What’s on POINT? October 2019

IT’S OFFICIALLY ~ SPOOKY SZN ~ AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! WE’VE GOT SOME AWESOME WAYS TO DO GOOD THIS MONTH, AND AT LEAST ONE OF THEM INVOLVES COSTUMES.

Get your Oktoberfest on while serving beer, create a more beautiful fall for decades to come by planting trees, and hand out candy to kiddos at Trunk or Treat! Click on the links below for more info orrrr just open up your POINT app.  It’s really that easy.

P.S. Don’t forget to send us your pics, or tag us on your Insta @pointapp 📸 

P.P.S Have you rated POINT yet? It only takes a few seconds & helps others find us on the app store. We’re super excited that in the Apple App Store you can find us just by searching “volunteer”. Help us out with a little 5 ⭐ rating, which keeps us at the top of the list and helps others do more good. 

Here’s just a few of our events this month; open the POINT app to find these and many more!

Go grab your phone and open POINT asap! This event fills up FAST. It’s basically a bartending shift with awesome people listening to incredible local music. The Dick & Jane Project hosts Nightlife 614 to raise money to empower Columbus students through songwriting. 

The Dick & Jane Project pairs middle school students with local musicians to create radio-ready songs, which creates love of music and expressive writing for students. 

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/1888 

Why we love this: When middle school students create a song, it inspires confidence that their words matter. Plus, who doesn’t love (free) concerts?

Cause: Education 

Neighborhood: Glenbrook 

What to enjoy nearby: NightLight 614, duh! So many food trucks…so little time…

Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) is planting 27 trees at Winterset Elementary School to improve the tree canopy in this part of the watershed. This creates a habitat for birds and small animals, plus provides beautiful outdoor areas for the kiddos to enjoy!

FLOW works really hard to keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy, through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers.

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/2068

Why we love this: There’s nothing better than being outside on a crisp fall morning, getting your hands dirty planting trees. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before, FLOW is providing all the tools so you can just show up and #domoregood! (But if you’ve got gardening gloves, you might want to bring those.)

Cause: Water and Environment

Neighborhood: Knolls West 

What to enjoy nearby: Bring a couple of friends to plant with you, then go to Lockology Escape Rooms in Columbus after you’re done planting. It’ll be a great day, promise!

If you have a heart for immigrants and refugees, this is for you. Meet families in the ESL (English as a second language) program and entertain the kids! Play soccer, build with legos, read them some stories…it’s a fun time.

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/2032 

Why we love this: You’re helping families feel welcome in Central Ohio, and embracing your inner child. Win-win.

Cause: Refugees 

Neighborhood: Mill Run/Hilliard

What to enjoy nearby: Pulp Juice and Smoothie is delicious. Grab one and head over to the Mill Run ponds to take a walk!

We’ve allllll been to  Global Gifts in the Short North. They’ve got free coffee samples and fair trade gifts from over 40 countries and we LOVE IT. But did you know they’re a nonprofit? By volunteering here, YOU can support fair and timely wages, and ensure the rights of children are protected and that people have safe and empowering working conditions.

There are two opportunities for orientation, Tuesday night or Saturday morning.

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/1990 

Why we love this: Ethical and sustainable business practices are principles that POINT HQ cares a lot about (we do an ethical gift guide every year for the holidays, check it out) and we couldn’t be more excited to have Global Gifts as a charity partner! They’re the best resource for fair trade products in our community.

Cause: Poverty 

Neighborhood: Short North 

What to enjoy nearby: So many Short North options of places to grab breakfast, it’s hard to choose! One of our favorites at the moment is off of the business of High St, Tasi Cafe. They use fresh, seasonal, local ingredients and every option is mouth-wateringly good.

Celebrating One focuses on mental and emotional health by publicly acknowledging, honoring, and celebrating the achievements of the underprivileged and unrecognized. They throw parties, send cards, and generally encourage one person at a time. If you strongly believe in the power of small things and changing one life at a time, you’ll be a perfect fit.

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/2034

Why we love this: If you like to talk to new people, this is for you! You’ll be volunteering in the morning at a booth for Celebrate One at the IMPACT Columbus event to share the mission of celebrating one person at a time!

Cause: Family 

Neighborhood: River Highlands 

What to enjoy nearby: Post-event coffee hangouts at Winan’s Chocolates + Coffees. Who says you can’t have chocolate for breakfast? 

It’s time for the big leagues. The state bowling tournament is here, and you can volunteer to make it an awesome day for some pretty special bowlers.

Almost everyone has heard of the Special Olympics, but did you know exactly why they’re so impactful? They support 32 team and individual sports (summer AND winter!) for folks in Ohio with intellectual disabilities, giving them opportunities to exercise, compete, and make friends. 

Event link: https://app.pointapp.org/event/2071 

Why We Love This: Special Olympics Ohio athletes and their families are never assessed fees to participate. Funds are raised at the local, area and state levels to cover the costs in providing the training and competition opportunities for the athletes.🧡

Cause: Health and Equality

Neighborhood: Norton Field 

What to enjoy nearby: Check out a fave local joint, Indochine Cafe. Pho, anyone?  

Franklin County LOSS (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors) needs help with Suicide Postvention—when a life is lost to suicide, volunteers head to the scene to be a source of hope and support for the family/friends. Truly an incredible group of people who are making the world a kinder place by helping those who have lost a loved one to suicide as they’re processing this loss. 

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/2065 

Why we love this: This is heavy, and not for everyone, but so incredibly important. If it interests you to provide this kind of support for families, you will make a lasting impact.

Cause: Health and Family

Neighborhood: Canterbury 

What to enjoy nearby: Grab a cup of iced coffee and decompress at one of our favorite local coffee shops, Colin’s Coffee. 

Reeb Avenue Center is all about supporting the south side community. They work with awesome local partners (think: Alvis, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the Godman Guild) to provide holistic support for anyone who walks through their door.

For Halloween, a lot of kids don’t have a safe neighborhood to trick or treat in, so this is a fun (and safe) way to make sure they can participate in all the spooky fun!

Event link: https://events.pointapp.org/2037

Why we love this: If you like decorating and being crafty, sign right up! Decorate the trunk of your car, dress up, and hand out the good stuff (and by that we mean anything with chocolate). Even if you don’t have a trunk, come hang out, serve a community meal, and help with set up/clean up.

Cause: Poverty

Neighborhood: Hungarian Village 

What to enjoy nearby: Grab a burger at The Thurman Cafe. Gotta balance out all that sugar with some protein and veggies!