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Columbus' mobile front door to stability.

Since 2018, Make-A-Day has been Columbus' mobile front door to stability. We meet people experiencing homelessness and economic instability where they are, with food, essentials, and trust, and walk with them through the systems, barriers, and next steps that lead to housing, employment, and long-term belonging.

Our work is not just about providing services. It is about removing the specific barriers that keep people stuck: a missing ID, an old warrant, a criminal record, the absence of someone who will show up and help you navigate. We stabilize. We restore. We help people advance.

Thousands served. Hundreds housed. Countless barriers removed.

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The Daymaker Journal
The Hilltop Doesn't Just Need "Awareness." It Needs This.
The Hilltop Doesn't Just Need "Awareness." It Needs This.

On May 4th, the Hilltop Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library didn't look like a quiet place to study. It looked like a living room for the neighborhood.

By the time the last neighbor left, 200+ people had come through, with the library reporting an 80% increase in their door count from the previous year.

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Rooted in Community: Growing Health, Access, and Connection in Franklinton
Rooted in Community: Growing Health, Access, and Connection in Franklinton

Sharing a meal has been central to how Make-A-Day works from the beginning. Before a referral, before a form, before anything else, there is food. It is how trust gets built. It is what signals to someone that they belong in the room. For years we have done that work out of parking lots and community centers, showing up with the food truck and setting up tables wherever people already were. Rooted is an extension of that, but with something added. At Franklinton Farms, the meal is not just a tool for engagement. It is connected to the ground, to something growing, to a resource that belongs to the neighborhood and that neighbors can return to on their own. That is a different kind of access than a referral can provide.

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Stability Means Moving Forward
Stability Means Moving Forward

Traditional warming centers are built for immediacy. A place to sleep. A way to get inside. A response to cold. But for people with the highest barriers to housing, a place to sleep is not enough, or not accessible.

In partnership with the Community Shelter Board, Nate Smith Logistics, Mount Carmel and Southeast Healthcare street outreach, and various other service organizations - and funding from our City of Columbus and Franklin County partners - we helped provide a non-congregate winter warming shelter designed specifically for people who could not safely access or remain in traditional shelter environments.

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Upcoming Events
PRIVATE EVENT Mini Pop-Up with Starhouse and the Junior League of Columbus
May 11
PRIVATE EVENT Mini Pop-Up with Starhouse and the Junior League of Columbus

Join us as we partner with Starhouse and Junior League of Columbus for an event all about bringing resources to youth experiencing homelessness.

PRIVATE EVENT for Starhouse residents only

Outreach with Franklinton Farms
May 12
Outreach with Franklinton Farms

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

Outreach at NSI Food Pantry
May 18
Outreach at NSI Food Pantry

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

Outreach with Franklin County Tap in Center
May 19
Outreach with Franklin County Tap in Center

The Tap In Center assists residents who have a non-violent misdemeanor warrant holding them back by assisting with the recall and rescheduling of their case.

Outreach at Columbus Metropolitan Library Driving Park Branch
May 26
Outreach at Columbus Metropolitan Library Driving Park Branch

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

Street Outreach with Clintonville Beechwold Community Resources Center
Jun 1
Street Outreach with Clintonville Beechwold Community Resources Center

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

Rooted Pop-Up Care Village with Franklinton Farms
Jun 15
Rooted Pop-Up Care Village with Franklinton Farms

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

August Pop-Up Care Village
Aug 3
August Pop-Up Care Village

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

Let’s tee up for impact: Make-A-Day's 8th Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser
Aug 14
Let’s tee up for impact: Make-A-Day's 8th Annual Golf Outing Fundraiser

Tee up for impact as we bring together supporters, partners, and community members for a fun and meaningful day that directly supports our work.

Basecamp Island Party Resource Fair
Aug 17
Basecamp Island Party Resource Fair

We meet you where you are, with care, support, and help for what’s next.

Grab a free meal, connect with local resource organizations, and talk with a Make-A-Day team member; we’re here to listen and help.

Tee up for impact

Join us Friday, August 14 at 1 PM at Champions Golf Course as we bring together supporters, partners, and community members for a fun and meaningful day that directly supports our work. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just in it for the experience, there’s a place for you.

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