Letter from MY Project USA Team Member:

'I Fall More in Love with This Work with Every Smile I See from the People We Serve'

MY Project USA Education Manager Jenna Herron has Found Purpose in Serving the Underserved Children of the Hilltop

I joined MY Project USA as a step into the unknown but with a conviction to serve international and underprivileged communities of my city. I also knew God made me with gifts in administration, interpersonal relations, and teaching that I have wanted to use for larger purposes than just myself. Pursuing a life of self-promotion proved to be unfulfilling and meaningless to me. 

While I wanted to pursue a life of giving out love, stepping into the needs that MY Project USA was meeting felt intimidating. I did not realize until easing into my role just how much I would enjoy serving the families and children of the Hilltop area through youth and education programming. I have come to see this work as a long-term pursuit rather than a momentary endeavor. Although the work is extensive and busy, it is fulfilling and has led to many rich memories, experiences, and impact. 

I fall more in love with this work with every smile I see from the people we serve. When I hear the stories of each kid: where they come from, where they want to go, the struggles they walk through, and the beauty of who they are as a person, I cannot help but gain more passion for what we do and the mission we pursue. I believe our time with each student is more valuable than we can see, and we gain glimpses as we come to know each student more. I know that our investment in them is not a waste and can change the trajectory of their futures. I am confident that this is how I do what is in my control to address the issues in our community instead of turning a blind eye. 

Yes, the work can be heartbreaking as you learn of the trials these families endure. The work can be exhausting and feels like more of a sacrifice on some days more than others. But I would rather be in the thick of it all next to the families rather than keeping a comfortable distance where making an impact is less accessible. 

I love my colleagues and teammates here at MY Project USA as well. Our organization is multilayered in that our team and workers benefit from this work just as much as our students. I get to see young lives empowered, immigrants offered stable opportunities, and people’s character grow through their employment here. My colleagues have also become my friends and what better job than to serve alongside your friends?

I am more thankful for the day I said yes to working here with MY Project USA and have been pleasantly surprised by the world of impact it has had.

Jenna Herron,
Education Manager, MY Project USA

MY Deah's Warehouse:

Go on an Exciting 'Treasure Hunt' at MY Deah's Warehouse!

Find Great Prices on Furniture, Clothes, Toys & Much More!

Hey Columbus! Have you visited MY Deah's Warehouse recently? We have awesome values on great items. Find furniture, household appliances, toys, clothing, electronics, kitchen items and more.

All proceeds from sales go to help fund the much-needed programming that MY Project USA offers on the west side of Columbus. Come visit MY Deah's Warehouse today!

📍 4004 Fondorf Dr. Columbus, OH 43228
⏰ Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Hilltop Tigers:

Hilltop Tigers Return to Indoor Soccer Action

Click on the blue button below to check out some pictures from last week's Hilltop Tigers indoor soccer games. Thank you to MY Project USA team member Abdi Bakari for his awesome photography skills. 

Three of our teams were in action, and the games were highlighted by a 6-1 victory for our Under-14 Tigers. Great job to all of our young players and thank you to our coaches for not only providing on-the-pitch instructions but by being wonderful mentors for our kids in all facets of their lives.

Make sure you're following the Hilltop Tigers on their Instagram page. Click on the pink button below to check out their page.

MY Family Pantry:

A Total of 2,424 Individuals Received Much-Needed Support Last Week from MY Family Pantry

It was an extremely busy week last week at the Mid-Ohio Market at MY Project USA powered by MY Family Pantry. An average of 606 individuals per day visited our pantry, with 836 alone visiting on Saturday.

From Tuesday, Jan. 9-Saturday, Jan. 13, a total of 2,424 individuals were served groceries and basic supplies from our pantry. As always, we must thank our wonderful partners at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective for their support in making this much-needed work happen. Our pantry is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and each day saw at least 500 individuals visit. We also had 109 families visit us for the first time.

Thank you to MY Family Pantry Director Ramy El-Assal and his group of Saturday volunteers from Ohio State, including Michael Abou-Elias, Rahaf Shalash, Noora Rajjoub, Elsa Wani, Stella Aboshahba, Nawal Abdinur, Chai Annamreddi, Rishi Kabir and Muhrez Choudhry. We also could not have accomplished this work without MY Project USA team members Ezatullah Momand and Jajuan Parker.

Volunteering at MY Family Pantry is a fun and impactful experience. We always need more help, especially on weekdays (Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays). Please click the red button below to sign up to volunteer. If you would like to further support our efforts to battle food insecurity here in Columbus, please consider supporting our "Sponsor a Meal" campaign by click on the black button below.

Community Development:

Supporting Our Sisters: MY Project USA, Covenant Baptist Church Join Forces for Female-Only Classes Starting in February

Call (614) 306-0366 or Email dir.outreach@myprojectusa.org with Questions

MY Project USA is proud to announce a pair of new classes to help women in the new American/refugee community here in Columbus. With the Covenant Baptist Church as our partner, we are proudly offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) and Cultural Orientation classes starting in February.

All classes will be held at Covenant Baptist Church (5100 Dierker Rd. Columbus, OH 43220). The ESL classes will be held every Tuesday from 5:30-7 p.m. beginning on Feb. 13. The Cultural Orientation classes, which will help attendees learn more about American culture, will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 7 and will be held every Wednesday from 5:30-7 p.m.

There will be free childcare offered during the Wednesday Cultural Orientation classes ONLY. 

Thank you to our partners at the Covenant Baptist Church for providing a location for these much-needed classes! 

MY Deah's Warehouse:

12 Locations in Columbus to Drop Off Donations – Truck Pick-Up Available for Large Donations

MY Project USA is searching for more locations across central Ohio where people can leave their donations of new and gently used clothes, shoes, books, toys and other small non-breakable items. We need your support!

We will collect the items from the bins weekly (or more frequently as needed) and sort them in our warehouse. Once organized, we offer the items for free to clients in the communities we serve. Some items are also sold at Global Gifts & Thrift, a retail location in Hilliard that is based on the Goodwill model. All proceeds of these sales go toward funding our programs.

Our organization will ensure that the area around the bins remains clean. Please contact Noorullah Shinwari at (614) 817-9159 with questions or if you are interested in partnering with us. Thank you!

If you are looking to drop off items to donate, our bins are at the following locations:
   • Ahlul Bayt Society – 2580 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, OH 43235
   • Bethel International United Methodist Church – 1220 Bethel Rd. Columbus, OH 43220
   • Covenant Baptist Church – 5100 Dierker Rd. Columbus, OH 43220
   • Global Gifts & Thrift – 4730 Cemetery Rd. Hilliard, OH 43206. (Business Hours Only)
   • Heritage Christian Church – 7413 Maxtown Rd. Westerville, OH 43082
   • MAS Youth Center – 4615 Northtowne Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229
   • Masjid Nimrah – 4501 Refugee Rd. Columbus, OH 43232
   • MY Deah's Warehouse – 4004 Fondorf Dr. Columbus, OH 43228. (Business Hours Only)
   • Noor Islamic Cultural Center – 5001 Wilcox Rd. Dublin, OH 43016
   • Omar Ibn El-Khattab Masjid – 580 Riverview Dr. Columbus, OH 43202
   • The Destiny Center – 1561 Old Leonard Ave. Columbus, OH 43219
   • The First Congregational Church – 444 E. Broad St. Columbus, OH 43215
   • Turkish American Society of Ohio (TASO) – 2885 W. Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus, OH 43235

MY Helpline:

Rent & Utilities Support Available at MY Project USA

We have been working very hard in securing grants and building collaboration with other partners to help our clients. Thanks to The Columbus Foundation, United Way of Central Ohio, and IMPACT Community Action, we are still able to help more of our families with their rent and utilities. If you or someone you know needs help, please ask them to contact us at (614) 905-0977 or help@myprojectusa.org.