males with a structured treatment program for alcohol and drug dependency. Certified by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, the program offers recovering men the information, counseling, and support needed to understand and accept their disease and its consequences. Clients also learn coping skills and receive conflict resolution training, family counseling, and independent living skills training.

Litter Cleanup

Keep Ohio Beautiful Inc. empowers Ohio communities to take greater responsibility for improving their environment through litter prevention, beautification, and waste reduction. The agency’s litter prevention campaign is a statewide effort to create cleaner communities, encourage recycling, and un-trash Ohio. More than 1,000 volunteers collected over 22,900 pounds of trash during the State Roadway Cleanup this year.

Choice Food Pantries

Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio operates two high-volume choice food pantries in Franklin County. In a small grocery store format, families shop and select, choosing a balanced and nutritious three-day supply of food. The agency also provides cooking and nutrition classes, healthcare screenings, and holiday meals boxes.  The Ohio Benefit Bank is offered at each pantry to provide clients with tax help, benefits assessment, and enrollment services.

Equine-Assisted Therapy

Through individual, family, and group sessions, PBJ Connections, Inc. offers equine-assisted therapy to at-risk youth and families. Sessions are led by a licensed mental health professional and a certified equine specialist and focus on emotional awareness and behavioral management. Youth who are struggling at school, home, or in the community learn how they are connected to themselves, other people, and the world-at-large through non-riding tasks with the horses. 

Pride Celebration

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the historic Stonewall riots, which sparked the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) fight for civil rights. Stonewall Columbus Inc. hosts the largest Pride Holiday in the midwest annually, featuring a parade, rally, and festival. Participants enjoy live entertainment, a theatre shorts festival, and an art exhibit, while raising money to support the agency’s pursuit of equality, fairness, and safety for the entire GLBT community.

Teen Arts Fusion

Youth ages 15-18 participate in week-long, half-day classes at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University. Students join practicing artists to exercise their creativity by working with cutting-edge technologies and concepts. Classes range from drawing and clay sculpting to photography and video game design. The center engages teens in world-class arts experiences to foster inquiry, discovery, and learning in visual, performing, and media arts.