Make-A-Day

Make-A-Day Our Mission is Empowering the Impoverished through Inclusive Community Events and acts of Kindness. Helping Columbus' homeless one life at a time.
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https://www.makeaday.fun/give

06/06/2026

Why do we call the people we work with “guests” instead of “clients”?

Because words matter.

At Make-A-Day, we believe the people we serve are our neighbors first.

Calling someone a guest reflects the kind of relationship we’re trying to build. One based on mutual respect, trust, and ongoing connection. It reminds us that our work isn’t just about referrals or transactions. It’s about walking alongside people, listening to their experiences, and staying engaged when challenges arise.

A referral isn’t the end of the conversation. We want to know what happened next. Did the resource help? Were there barriers? What needs to happen now?

The people we work with are more than a case file or a number. They are members of our community, and they deserve to be treated that way.

06/03/2026

Ron’s story isn’t unique.

What held him back wasn’t one major crisis. It was a series of small barriers that kept stacking up.

A past-due utility bill made it harder to turn the power on on. Move-in costs added up faster than his income could keep pace. Application fees, transportation, paperwork, and missed callbacks each became another obstacle in the way of housing.

None of these challenges were insurmountable on their own. But together, they created a snowball effect that left Ron unhoused for years.

Too often, we assume people are one decision away from stability. The reality is that past issues can follow someone for years, and small barriers can quickly become life-changing ones.

Ron found housing because someone stayed engaged, advocated on his behalf, and helped remove those barriers one at a time.

That’s what this work is about.

We hope you’ve enjoyed following Ron’s journey towards stability. Next week we’ll share the final part of his story letting you know how he’s doing now. Stay tuned!

📢Calling all VolunteersJoin us for our upcoming Rooted Pop-Up Care Village on Monday, June 15th at Franklinton Farms.Vol...
06/02/2026

📢Calling all Volunteers

Join us for our upcoming Rooted Pop-Up Care Village on Monday, June 15th at Franklinton Farms.

Volunteers will help:
🍔Serve free meals
🌱Guests access free fruits and veggies from the U-Pick Garden
💇🏿Give free haircuts and shaves
🩺Guests access on-site legal services
👕Distribute donations in our Dignity Market
💖Create a safe and welcoming space for our guests
😁And all around ensure the event runs smoothly and helps as many guests as possible

Make our day, and join us for an unforgettable event!
Visit https://dash.pointapp.org/events/444226 for more information and to sign up

See you in June!☀🍔❤
05/31/2026

See you in June!☀🍔❤

05/31/2026

As we look back on May, we’re reminded how much is possible when a community chooses to work together. Every outreach, pop-up, and guest connection is made possible through partnership.

From a mental health-focused pop-up in the Hilltop alongside Franklin County Sheriff's Office, to teaming up with StarHouse, The Junior League Columbus, and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to support youth experiencing homelessness, to launching our Rooted outreach series with Franklinton Farms focused on food access and health, we hope to see you June 15th😉, this month emphasized the power of organizations coming together around a shared mission.

We also celebrated one year of partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilltop Branch. What started with a single email has grown into countless outreach sessions, pop-ups, guest connections, and a relationship rooted in trust and collaboration.

Thank you to every partner who continues to show up alongside us. And stay tuned as we're so excited for what’s ahead in the second half of this year.👀

You can dive deeper into each of these partnerships on the Daymaker Journal www.makeaday.fun/blog

Last week, HUD quietly rolled back nearly two decades of federal guidance protecting emotional support animals (ESAs) in...
05/30/2026

Last week, HUD quietly rolled back nearly two decades of federal guidance protecting emotional support animals (ESAs) in housing. For many people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, that change creates one more barrier to accessing safe, stable housing.

We see every day how pets and ESAs provide consistency, emotional support, and connection for people navigating trauma, mental health challenges, and displacement. Removing federal enforcement protections doesn’t erase that reality, it just makes housing harder to access for the people who need it most.

On the Daymaker Journal, we break down what changed, why it matters here in Ohio, and what solutions communities and lawmakers can still build locally.

Read the full post, share it, and join us in advocating for housing systems that keep people and their support systems together.
www.makeaday.fun/blog/the-federal-government-just-made-it-harder-to-come-home

When Ron first connected with us, he had been navigating the system for years. He was exhausted from repeating the same ...
05/28/2026

When Ron first connected with us, he had been navigating the system for years. He was exhausted from repeating the same cycle over and over again. He told Vanessa honestly that he doubted she could help him. After so many organizations stepping in and out of his life, he wasn’t convinced anything would come from one more.

Vanessa understood that progress would take time. She focused on building trust through consistency. When she said she would follow up, she did. When paperwork or phone calls became barriers, she stayed engaged. Slowly, that consistency mattered.

A major turning point came when Vanessa personally contacted a property manager to advocate for Ron. She explained his situation, spoke to his progress, and shared our commitment to supporting him throughout the process.

For Ron, that was different. He saw that Vanessa and Make-A-Day were willing to go beyond the level of care he had grown used to receiving.

From that point forward, Ron became fully invested in the process. He showed up for appointments, followed through on goals, and took initiative when new steps were needed. And throughout it all, Vanessa continued doing her part coordinating with property management and partner agencies to keep everything moving forward.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we share the different parts Ron’s journey with Make-A-Day, and how long built trust was the turning point between another dead end and finally moving forward.

05/23/2026

What keeps this work going isn’t just passion, it’s people willing to invest in their community.

With funding becoming more competitive across the nonprofit sector, sustaining consistent outreach takes all of us. Through 100 Investors in Hope, individuals and small businesses help fund the nearly 100 outreach events we host each year by giving $2,500 or $200/month.

That support helps bring meals, haircuts, social services, community partners, and dignity-centered care directly to neighbors experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Learn more about why this campaign matters and what it makes possible at www.makeaday.fun/100investorsinhope

What happens when neighbors, growers, chefs, and community organizations come together around a shared table?Something b...
05/23/2026

What happens when neighbors, growers, chefs, and community organizations come together around a shared table?

Something bigger than a meal.

This spring, Make-A-Day partnered with Franklinton Farms to connect fresh food, nutrition education, and community care in a way that feels rooted in the neighborhood itself. Guests walked the gardens, learned what was growing, shared meals made with ingredients picked that morning, and discovered a resource that already belonged to them.

Because food access is health access. And community care starts by making sure people feel welcomed, informed, and connected to the resources around them.

On June 15th, that partnership grows into Rooted, a Pop-Up Care Village at Franklinton Farms featuring:
🌱 U-Pick garden access
🌮 Meals from the MAD Food Truck
🩺 Community resources and service navigation
🥕 Nutrition and food systems education
💇‍♀️Free haircuts and shaves
💼And Legal support

Join us June 15th at Franklinton.
Volunteer, donate, or learn more at https://www.makeaday.fun/blog/rooted-in-community

05/21/2026

Ron didn’t lack effort. He lacked access.

After 25 years of sobriety, a series of hardships left him unsheltered, moving from couch to couch, trying to find a way back to stability. He was doing everything he could to move forward, but with every step forward came another barrier.

A housing scam drained the little money he had saved. Then, after finally finding an apartment, he hit another obstacle: renter’s insurance. Something many of us set up in a few minutes became another complicated system to navigate alone.

That’s the reality for so many of our neighbors. The barriers aren’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s paperwork, technology, unfamiliar systems, or simply not knowing who to trust.

With support, Ron was able to secure renter’s insurance, stay within his budget, and move into long-term housing.

Because people don’t fail because they lack potential. Too often, they’re failed by systems that were never built to support them.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing the different parts Ron’s journey with Make-A-Day, and how long built trust was the turning point between another dead end and finally moving forward.

Address

Columbus, OH

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 12:15am - 12:30am

Telephone

+16143448412

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