Caleb Downs, Mid-Ohio Food Collective Tackle Hunger Together with Holiday Meals

Star OSU football player leading the charge to provide 1 million meals

COLUMBUS, Ohio — All-American safety Caleb Downs knows the importance of teamwork. Rallying together around a shared goal, Caleb helped The Ohio State University Buckeyes bring a national championship to Columbus this year. But far from the bright lights and big crowds of college football gameday, Caleb has embraced another cause: Rallying the community in the fight against hunger.

“This holiday season, families are counting on us,” said Caleb. “It’s a great feeling knowing that you’re giving back to people who’ve been less fortunate. And in our community, the stakes are higher than ever.”

That spirit of giving back is what led Caleb to volunteer as the face of this year’s Holiday Meals campaign with Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC). From October 1 – November 30, MOFC is raising money to provide 1 million meals for families in need this holiday season. Caleb Downs and his family’s Trust Downs Foundation will be leading the charge and asking our community to step up together so that everyone has a meal on the table. 

During a time of celebration for many, Holiday Meals invites our community to respond with generosity to the sharp rise in hunger and hardship across central and eastern Ohio. The cornerstone of the campaign is a campaign video featuring Caleb that calls our community to give generously. The video will be streamed online, across digital platforms, and shared widely on social media.

“It’s crunch time for hunger in our communities,” said MOFC President and CEO, Matt Habash. “This year’s campaign comes at a moment of historic need, driven by a ‘perfect storm’ of rising living costs, funding cuts, and overwhelming demand at food banks. It’s on all of us to make sure everyone has food on the table during the holidays.”

Caleb and MOFC urge generous individuals, businesses, and places of worship to provide compassion, dignity, and warmth by supporting Holiday Meals. All donations at mofc.org/holiday will be used to help provide a nourishing meal for families in need and bring hope to their holiday season. For every $1 donated, Mid-Ohio Food Collective can provide enough food for 2.5 meals.

Later this season, Caleb and the Trust Downs Foundation will also be volunteering to distribute meals to local families. The Downs family is exploring other ways to expand their impact and challenging their community to do the same.

“Make a choice that turns hunger into hope,” Caleb said. “Team up with me and Mid-Ohio Food Collective to help our neighbors this holiday season.”

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About Mid-Ohio Food Collective
Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) is the largest hunger relief organization in central and eastern Ohio. Through our five assets (the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Mid-Ohio Farm, Mid-Ohio Farmacy, Mid-Ohio Kitchen, and Mid-Ohio Market), MOFC addresses the root causes of hunger while working with more than 600 partner agencies in 20 counties to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry Ohioans every year. Learn how we’re co-creating hunger-free, healthier communities at www.mofc.org.