Creating a sustainable and compassionate community
VOICEcorps is an essential service for people with medical conditions that prevent them from using print material, providing a tool for independent access to information. Volunteers read aloud from current local & national newspapers, plus 200 other print publications & neighborhood shopping fliers. Check out the program listings and learn more about Audio on Demand.
Make-A-Day’s mission is to empower the impoverished through inclusive community events, acts of kindness, outreach, advocacy, & educational awareness. It is a mobile front door to stability, walking alongside neighbors experiencing homelessness & economic instability. MAD’s role is to help clear the obstacles–missing IDs, criminal records, gaps in benefits, broken connections–that stand between people and the life they are seeking. Since its inception, MAD has provided over 60,000 meals and 12,000 essentials (like clothing & hygiene supplies), connected hundreds of guests to housing & jobs, and engaged over 500 volunteers
Ira Helfand, MD, a two-time Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will address the growing threat of nuclear war at the Free Press Second Saturday Salon on July 11th from 2-4 pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road. Dr. Helfand will outline the work of Back from the Brink, a US-based grassroots coalition of individuals, organizations, & elected officials working together to rid the world of nuclear weapons and secure a set of common-sense policies that will make the world safer, healthier, and more just.
I received a message in my inbox on Friday letting me know that, after 18 years of operation, June 6th will be the final day of programming for Local Matters. The organization’s recent financial problems have been reported on the Simply Living Blog and in the Community News. I have been hoping the organization would be able to weather the storm and survive. But that is not the case. The central Ohio community has lost an important resource.
The Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) is a Columbus-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that acts as a leading Small Business Administration (SBA) intermediary microlender, providing capital, education, and mentorship to entrepreneurs. Established in 2004, it helps small businesses start, grow, and succeed.
For much of the world, May 1st is International Workers’ Day, a public holiday dedicated to labor rights. It commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, where workers striking for an 8-hour workday clashed with police. Today, millions of people participate in rallies, marches, and strikes to advocate for better wages and working conditions. It is a day to celebrate the contributions and achievements of workers in all sectors of the economy. From the factory worker to the teacher, from the healthcare professional to the farmer, this day honors the dedication, hard work, and sacrifices of individuals who labor tirelessly to build and sustain our communities.
Our mission has always been to connect our community with opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive in ways that promote sustainability, environmental justice, and a strong local economy. But we can’t do it without you—our members, supporters, and neighbors. You make this work possible. That’s why we’re asking for your […]
On Tuesday, Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis Police Officer charged in the death of George Floyd, was found guilty on all three counts: second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter. The video of Floyd’s lynching on a public street in broad daylight was too much for any jury […]
Simply Living joined a coalition of organizations led by Columbus Stand Up! in delivering a letter to elected officials demanding answers about the April 7 explosion at the Yenkin-Majestic Paint Corporation. The blast killed one person, injured eight, and spewed ash and other debris over area homes. The factory, located […]
Last December, the city of Columbus released a draft Climate Action Plan. While we applaud the city for counting its carbon emissions and devising strategies in five areas to lower emissions, the goals do not go far enough. Climate science says we must cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 […]
Creating a compassionate and sustainable world through personal, community and cultural transformation.