Rooted: A Pop-Up Care Village Grows at Franklinton Farms
Franklinton Farms started its Monday morning the same way it always does. Dew painting the quiet rows of vegetables waiting for small groups of people to stroll through picking the available produce. This isn’t the setting you expect to have a food truck, clothing store, hair salon, barber shop, courthouse, and nineteen service tables lined up beside the soil . By the time MAD’s Rooted Pop-Up Care Village wrapped up at 2:00 PM, nearly 200 neighbors had walked through the space clearing barriers in more ways than one.
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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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Expanding Access: Kicking Off a New Legal Partnership Focused on Clearing Outstanding Warrants
Make-A-Day is excited to share that we are kicking off an expanded phase of our Move the Box initiative through a new partnership with Franklin County. This investment, through the county’s Targeted Community Alternatives to Prison initiative, allows us to deepen and scale the legal navigation work we began in October 2025.
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Move the Box: Expanding Access to Justice on Columbus’ South Side
In Franklin County, expungement is legally possible but often out of reach for residents facing homelessness, poverty, and systemic racial inequities. Through our Move the Box Pop-Up Care Village we brought courts, attorneys, and community partners directly into the neighborhood, helping over 200 guests access support services that move them closer to housing, employment, and long-term stability.
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A Season of Warmth: When Community Becomes the Heat We All Need
This year’s Season of Warmth Pop-Up Care Village brought together neighbors, volunteers, and community partners in an unforgettable celebration of care and connection, where more than 160 guests found food, warmth, services, and human connection on a cold December afternoon. From haircuts and legal support to winter gear and shared laughter, the event reminded us that community itself can be the heat that carries us through the harshest months.
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Chilltop Chili and Community: Celebrating Partnership at Hilltop Library
This past Monday, we celebrated a special moment in our ongoing partnership with the Hilltop Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The Hilltop staff helped us choose the name for the day’s meal, and their winning pick, Chilltop Chili, captured the personality of the neighborhood. It felt creative, welcoming, and full of heart.
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Scaling Second Chances: Lessons from the Hilltop Move the Box Pilot
A mom homeschooling her kids at the library saw the sign that said “expungement applications” and whispered, “I need that.” Hours later, she became the first guest to walk out with her expungement process complete.
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Neighbors Saving Neighbors: Lessons from Save A Life Day
On September 25, neighbors across Franklin County gathered for Save A Life Day, a countywide effort to shift the overdose narrative from tragedy to prevention. From the packed room at Linden Fresh Market to the quiet reflection of the memorial table, the day was more than an event. It was a living demonstration of community care in action.
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Mindful Connections: Where Futures Take Root
Some days change lives quietly. At our Mindful Connections Pop-Up, 91 neighbors accessed housing, healthcare, recovery support, food security, and more, all in a single afternoon. From starting housing paperwork to getting a haircut before a job interview, every moment built momentum toward stability.
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