Human Service Chamber of Franklin County

May we never give up hope in these uncertain times.

Check out these upcoming events from our local nonprofits! You can also now subscribe to our monthly Events Newsletter to receive these listings in your inbox! Subscribe here: https://humanservicechamber.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=adcff598153af71d6fe9b2284&id=c0197fcf28

Earlier today, Governor DeWine signed the State’s Capital Budget, which features $4.5 million that will directly benefit 12 of our member agencies.

These investments in trusted providers of education, housing, food, and healthcare will indirectly benefit the entire nonprofit sector in Franklin County at a time when demand is outpacing available resources--for organizations, and the individuals they serve.

This was our second year volunteering with Habitat for Humanity - MidOhio to build playhouses for little ones across central Ohio! We love this event and the opportunity to give back to our community.

We are so excited to welcome Aaron Vick to the HSC team as our Summer Fellow. Aaron has earned a B.A. in Psychology from The Ohio State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Counselor Education at Ohio State. His work sits at the intersection of mental health, higher education, and nonprofit service, shaped by experiences as a Counselor Trainee at Intentional Wellness Space, a private practice serving Central Ohio, a Graduate Teaching Associate at Ohio State, and his contributions to professional development programming at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He currently serves as Vice President of Chi Sigma Iota, Ohio State’s counseling academic and professional honor society, and he is an active member of Counselors for Social Justice at Ohio State. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Aaron enjoys attending concerts, thrifting and upcycling clothes, spending time outdoors, and trying new restaurants with friends.

Aaron comes to us from The Columbus Foundation's 2026 Summer Fellowship Program. As a fellow, he aims to deepen his understanding of the nonprofit world and better understand how organizations, policy, and community partnerships come together to address the diverse needs of Central Ohio.

Across Central Ohio, a meaningful shift is underway in how nonprofits think about long-term sustainability.

Praxia Partners' 'Impact Solar' initiative was created by The Columbus Partnership and Community Renewable Energy to help nonprofits navigate increasing financial pressure by installing solar arrays on their properties with no upfront cost. Recent collaborations with Bridgeway - Academy & Therapy Center and The Buckeye Ranch are strengthening operational stability, allowing that money to be reinvested in their missions, and sending a ripple of support throughout our central Ohio community.

If your organization is interested in exploring solar opportunities, we invite you to learn more in our latest blog: https://www.humanservicechamber.org/how-solar-is-unlocking-new-potential-for-area-nonprofits/

Given the growing popularity and importance of our Jobs Board, featuring our members’ open positions, and Events Calendar, featuring our members’ events, we’re excited to launch two newsletters and a streamlined Chamber Chatter, all intended to expand visibility for our nonprofit community while also giving you, our readers, the opportunity to select the communications you want to receive! Take some time today to subscribe or update your preferences so you can stay in the know.

https://humanservicechamber.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=adcff598153af71d6fe9b2284&id=c0197fcf28

Looking for a new position? We've got plenty! The HSC Jobs Board is packed with nonprofit jobs in our community. Learn more and apply: https://www.humanservicechamber.org/jobs/

“Part of my job is managing a team of coaches who go out into childcare programs. We coach them on curricula and offer them resources, training, and support to help them maintain their license and secure funding to serve families utilizing Publicly Funded Child Care. The higher rating a program receives from the state, the more funding they get to support their bottom line.

But even with this funding, there's a high turnover rate for teachers because facilities can’t afford to pay their workers more. Right now, programs are struggling with enrollment. There's a lot of families who are not using childcare, even if they have partial support, because they don’t make enough to cover the cost.

I was in that position several years ago. I had one child in preschool and was pregnant with my second. I knew I couldn’t afford to pay for both of them to be in childcare, even though I was doing the work that I love. I had to stay home for a little bit until my oldest went to school, and I got lonely. I missed adult interaction. My value was my family, which was beautiful, and I loved it, but I needed something outside of that. And so did my son.

I'll be honest, I have my master's in special education, but by staying home with my kids, they didn't get the social-emotional development they needed. I would go outside with them and take them to play dates. But it's not the same. You can always see that sending children to a quality educational program helps them build that social-emotional aspect so that they thrive when they get to elementary school.

“The systemic issues in childcare will persist. There will always be problems, but they’ll change, they always do, and we’ll adjust to meet the needs those changes create. Parents are finding ways to return to the office. So, things could look very different in just six months. And we’re ready. We’re out there working with the teachers. And we’re here to help as much as possible.”

– Marie Miller is the Step Up To Quality Program Coordinator for Action for Children, which offers free support to childcare centers across Central Ohio.