Share your story.
Fight hunger.
Tell Your Story
Mid-Ohio Food Collective gathers and shares stories about people we support (and the people who support us) to raise awareness, fight stigma, raise funds, and advocate for hunger relief. Stories are powerful, and yours can help MOFC help our hungry neighbors!
Speak Your Truth, Help Our Community
Stories can help others feel better about accepting help. They can bust myths about food assistance and help MOFC raise awareness of and money for our hunger relief work. Whether you’ve experienced hunger, fought it as a donor or volunteer, or both, we want to hear from you.
Why
Share
Your
Story
Sharing your story is like making a donation to MOFC. Personal stories from our customers, volunteers, donors, and partners help MOFC and our community by:
- Empowering people to tell their stories in their own way.
- Putting a name and face to food insecurity statistics.
- Busting harmful myths about food insecurity and poverty.
- Reducing the stigma of around food assistance.
- Showing how food assistance can better Ohioans’ lives.
Hunger is an urgent issue in central and eastern Ohio, and your story can help us advocate for real fixes with leaders in our community!
Share your story
What
to
Expect
The stories, pictures, and quotes we gather may appear in online articles, social media posts, flyers, fundraising mailers, advertisements, reports, videos, media interviews, and more. These can (but don’t have to) include a person’s actual picture, real name, and personal details. They can also be anonymous. We can use stock photos and different names (or just your initials) if privacy is important. It’s up to you.
MOFC will be clear about what we plan to do with the pictures and stories you give us. If our plans change, we will tell you. If there’s a way you would prefer that we not use your picture or story, you can specify on your release form. The release form is required for us to you use your story.
Share your storySteps to Share Your Story with MOFC:
Get in
Touch
Submit your story here or call us at (614) 277-3663 to talk to our communications team.
SubmitSchedule
We’ll schedule a time to talk. If you fill out our online story form, we’ll skip this step.
Interview
We’ll talk over the phone or face to face. If you fill out our online story form, we’ll skip this step.
Review
Once a draft is done, you can review it. Please note: we can’t review news media stories.
Publication
Once you’ve approved the main product (such as an article or social media post), we’ll tell you when we expect to publish it. We’ll send you a link to the final story.
- We will share your story authentically. We will do our best to make a final product that reflects your dignity, voice, and lived experiences.
- We will spotlight your ability to create change in your life and community. We will focus on your strengths and successes, not just your experiences with hunger.
- We will film or photograph you and your family only with your consent, and we will do our best to do so in a way that honors you and your experiences.
- We will openly share how your story and photos/video may be used. If you do not want your story to be used in a certain way, we will honor your wishes.
- We will respect any safety and privacy concerns. We understand if there are parts of your story you need to leave out. We’ll use aliases, first names only, or stock photos upon request.
- If an MOFC partner (such as a donor or funder) asks us for a story to use in their own channels (and yours matches their needs), we will ask your permission first. We will not sell your story or information.
Frequently
Asked
Questions (FAQ)
What is Mid-Ohio Food Collective?
We’re a food bank and hunger relief organization in Franklin County that works across central and eastern Ohio. We distribute millions of pounds of food every year to pantries across the state to feed our hungry neighbors.
How can sharing my story help others?
Stories from customers, volunteers, and donors can help other people feel OK accepting help if they need it. Stories can help bust myths about food assistance, and they can help us raise awareness of and money for our hunger relief work.
How will my story be used?
We use stories in online articles, social media posts, flyers, fundraising mailers, advertisements, reports, videos, media interviews, and more. We typically use stories until they are no longer current or the person who shared the story asks us to stop using it. Stories may be shared for several years.
Do I have to share my story?
No. You are not required to share your story to receive food assistance or for any other reason. Please share only what you are comfortable sharing.
Can I change my mind about sharing my story?
Yes. If you decide you are uncomfortable sharing your story at any point in the process, just let us know. If you ask us to stop using your story—even if that’s years from now—we’ll honor that request.
Will I be compensated for sharing my story?
We know your time is valuable, and we deeply appreciate your willingness to share it (and your story) with us. However, we can’t promise any kind of compensation for sharing your story.
Do I get a say in how my story can be used?
Yes. If there’s a way you would prefer that we not use your likeness or story, you can specify on that your release form. You can read our photo/video/story release at mofc.org/release. You can also ask us to stop using your story at any time.
Do I get to review my story before MOFC uses it?
Usually, yes. We will always try to give you a chance to review the main product we create with your story before we publish it. Please note, however, there might be times when that’s not possible. Once you have reviewed and approved the main product (such as an article or blog post), we will consider that to be permission to create related content (such as social media posts about the story).
