The Near Northside Emergency Material Assistance Pantry, founded in 1958 and located on 11th avenue, began as a result of the construction of Interstate 670, which brought the value of houses in surrounding neighborhoods down and put many into poverty. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Along 11th Avenue, a neon, multicolored wall pops out from behind a treeline. Big, white block letters spelling NNEMAP stand out from the colors. Rounding the corner, Roy Clark steps out of the building with a clipboard, ready to greet clients driving up to the glass door.
The Near Northside Emergency Material Assistance Pantry serves those in need by providing grocery and toiletry items. The original construction of Interstate 670 in Columbus brought the value of houses in surrounding neighborhoods down, sending many into poverty.
In response, the Fourth Avenue Christian Church opened a pantry in 1958 with several local services, eventually combining into one all-encompassing operation at 677 E. 11th Ave.
Clark, executive director of NNEMAP, is going on 12 years with the pantry and said having prior management experience became critical when determining how best to serve those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What we started doing is switching to a curbside pickup,” Clark said. “We are encouraging people to come more often, accepting all zip codes and extending our hours. In July, we started opening six days a week and now have a robust system in place.”
Many pantries across the country faced food shortages due to high demand throughout the pandemic, but NNEMAP has yet to face this challenge, Clark said. While some other food pantries have had to cut back on services, NNEMAP remains steady.
“People think our challenge would be having enough food, but we do, coming from the Mid- Ohio Foodbank at a pretty decent rate,” Clark said. “We get two to three pallets of fresh produce every day, and the community has responded well.”
NNEMAP relies heavily on volunteers for support, including students from Ohio State. Megan Pietro, a third-year in health sciences and a former volunteer at NNEMAP, said her experience at the food pantry helped open her eyes to the individual and community need for resources, including food assistance. .
“As a volunteer, I felt so appreciated by all of the staff and clients,” Pietro said. “I can definitely say I felt a part of the NNEMAP family while volunteering there.”
Pietro said the volunteers at the organization were as willing to help one another as they were their clients.
“I recall one occasion when one of the volunteers generously offered to give my friend and me a ride back to campus so we didn’t have to wait for the bus in the cold,” Pietro said. “These moments begin to demonstrate the generosity and love the volunteers have for each other and the clients of NNEMAP.”
Those interested in volunteering can sign up on the NNEMAP website. NNEMAP is open from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 3-6 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
