Community Service Near Me

Type 1 Meetup of Central Ohio

Come and hang with other Type 1’s. Chill, make friends, vent about your endo or insurance, and swap tips about adhesive removal etc. This meetup is a part of WQC’s Community Network Series, and is therefore a safe space for everyone. Bigotry and insults will not be tolerated, and LGBTQIA+ BIPOC folks are affirmed and welcome. Can’t be nice to Trans folks of Color? Don’t come.

COUNT monthly event: Kitchen service at Van Buren Center's shelter

Come assist Van Buren Shelter (https://ymcacolumbus.org/locations/vanburen) staff in serving dinners and cleaning up on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Dinner for the women is 5-6 pm and for the families is 6:15-7:15 pm. There is ample free parking available in the shelter's lot. The recommended area to park is in green in the image above. There will be a new entrance for the time being. We are asking all volunteers to enter through the Donation Dock door, the orange mark on the image above. This door is located between the Single Adults and Family Shelter. You will see 2 large garage doors with a large green trash compactor in the center. Please head to the closest garage door to the building wall, with a ramp leading up. There, you will see a door with a sign stating instructions on how to enter the building. Please ring the doorbell, and a staff member will come and escort you into the building. If a staff member takes longer than 5 minutes, please call the front desk at 614-689-2020. This is a new process for us, and we do not want to keep you waiting! We appreciate your patience as we navigate this temporary change. The shelter needs a volunteer count the day before the event so sign-up ends Monday at 4:50 PM. Afterwards some of us go to the Omnipresent Atheists Weekly Meetup in progress to have a bit to eat or drink (http://www.meetup.com/omnipresentatheists/). Volunteers must be 14 or older. Since we will be working around families, the YMCA does not permit volunteering by individuals with convictions for violent or sexual crimes. The YMCA reserves the right to run background checks on volunteers. For questions, comment on this page or contact: Andrew, awhit12@yahoo.com, (614)937-5802 (cell). Please let Andrew know if you volunteer anytime other than our COUNT events so that he can count your hours toward our service record.

Westerville Queer Coffee Meetup

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

Unity of Columbus Resource Group for the Homeless – Volunteers Needed

The Unity of Columbus Resource Group for the Homeless is seeking compassionate volunteers who would like to help serve and uplift members of our homeless community. This group is dedicated to sharing kindness, resources, and support with individuals who may be experiencing difficult circumstances. Anyone with a heart for service is welcome to join us as we work together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Community members are also invited to contribute by bringing helpful items for those in need. Donations of items can be contributed at the meeting and will be distributed to assist members of the homeless community. Please consider joining us and sharing this opportunity with friends, family, or associates who may also wish to help. Learn more about Unity of Columbus at www.unityofcolumbus.org or call (614) 267-4959. Together we can extend compassion, dignity, and support to our community. 💛

topic to be announced

topic to be announced **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: [https://www.franklin.edu/](https://www.franklin.edu/) **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8](https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8) Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Columbus, OH Open Men’s Group / Intro to Men’s Work

Interested? Contact Preston Moore k.preston.moore@gmail.com 614-300-5989 ———————————— Engaging in men’s work is the new way to forge friendships while being open-minded to personal growth. Many men experience healthier relationships, personally and professionally, by engaging in this work. Open Men’s Group is a container for men to share vulnerably without receiving judgment or feedback. We believe that emotionally mature, powerful, compassionate, and purpose-driven men will help heal some of society’s deepest wounds. We support the powerful brilliance of men and we are willing to look at, and take full responsibility for, the pain we are also capable of creating – and suffering. We care deeply about men, our families, communities, and the planet. Visit ManKind Project USA to discover more. https://mkpusa.org/

How to Be a Better Communicator - Free Seminar

How to be a Better Communicator Communication is everything in life You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

Humanist Program

In September we will hear from Fish Stark the American Humanist Association’s Executive Director. "The Religious Right Is Fighting a Holy War. Here's Our Plan To Win. The religious right is waging the most aggressive assault on secular values in a generation — defunding public schools, pushing religion into government, and attacking empathy itself as a weakness and a sin. But the picture isn't all bleak. Efforts to force the Bible into public school classrooms are being defeated in court. The AHA just won major federal cases in Florida and Arkansas. The Congressional Freethought Caucus we helped start is now larger than the Freedom Caucus. And from Minneapolis to Biloxi, humanists are showing what is possible when we show up for our communities." "AHA Executive Director Fish Stark will break down the threats the AHA's legal and policy teams are tracking right now, where the most serious attacks on the First Amendment are coming from, and what humanists can do to fight back and win — in the courts, in Congress, in the culture, and in our communities." The location for this meeting is Graystone Wine Cellar (544 South Front Street Columbus OH 43215). This meeting will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online. The formal presentation will start at noon. Soft drinks and coffee will be provided by the venue. Additionally, we will be providing catered appetizers from Blue Bow Tie Catering and so we would like an accurate count for that. We appreciate your response. Feel free to show up at 11:30am to hang out and talk. The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. We do request that you RSVP for this event as seating is limited. Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC)

Open Barn Day in September at Sunrise Sanctuary!

## Time & Location Sep 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Marysville, 16730 Martin Welch Rd, Marysville, OH 43040, USA ## About the event Open Barns are a chance for us to open our doors to the public. You can come and meet our 140+ beloved animal residents, tour our scenic property, ask our dedicated volunteers questions, and capture it all on camera. Tickets are required. $10 for adults, $5 for ages 4-17, and under 4 are free. ***As a vegan, volunteer-run nonprofit, all*** ***proceeds from our Open Barns go directly to the care and keeping of our precious animals.*** ***Advance tickets are required.*** To register for tickets[ ](https://sunrisesanctuary.app.neoncrm.com/forms/september-19th-2026-open-barn-day-registration?event=1263&&fbclid=IwY2xjawStIuZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSOE5FM0hFenFRcm9GZjg1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjNL-3pyDbZKTQBRblmshYCP9VPrnZuRoHYf81oadvNRGuyQ7-E81rtSClJI_aem_hIeSy01ebVyG1ac_G8Xajw)**[CLICK HERE](https://sunrisesanctuary.app.neoncrm.com/forms/september-19th-2026-open-barn-day-registration?event=1263&&fbclid=IwY2xjawStIuZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSOE5FM0hFenFRcm9GZjg1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjNL-3pyDbZKTQBRblmshYCP9VPrnZuRoHYf81oadvNRGuyQ7-E81rtSClJI_aem_hIeSy01ebVyG1ac_G8Xajw)**. We also love produce donations, especially melons, apples, pears, carrots, pineapple, squash, pumpkins, and lettuce. For the safety of our dogs, please no grapes.

Cinema Columbus 2026: Sightlines: Documentary Shorts at the Gateway Film Center!

NOTE: This will be an UNHOSTED EVENT. This is just being listed as a fun opportunity to see some great short docs and support this Cinema Columbus event. But, I have a conflict on this day/time, so I’m only 50-50 if I’ll be able to make it. (If I am able to make it, you’ll see me there!) Tentatively listing it as an “un-hosted event.” But, while no official host will be present, you’ll be able to check the RSVP list so you can keep an eye out for fellow CMG’ers and your for Movie Group friends! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Join us for a CMG Bonus Event to see five special Documentary Shorts as part of Cinema Columbus 2026! The Cinema Columbus event is now in its 5th year, but this will be the FIRST time the Movie Group will attend! The festival features over 75 feature length and short films shown at a variety of Columbus locations. For our event, we’ll check out the Documentary Shorts section at the Gateway, described below: DESCRIPTION: The 5 documentary shorts explore, “the spaces we inhabit” and why they “matter so deeply.” “The environments we shape mold us. These short visions unearth intimate looks at how physical place informs internal realities.” The Shorts of Ohio includes the following films: \* Elephant Families (15-min), Dirs. Evan Bode & Marvin Wade. A documentary about the resilience of London’s Latin American communities as a wave of regeneration hits Elephant and Castle. \* Prison and Time (7-min), Dir. Elena Escalante. A formerly incarcerated writer speaks about his 25 years in prison and the positive transformation he achieved in spite of, not because of, the criminal legal system around him. \* The Sight Unseen (35-min), Dir. Shawn Antoine II. This documentary explores a writer’s memories and writings, investigating whether a phenomenon experienced in 1971 was divine or a hoax. \* Prettier in Whittier (12-min), Dir. Joe Kowalski. In the town of Whittier, nearly the entire population lives in a single apartment building, bringing new meaning to the idea of getting along with your neighbor. \* Grampy’s Red Rock Rabbit Ranch (32-min) Dirs. Martin Krafft & Laura Asherman. A filmmaker is invited to document her friend’s seemingly idyllic life on an intergenerational farm, but the act of filming becomes entangled with the farm community’s unraveling. PERSONAL INVITATION and Q&A: Martin Krafft, the director of the documentary short Grampy’s Red Rock Rabbit Ranch reached out personally to invite our group to attend! From Martin Crafft: “I'm the director of a short doc, Grampy's Red Rock Rabbit Ranch, having its world premiere at Cinema Columbus Film Festival on September 13th." Martin will be traveling from Berlin, Germany and story co-creator Emily Kleypas, will be traveling from NYC for the premiere and a Q&A after the documentary shorts” and would by “totally honored if the Columbus Movie Group” would attend! PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 1:30pm showing on Sunday, September 13th! Recommend arriving in the upstairs lobby area around 1:15pm to meet up with fellow group members. Tickets for this one may move quickly so advance purchase as soon as possible is advised. The total program will be 2-hours. Tickets just $11.57 with no online ticketing fee! You can order yours and find out more about the program here: https://cinemacolumbus.eventive.org/Schedule/6a594d59bc221f005a8b6d48 Hope you can make it, Dan

Volunteer with Worthington Resource Pantry

Tailgate Party before Buckeyes Home Games

Join me at my TAILGATE PARTY. We will be there before each Buckeyes home game. We set up between The Shoe and St. Johns Arena along the sidewalk and parking lot entrance ramp. Sept 5 Ball State Sept 19 Kent State Sept 26 Illinois Oct 10 Maryland Nov 7 Oregon Nov 14 Northwestern Nov 28 Michigan See you at the Shoe!!!!