Mid-Ohio Food Collective | Together We Can End Hunger

From artists to content creators and football stars, Columbus comes together to combat food insecurity

FROM THE EDITOR

As a journalist, I’ve found that the best stories—the ones that are most compelling, most unique—follow the facts. They dive into an unexpected or unusual aspect of an interview, and follow it to its conclusion.

Sometimes, though, when preparing for an interview, I’ll find myself planning ahead, especially when I already think I have a preconceived idea of where a story is going.

Before I spoke to Liam Layton (whose story you can find on p. 40), I will admit that I did this. I asked him—a local food-based content creator who supports Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC)—if he felt a greater sense of responsibility to combat food insecurity now that he has a large online platform behind him. I was expecting a resounding “Yes.” His answer—although in more eloquent terms—was “No.” And I wasn’t expecting it.

Layton told me that, while he has more capacity to help now, his desire to help remains unchanged, and would be as strong if he had zero followers, as opposed to the over a million he has.

I think, if we can all take away something from this year’s Hunger Action Month content, it has to do with Liam’s answer to my question. Regardless of our current station in life, if we truly want to help, we can. There are things we can do, however small they might seem at the moment. Sure, we might not be able to donate hundreds of dollars or spend an entire week volunteering, but it’s the culmination of these small efforts that adds up in the end anyway.

Jack McLaughlin, (614)Magazine

PROMOTIONS

Flyers Pizza — All Month | All Locations

Round up to the nearest dollar, or donate $1, $5, or a custom amount at checkout—online or in-store.

Kroger Co. — All Month | All Locations

Round up to the nearest dollar, or donate $1, $3, or $5 at checkout. All proceeds go to your local food bank.

Local Cantina — All Month | All Locations

For every Sweet Corn Margarita sold in September, Local Cantina will donate $1 to MOFC.

Bendi Wok N’ Bar — All Month | All Locations

For every Sparkling Boba Cocktail sold in September, Bendi Wok N’ Bar will donate $1 to MOFC.

The Pizza Box — All Month | All Locations

Food truck located at Antiques on High and Getaway Brewing Company. For every pizza sold in September, The Pizza Box will donate $1 to MOFC.

Grove City Brewing Company — All Month

3946 Broadway, Grove City

Round up to the nearest dollar at checkout. Bring any canned or boxed food donations and receive a coupon for 10% off your next food purchase (dine-in only).

Liberty Tavern Polaris — All Month

2170 Polaris Pkwy, Columbus

For every Caprese Martini sold in September, Orange Umbrella Restaurants will donate $1 to MOFC.

Rossi Kitchen + Bar — All Month

895 N High St, Columbus

For every Caprese Martini sold in September, Orange Umbrella Restaurants will donate $1 to MOFC.

South Village Grille — All Month

97 Thurman Ave, Columbus

For every Caprese Martini sold in September, Orange Umbrella Restaurants will donate $1 to MOFC.

GuestRachelRives

Yes, we are a food bank. But we are also so much more!

In Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s podcast, Everyone at the Table, you will gain a fresh perspective on all things MOFC!

Join our host Scott Light, as he leads conversations about the evolving work of ending hunger. Tune in and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for a new perspective on food banking and hunger in our community.

CALEB DOWNS

Safety, Ohio State Buckeyes

All-American football player Caleb Downs and his family’s foundation donates time, energy, and resources to MOFC

By Jack McLaughlin

If you’re a college football fan especially of The Ohio State Buckeyes then Caleb Downs is probably a household name. The All-American defensive back transferred to Columbus in 2024 after his freshman year at Alabama, and has continued to represent the scarlet and gray spirit both on and off the field.

You may not know that Downs also has an older brother, Josh, who's a standout wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, and that their family has a foundation, the Trust Downs Foundation, managed by Executive Director Andre Mandeldove. The organization believes in fighting food insecurity, aligning with Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s mission.

“As a foundation, there is a special place in the family’s heart the Downs of helping others, especially when it comes to basic needs like food and shelter,” said Mandeldove. “It’s a faith-based foundation. We have all been so blessed, we feel as though we have been given this platform for a reason: to serve.”

Mandeldove and Downs have been out in the community, sitting side by side with people in need, and experiencing the growing crisis of folks not being able to access food.

“When you are lacking that basic need, we don’t think it’s super uncommon to lack other basic needs,” said Mandeldove. “Sometimes people are in a situation where you have to choose one or the other. They can provide shelter, but have to go without food. Some people can locate food but go

“WE HAVE ALL BEEN SO BLESSED, WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS PLATFORM FOR A REASON: TO SERVE.”

without shelter. Some people experience both.”

Last season, Ohio State center (and fellow All-American) Seth McLaughlin partnered with Mid-Ohio Food Collective as an ambassador, raising more than $11,000 through the sale of his “Run The Damn Ball” hats. This year, he’s passed that torch to Caleb, who will continue the tradition of Buckeyes giving back. And next year, Caleb hopes to pass that torch again, inviting fellow Buckeyes to join in the fight against hunger and carry forward the legacy of service.

“It’s really about donating time and energy,” said Mandeldove. “And that is what we found to mean the most to these individuals and the communities they’re serving, when they get to talk and connect to Josh and Caleb.”

This holiday season, the Trust Downs Foundation will be partnering with Mid-Ohio Food Collective to provide Thanksgiving meals to families through a long-term campaign. Using Caleb’s platform, the two organizations will host a season-long donation page to help bring in food for families, but also raise awareness to the need here in Columbus.

“This is the foundation of a family who is really rooted in their faith,” concluded Mandeldove. “Columbus has embraced him, and coming off that National Championship win, it feels like home. He wants to give back and is excited for another opportunity to do the Lord’s work.”

LIAM LAYTON

With millions of views each month, the popular food-based content creator under the name The Plant Slant talks roots, recipes and giving back

By Jack McLaughlin | Photos by Polly Sellers

Liam Layton may be the most famous man on the internet when it comes to cottage cheese.

No, seriously. The New York-raised content creator—now a graduate student in Nutrition at The Ohio State University—has made a name for himself on YouTube, TikTok and more via a series of foodrelated videos that are as witty and sarcastic as they are informative.

His channel, The Plant Slant, often features Layton testing healthy snack hacks, and it didn’t take long before he was flooded with requests to try recipes that rely on cottage cheese as a proteinboosting and calorie-lowering substitute. His reactions to them quickly became one his calling cards as a creator.

“I like cottage cheese, but I eat it out of the container with a spoon like a civilized person,” he said with a laugh. “People on the internet are putting it in everything, and that’s not right. It’s like the new cauliflower.”

And while Layton has carved a comfortable niche for himself as a well-known content creator— meaning he can afford to make as many cottage cheese-related recipes as he wants— it hasn’t always been this way for the popular YouTuber, who grew up on federal assistance food programs like SNAP and WIC.

So when the One Big Beautiful Bill—which resulted in billions of dollars cut from SNAP—passed into law earlier this year, Layton decided to help where he could, sending a $500 donation to MidOhio Food Collective.

“I WOULD SAY HAVING A PLATFORM DOESN’T MAKE ME MORE COMPELLED TO HELP... BUT I REALIZE THAT WITH WHAT I HAVE I CAN MAKE A BIGGER MARK.”

“That happened and I thought, ‘Ok, how are a lot of people going to get food now? Food banks. What’s the closest food bank to me? Mid-Ohio Food Collective,’” he said with the same kind of matter-of-fact pragmatism that has helped win over millions of viewers across the internet.

And while his most recent donation caught the most attention, he has quietly contributed more than once since starting his tenure at OSU, including an earlier instance where he donated the proceeds of a T-shirt design he sold to the food collective.

For Layton, finding ways to give back dovetails neatly with his ideas of content creation and audience engagement: Take a minute to logically walk through the best way to make an impact, and your content—like your donation—will likely make a larger mark.

“It’s like when I make a video, I ask myself: ’Did it get views? What are people talking about? Is there a recurring theme I can isolate with

this and another video that did well,” he said. “You also need to be entertaining and teach people something. I started off doing just informative stuff and nobody watched. At the same time, if you’re just doing a skit, you’re not providing anything.”

Layton finds himself in a unique position, with a captive audience of over a million every month. He recognizes that with more views comes more impact, but the fundamental drive to help is something that’s been there all along.

“I would say having a platform doesn’t make me more compelled to help, I would feel the same compulsion even if I had no viewers, but I realize that with what I have I can make a bigger mark,” he said.

Check out some of Layton’s content on YouTube, TikTok and more @The-Plant-Slant.

GIVE HELP

September is Hunger Action Month, and Mid-Ohio Food Collective is inviting our Central Ohio neighbors to step up and help us fight insecurity. Last year was our busiest ever. In 2024, customers visited their local pantries a record 1.84 million times. Whether you can give food, money, time, or your voice, no act is too big or too small!

DONATE

Donating to MOFC is one of the best ways to help our hungry neighbors. For every $1 donated, MOFC can provide up to 2.5 meals to families in need. With 93% of funds going directly to hunger relief programs, you can be sure every penny has an impact. Visit give.mofc.org/614Action to chip in against hunger.

VOLUNTEER

Got some spare time? Spend it giving back at (614) Magazine’s #1 ColumBEST Favorite Local Charity several years running! We need 1,000 volunteers per week, and everyone can make a difference—whether they’re harvesting at the Mid-Ohio Farm, stocking shelves at a Mid-Ohio Market, cooking at the Mid-Ohio Kitchen, or sorting and packing donations at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Sign up at mofb.volunteerhub.com.

ADVOCATE

With record-high need and shrinking government support, we need your help to push for policies and funding that help feed people, protect programs and address the root causes of hunger. Together we can tackle food insecurity and the challenges that contribute to it, such as housing, transportation, poverty, and access to health care. Visit mofc.org/advocate to learn more and get involved.

GET HELP

Hunger is in every ZIP code in Ohio. Wherever you call home, hunger lives here...but so does help! If you, your friends, your family, or your neighbors need help putting food on the table, Mid-Ohio Food Collective and our network of local partners have your back.

FIND FREE FOOD CLOSE TO HOME

Visit mofc.org, click on “Find Food” and enter your ZIP code to learn about the pantries and free community meals near you. Each listing shows the site’s hours, address, and helpful details to make your stop as quick and easy as possible.

SEND SOMEONE TO PICK UP

If you can’t get to a market or pantry, all MOFC partner agencies use a process called proxy shopping. You can send a person you know and trust to pick up food and deliver it to you. Visit MOFC.org/proxy to download proxy shopping forms in nine languages.

GET HELP WITH PUBLIC BENEFITS

Need help applying for SNAP, Medicaid, or other programs? MOFC’s customer and benefits outreach team can help guide you through the process free of charge. Visit MOFC.org/get-help to learn about the ways we can help.

CRYSTAL LETT Ohio House Representative

From Mental Health advocate to State House office, Crystal Lett’s journey has always included thinking larger than herself

By Jordan Abbruzzese | Photos by Polly Sellers

Representative Crystal Lett, a Columbusarea native out of Hilliard, didn’t always plan to run for office. Beginning her career in mental health advocacy at North Central Community Mental Health Services in Columbus, Lett worked with young folks with mental health disorders many of which dealt with food insecurity.

“I served Franklin County in particular, and at the time I linked them with Mid-Ohio at large, and I knew they had programming that would be beneficial for kiddos to volunteer,” explained Lett. “It was a two prong approach, accessing them for what the kids needed, but also engaging in opportunities to have those kiddos learn how to give back.”

As a parent of a child with health issues, Representative Lett has firsthand experience with what the community needs, and what they are able to access.

“The thing I struggled with the most with my own child was that access component,” said Lett. “I know what it feels like to be hanging on by an actual thread.”

During back-to-school time, parents are spending more than usual on fees, clothes, and supplies. Families who are already paycheck to paycheck may need to utilize a food pantry to eat three meals a day and keep their families fed. Food banks are saving these families by filling in the gaps when parents don’t have the opportunity to change employment or earn higher wages.

For many of these families, the parents are already working more than one job.

When it comes to working with the government to advocate for food insecurity services like Mid-Ohio Food Collective, Representative Lett feels that elected officials

should be prioritizing food pantry funding, and making sure they have the resources they need to feed the community, all within a more sustainable funding model.

“We have to make harder cases for why this money is important. It’s aspirational and is the right, smart, and economically-wise thing to do for our people and for our state,” said Representative Lett.

While Representative Lett is in a unique position to help make a difference, you do not need to be an elected official or a celebrity to make a change. Lett believes strongly that it’s beneficial for us all to have a society where we can lean on each other, and serve one another. The service leader has “never regretted” a time she showed up and got involved.

“Being a part of something that is bigger than you brings your whole community together, and is deep, meaningful, and purposeful,” said Representative Lett.

“BEING A PART OF SOMETHING THAT IS BIGGER THAN YOU BRINGS YOUR WHOLE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, AND IS DEEP, MEANINGFUL, AND PURPOSEFUL.”

GREG SOURS

The local concert photographer is turning his vintage shots of rock legends into a fundraiser that helps feed and support Central Ohio families through Mid-Ohio Food Collective

By Sav McKee | Photos by Erich Hiner

Hall & Oates, Peter Frampton, Neil Young, and Queen are all helping feed Central Ohio.

Well, sort of.

Nearly five decades ago, Greg Sours was photographing concerts for the Ohio-based magazine Focus Rock Entertainment. From the pit and stage, he captured rock icons in their prime. “Somehow I managed to keep the negatives safe, dry, and in good shape, and eventually digitized them,” said Greg. Now, those images have found a new purpose: raising awareness and funds for MidOhio Food Collective.

“It was just an idea that I came up with,” he said. “It upsets me that in the richest country in the world, people go to sleep at night hungry. I’ve never been in a situation where I was concerned about my next meal, but there are a lot of people who are.”

Greg prints, frames, and sells his photographs, often including the colored-copies of concert ticket

stubs in the frame, too. Prices range from $40 to $150, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to MOFC. While buyers across the country have discovered his work, about 90% of his customers are right here in Columbus. Freddie Mercury, pre-mustache, midleap, Peter Frampton lost in a guitar solo—these are pieces of music history, sure, but they’re now funding meals for local families.

Greg once volunteered in MOFC’s kitchen, chopping vegetables and prepping meals. Standing for long shifts isn’t possible anymore, he said, so this project became his way to keep giving back meaningfully. “This is something for me to do that keeps me busy, where everybody wins,” he noted. So far, he’s raised around $4,000 for MOFC.

MOFC was the obvious choice for Greg. “What really impresses me about

MOFC is that they provide so much to the community—they give knowledge on how to prepare food, they grow food, and they offer programs. It’s the best choice for a charity because you know that your dollar is going to go as far as it can go.”

And, perhaps, most importantly, he emphasized that, “There’s no element of shame that exists at MOFC. They’re there to help people any way they can.”

You can find Greg’s work at Sours Photo on Facebook. Contact soursphoto@gmail.com for more inquiries.

“IT’S THE BEST CHOICE FOR A CHARITY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOUR DOLLAR IS GOING TO GO AS FAR AS IT CAN GO.”

FEEDING HOPE

When you volunteer with us, you help feed families and strengthen our community. Every hour you give brings fresh food to those in need. Whether sorting at Mid-Ohio Foodbank, helping at the Farm, or greeting shoppers at a Market, you’re part of ending hunger here at home.

“I PUT ON MY MOFC VOLUNTEER T-SHIRT WITH PRIDE AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I PLAY A ROLE IN MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.”

Ed S. Mid-Ohio Foodbank Volunteer

“IT WAS JUST SO SIMPLE TO SIGN UP AND GET STARTED. MAKING SOMEONE'S BURDEN LIGHTER AND THEIR DAY A LITTLE EASIER IS A REWARD IN ITSELF.”

Amy S. Mid-Ohio Market Volunteer

doesn’t

“IT WARMS MY HEART THAT I CAN FEED CHILDREN BY VOLUNTEERING IN THE KITCHEN. A BONUS IS MEETING GENEROUS AND FRIENDLY FOLKS!”

Barbara M. Mid-Ohio Kitchen Volunteer

“I LEARNED HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST LETTUCE. WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY AND EXPERIENCE!”

Deana L. Mid-Ohio Farm Volunteer

GET INVOLVED

CHANGE LIVES, STARTING TODAY.

Learn how you can help feed families and strengthen our community—scan below.

JODI BURROUGHS

Grove City Council Member and brewery co-owner Jodi Burroughs partners with MOFC to ensure Central Ohio has access to fresh, healthy meals—one pint at a time

By Sav McKee | Photos courtesy of Jodi Burroughs

Food insecurity is never far from Jodi Burroughs’ mind.

The City Council Member and co-partner of Plum Run Winery and Grove City Brewing Company has always been deeply rooted in her community. The more involved she became, the more clearly she saw where change was needed, specifically when it came to ensuring every neighbor has access to fresh, healthy meals.

“I want to serve the underserved,” she reflected. “I feel strongly that everybody deserves access to good food on a daily basis.”

After more than 30 years living in Grove City, Jodi began volunteering with Mid-Ohio Food Collective. “My connection to MOFC goes back a long time,” she said. Before the pandemic, she was there every Friday for five years. “I loved meeting the people who came in,” she recalled. “You’d be surprised of all the different backgrounds and cultures we have here in Central Ohio who utilize MOFC.”

Though she no longer volunteers weekly, Jodi remains a driving force in the Grove City community. As a Council Member, she’s more immersed than ever in the city’s operations and civic engagement, while still hosting events and fundraisers at Plum Run Winery and Grove City Brewing Company.

“When MOFC had a ‘happy hour’ for other food bank workers around the nation, Plum Run Winery and our brewery poured wine and beer for everyone,” she mentioned.

“FOOD IS A BASIC NECESSITY, AND EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE IT.”

This September, in honor of Hunger Action Month, Grove City Brewing Company is stepping up for the second year in a row. All month long, guests can round up their tab, with the brewery matching the amount and donating it directly to MOFC. “Money donations make a bigger impact,” Jodi emphasized. “MOFC has more buying power than what we do. That $5 goes a lot further when they purchase food than when we shop at the grocery store for donations.” But for those who prefer to give physical goods, Grove City Brewing is offering a 10% discount coupon for customers who bring in nonperishable food items.

Jodi could have chosen any cause to support. But for her, food access is fundamental, and MOFC directly benefits the

community. “Food is a basic necessity, and everyone should have it,” she said. And not just any food, but fresh, nourishing meals.

“I feel that a lot of the people experiencing food insecurity also have limited access to healthy food options. It’s a terrible imbalance—processed food leads to health issues and obesity. But nutritious meals make a world of difference,” she said.

Together, WeCan EndHunger

Round up during your next trip to Kroger to feed neighbors in need and strengthen our communities.