How It All Began
Hunger is very real in Central Ohio. The traditional Thanksgiving meal isn’t possible for many families because they just can’t afford it. To help families in need in Columbus, a few Upper Arlington schools teamed up with After-School All-Stars in the fall of 2016. Together, they provided over 200 families with Thanksgiving Meals.
Tracy Ensign, ASAS Ohio Executive Director and former UA resident, knew from experience that the UA community would not let her down when she reached out to them. She enlisted the help from schools and local businesses to help collect food donations. “After living here for many years, I am not surprised by the generosity of the Upper Arlington community,” said Ms. Ensign. “They have always been supportive of many philanthropic causes. For this particular event, it really seemed to hit home that the All-Star families they were helping live just 8 miles away,” added Ms. Ensign.
Since then, ASAS Ohio has expanded its Thanksgiving Meal Drive to support All-Star families in both Columbus and Toledo. Our All-Star families are so appreciative of the outreach and generosity of the community.
"Hoping you had a wonderful blessed Thanksgiving. Thankful for our Thanksgiving meal provided by the After-School All-Stars program. I am truly thankful for the blessings, and the thoughtfulness, and the positive involvement with the All-Star program."
Whether you are an individual, a school, or a business, you can give the gift of a complete Thanksgiving meal to a family in our program. Click here to review the details of this drive. If you would like to support this drive, please contact the ASAS staff member in your city: