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.
(1)

https://www.makeaday.fun/give

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.

Save the date!Monday, June 15th we're hosting our Rooted Pop-Up Care Village at Franklinton Farms' U-Pick garden. This e...
05/19/2026

Save the date!

Monday, June 15th we're hosting our Rooted Pop-Up Care Village at Franklinton Farms' U-Pick garden. This event is all about giving our guests healthy, sustainable, and accessible food options. We'll have our food truck, mobile salon and barber shop, and mobile legal clinic. We hope to see you there!

For more information visit www.makeaday.fun/events

This year’s Annual Report tells the story of what it means to go deeper.Many people know Make-A-Day for burgers and hair...
05/17/2026

This year’s Annual Report tells the story of what it means to go deeper.

Many people know Make-A-Day for burgers and haircuts, and that work still matters deeply to us. But over the last year, alongside every meal and every haircut, we’ve continued building something bigger: relationships, trust, consistency, and pathways toward stability for our neighbors.

We faced real uncertainty this year as federal outreach funding came to an end, but our community showed up the same way it always has. Volunteers brought friends. Partners opened doors. Guests kept coming back. Together, we built sustainability with intention and continued creating spaces rooted in dignity and care.

Take a look through our 2025 Annual Report and see the impact you helped make possible. ❤️

https://www.makeaday.fun/blog/built-together

We had an amazing time hosting The Kickback at Star House this past Monday. Huge thank you to for sponsoring the day, ...
05/16/2026

We had an amazing time hosting The Kickback at Star House this past Monday. Huge thank you to for sponsoring the day, to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for supporting period care supplies in recognition of National Period Poverty Awareness Week, and to Star House for co-hosting with us.

Throughout the afternoon, more than 100 youth experiencing homelessness had access to fresh Make-A-Day burgers; hair stylists, barbers, and a loctician; Hepatitis C and HIV testing and treatment; skilled trades certification opportunities; GED referrals; information about accessible K-12 education; free phones; and vision screenings.

The day was filled with music from an on-site DJ, skateboarding, chess, co****le, smiling faces, relaxed shoulders, and conversations that ranged from navigating services to favorite TV shows and hair dye colors.

Thank you to every sponsor, partner, and volunteer who helped create a space where our guests could simply enjoy being teenagers.

You can read the full event recap here:
https://www.makeaday.fun/blog/morethanservices

It started with an email.About a year ago, the Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilltop Branch reached out because they wan...
05/14/2026

It started with an email.

About a year ago, the Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilltop Branch reached out because they wanted to bring volunteer stylists and barbers to their guests. They saw a need in their community and decided to do something about it.

What they didn’t know was that one email would grow into so much more.

Just five months later, not only were we bringing a mobile salon and barber shop into the branch, but a full legal team too.

The Hilltop Branch played a huge role in helping launch Move the Box, a program that has now led to 60+ expungements being completed.

Since then, the partnership has continued to grow. From regular street outreach, and personal referrals between our two teams, to hosting our recent Strong Minds Stronger Communities Pop-Up, and building relationships with guests and staff across 5+ CML branches.

What started with a single email has turned into real community connection, all because people were paying attention and willing to step in.

You can read the full partnership spotlight here:
https://www.makeaday.fun/blog/expanding-access

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

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Make-A-Day posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Make-A-Day:

Shortcuts

Share

Category