Middleport-Ben Nease

Congratulations to our March Hometown Hero, Ben Nease. Ben started training in karate many years ago as a shy and unconfident individual.  In 2016, he took the position of Head Instructor. During this time, he helped raise money for local charities. Since 2016, Ben...

Columbus- The Heart of the City Foundation

Congratulations to our February Hometown Hero, The Heart of the City Foundation.  The Heart of the City Foundation seeks to address, through a variety of programs, the relational, physical, educational, and spiritual well-being of the diverse population of Columbus,...

Blacklick- Tonya Kelly

Congratulations to our January Hometown Hero, Tonya Kelly. Tonya is a 4th-grade teacher at Horizon Science Academy, but in addition to parenting and teaching, she has started a nonprofit organization to help our local children called “Empower Our Youth Foundation.” ...

Gahanna- The Give Smart Foundation

Congratulations to our December Hometown Heroes, Columbus Firefighter Shawn Smart and his wife Ashley. Firefighter Smart and his wife Ashley are the founders of The Give Smart Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization committed to lessening the burden of any...

Lewis Center- Teja Kancharlapalli

Congratulations to our November Hometown Hero, Teja Kancharlapalli. Teja founded Sahara-Columbus in March 2020 to help those affected by COVID-19. Sahara means “help” in Hindi, the national language of her native India. Her group focuses on getting children involved...

Powell-Krista Schrader

Congratulations to our October Hometown Hero, Krista Schrader. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Krista co-founded Magical Moments Foundation, a Columbus-based wish-granting charity that restores hope and dreams to children with facial differences that are the...