Photos courtesy of Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
Lamar Graham
From an early age, Lamar Graham aspired to work in a leadership role. Little did he know his life’s ambition would come full circle after a friend encouraged him to apply for an open position at her local church.
Since 2013, Graham has served as the director of Heart to Heart Food Pantry, a mission of First Community Church. Heart to Heart is a choice food pantry located at the church’s Grandview campus serving central Ohio residents who are eligible for assistance through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
“I was actually hired on Friday the 13th, 2013,” Graham says. “Although, my official start date was Sept. 16; it was the (following) Monday that I started at First Community Church.”
Despite getting hired on a traditionally unlucky day, Graham hasn’t let anything stand in his way, superstition or otherwise.
A Leader in the Making
Born in Dayton, Graham spent three years in foster care before relocating to Columbus with his mother at age 11. She had just been released from jail and wanted something different for herself and her son.
“She said, ‘let’s make the move to Columbus,’ so we moved into the east side of town,” says Graham. “I went to Eastmoor Middle School before going back into foster care again, transferring over to Linden McKinley High School where I ultimately graduated.”
During this time, Graham spent another five years in foster care, for a total of eight years.
“I have foster parents who have passed away and two remaining foster parents,” says Graham. “I’m actually taking care of my foster father now. I’m in a role to really be his caretaker, making sure he has all of his affairs in order and everything he needs, essentially.”
After graduating high school, Graham attended Columbus State Community College, earning an associate’s degree in business management, followed by his graduation from Wilburforce University with a bacherlor’s degree in organizational leadership. Granted, at the time, Graham had no idea what type of leadership role he wanted to step into, just as long as it was a leadership role.
He’d never considered directing a food pantry, so when a friend approached him about applying for the open position at First Community Church, he initially turned it down. Someone else was hired and worked the position for only three months before stepping down. This time, Graham took a deeper look, fully considering if the position was right for him.
“I gave it a good look and seeing the job description matched up with my skills, and then also my educational background, it fit me perfectly,” Graham says. “That’s when I took a look at it and said, ‘you know, maybe this is the route I should be taking.”
Graham realized that his personal experiences provided the invaluable insight needed for the role.
“Actually, for me, it was organic because I used to go through the food pantry lines myself back when I was in my early 20s,” Graham says. “Also, my family had been through the food pantry lines, so I had an understanding of the kind of environment I wanted to create for volunteers, and (for) clients to be able to come in and be served in a dignified way.”
One could say that Graham had unknowingly been groomed for the position for years.
“(Before coming to Heart to Heart) I had volunteered at my home church in the food pantry. I was learning about ordering, logistics, about stocking shelves,” says Graham. “I didn’t know that I would be a food pantry director, but just enjoyed the idea of being able to help.”
Outside of his role as pantry director, Graham also works as a foster alumni trainer for the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program, is the 2015 recipient of the Casey Excellence for Children Award, and organizes basketball, volleyball and movie nights for local youth at Linden Recreation Center.
Heart to Heart
The prevalence of food insecurity in Columbus is often overlooked due to the number of affluent communities in central Ohio. Most people don’t realize what food insecurity looks like; and, since they haven’t personally experienced that kind of need, they assume people leading similar lifestyles to them are also comfortably meeting all of their basic necessities.
Heart to Heart Food Pantry, though located within the 43212 zip code, isn’t zip code-locked. Clients can come from all over the region, but that’s not to say the pantry isn’t servicing residents within the Tri-Village area, too.
“This (43212) zip code is one of the top zip codes that we serve,” says Graham. “These are folks who are currently working and just aren’t able to make ends meet.”
A few of the pantry’s clients are unemployed, though. Some of them have medical conditions and others have had drastic things happen in their lives causing them to go without steady income.
Heart to Heart Food Pantry
Open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
1944 W. First Ave.
Columbus, OH 43212
614-488-0681 x203 | hearttoheart@fcchurch.com
Overall, Graham has noticed that most people are working. It’s a serious misconception that food pantry clients are all unemployed or panhandling. Most clients are actively seeking employment or are currently employed.
“A lot of folks are working 40 hours or more a week,” says Graham. “Being in the community that we’re in, things happen, and so it’s a really good place for us to be that safety net for our clients. If they need food, spiritual support, emotional support or a shoulder to lean on, we can be that for them.”
Nathan Collins is a managing editor. Feedback welcome at ncollins@cityscenemediagroup.com.
