Where Local Families Find Refuge
WUMC hosts YWCA meals
One of the most powerful ways we help the families at our Family Center is by providing them three full-course meals each day. Every day of the year, we rely on volunteers to provide and serve these meals. That’s where you come in. As a volunteer meal host, you can help by cooking or funding either a single meal or meals on an ongoing basis.
The next meal we serve will be on Saturday, March 6. Contact Lesly Wade: 614-885-0114 or
wadefamily@columbus.rr.com to volunteer.
In 2008, the Family Center served more than 650 Columbus families, including 1200 children. Recognized by the National Community Development Association as a national model for emergency shelters, the Family Center is one of only four centers in the U.S. to offer such a high quality of support to families experiencing housing crises.
The YWCA Family Center, Central Ohio's first comprehensive 24-hour emergency shelter for homeless families, opened in September, 2005. Formerly offered through our Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN, this new facility offers safe, comfortable accommodations and childcare all under one roof for families in Franklin County who are experiencing an immediate housing crisis. The Family Center has been recognized by the National Community Development Association as a national model for emergency shelters
Located on the near northeast side of Columbus, the Family Center offers support and sanctuary to up to 50 families a night. Families are assigned private bedrooms, and are linked with supportive services to help them get swiftly back on their feet. Professional staff offer an array of services including job counseling, case management, housing placement assistance, and child advocacy. An on-site partnership with Columbus Public Schools ensures that children who are temporarily homeless can continue to attend their same school. The center offers on-site licensed childcare, tutoring, and a teen center. It also has a computer resource room, laundry facilities, playgrounds, and a community garden.
In 2007 over 1,200 families with more than 1,600 children were served at the Family Center. Also, 100 congregations and over 26,000 volunteers worked together to provide support for the families in need. As part of our Outreach Ministry, WUMC has hosted and served four dinners at the Family Center with more than 60 volunteers from our congregation