Oberlin Community Services

Name

Oberlin Community Services

Legal name

Oberlin Community Services

Website

https://oberlincommunityservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAF)

Keywords

• Food assistance programs
• Emergency financial assistance
• Community social services
• Food pantry services
• Nonprofit community support

Headquarters

HQ city

Oberlin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individuals: Individual donors contribute through PayPal, credit card, Venmo, checks, stocks, and charitable trusts. Every dollar given can provide four meals from the pantry. OCS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
2. Foundation and Grant Funding: OCS receives grants from foundations including Nord Family Foundation, Community West Foundation ($63,400 awarded in a recent cycle), and other funders. Federal grants also contribute to funding.
3. Corporate and Institutional Donations: Businesses and institutions donate funds and food, including through corporate giving programs and sponsorship of events.
4. Planned Giving: OCS accepts planned gifts including Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs, Donor Advised Fund contributions, and charitable trusts. Contact: Jason Hawk, Communications and Development Coordinator.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oberlin Community Services is a nonprofit social service organization that provides free food assistance (indoor choice pantry, curbside pickup, senior boxes, home delivery), emergency financial assistance for rent/utilities, psycho-social counseling and referrals, and resilience/sustainability programming (community garden, youth job training, food rescue, and community kitchen). Services are delivered primarily through the Cooper Community Resource Center to income-eligible residents of southern Lorain County.

Product overview

Oberlin Community Services (OCS) is a nonprofit social service organization offering a coordinated portfolio of emergency assistance and community support programs. The organization operates three core service pillars: Food Programs (including the Indoor Choice Pantry, Curbside Pick-Up, Senior Box Program, and Food Delivery service), Emergency Assistance (financial assistance for rent/utilities, counseling, and referrals), and Resilience/Sustainability programming (People's Garden, JETI internship, Little Sprouts camp, food rescue, and community kitchen). These programs are delivered primarily through the 27,000-square-foot Cooper Community Resource Center, which also houses partner organizations. The portfolio does not function as a technology product but as a set of interconnected human services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• People's Garden: On-site community garden where community members work together to grow fresh food, providing education and growth opportunities.
• Janet's Community Kitchen
• JETI Program

Products and services

• Indoor Choice Pantry A client-choice food pantry operating like a mini grocery store where Lorain County residents can shop for food items once per week. Open Mondays and Wednesdays 1:30-4:30pm and Fridays 1:30-3:30pm at the Cooper Center.
• Curbside Pick-Up Prepacked food boxes delivered to vehicles during pantry hours for residents who prefer contactless service. Clients call (440) 774-6579 from parking spots.
• Senior Box Program (Commodity Supplemental Food Program) Federally funded food program for seniors age 60+ living at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, administered through Second Harvest Food Bank.
• Food Delivery Program Home delivery service for Oberlin and Wellington homebound or transportation-less residents, including weekly deliveries to JFO and Concord Manor apartments.
• Emergency Financial Assistance Monetary assistance for rent, mortgage, and utility payments to prevent eviction or utility shutoff for southern Lorain County residents. In FY25, $189,726 was extended to 880 families.
• Counseling and Advocacy Psycho-social support and advocacy services provided by the Client Services Coordinator to help individuals address deeper personal issues and connect with resources.
• Referrals Connections to partner agencies and resources when OCS cannot directly assist with a client's needs.
• People's Garden On-site community garden at the Cooper Center where community members work together to grow fresh vegetables, lettuces, and herbs, providing education and food production.
• Little Sprouts Garden Camp Free summer camp for children ages 6-12 teaching gardening, fresh food sources, ecosystems, and sustainability through hands-on activities, crafts, and games.
• Build-a-Garden Program Garden access campaign providing Oberlin residents with materials and support to start their own home gardens, contingent on grant funding.
• Garden Workshops Free educational workshops on gardening topics, often collaborating with local organizations, held at the Cooper Center.
• Great Seed Giveaway Annual spring event providing free vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seeds to Lorain County residents to encourage home gardening.
• JETI Program (Job Experience Training Internship) Paid internship program for TANF-eligible youth ages 16-24 providing work experience in warehouse, pantry, food distribution, and garden operations, with life-skills mentoring.
• Jaqui Willis Back to School Giveaway Annual free school supplies program for students enrolled in Oberlin City School District, providing backpacks and grade-appropriate supplies for the upcoming school year.
• Holiday Food Pantry Special holiday food distribution providing ham or turkey with traditional dinner ingredients for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or other celebrations.
• Holiday Helping Hands Annual gift giveaway ensuring every child in Oberlin receives presents for the holidays by matching families with donors who provide wrapped toys, books, clothing, and more.
• Food Rescue Program rescuing pre-prepared food from local restaurants, cafeterias, and dining halls to distribute during food programs, reducing food waste while fighting food insecurity.
• Farm Food Rescue Gleaning program collecting leftover or unharvested produce from local farms for distribution, having rescued over 21,000 pounds in its first year.
• Composting Program Three-bin compost system diverting food waste from landfills, using resulting compost in garden beds and donating excess to community gardens.
• Janet's Community Kitchen Commercial kitchen at the Cooper Center used for cooking classes, including programs for addiction recovery clients and Farm to Fork classes for teens and young adults.
• Farm to Fork Classes Cooking skills classes for ages 15-24 teaching simple meal preparation, food sourcing, and gardening basics, with free kitchen utensils provided.
• Narcan/Naloxone Distribution Free Narcan and fentanyl test strips provided to community members for drug overdose prevention, distributed at OCS and partner locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 2,433 families (7,361 individuals) with food assistance in FY25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary food supplier providing over 464,000 pounds of food annually to OCS. Part of a network of 88 food pantries supplied by Second Harvest in Lorain County plus 37 more in Huron, Erie, and Crawford counties. Second Harvest leverages over 12 million pounds of food per year.
• United Way of Greater Lorain CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a United Way collaborative with twelve other agencies working to prevent problems and create longer-term solutions through personal counseling, job advice and training, and case management.
• OhioMeansJobs (OMJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with OhioMEANSJobs' TANF program to host the JETI (Job Experience Training Intern) program for youth ages 16-24. Provides work experience and job training.
• Legal Aid Society of ClevelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttorneys hold free brief advice clinic on second Tuesday of each month at Cooper Center. Meet with Lorain County residents on civil issues including divorce, custody, property disputes, employment, landlord-tenant claims, and small claims.
• Lorain County Community College (LCCC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on seed starting workshops and sustainable agriculture education. LCCC Sustainable Agriculture program collaborates with OCS gardening programs.
• POWER (Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelps Oberlin Municipal Light and Power System customers upgrade homes for energy efficiency. Co-located at Cooper Center providing free home inspections and weatherization assistance.
• Mercy Health Allen Medical CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner supporting Holiday Helping Hands gift program and Meals on Wheels partnership. Helps connect patients to OCS services.
• Ohio State University ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity extension service providing agricultural and community development expertise.
• Kendal at OberlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetirement community that supports OCS through volunteer hours and monetary contributions. Residents invited staff to share insights on community needs.
• Oberlin CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner with Environmental Studies department collaborating on sustainability. Students volunteer and participate in SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) food drives. Bonner Center for Service and Learning partners on community engagement.
• NAMI Lorain CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Alliance on Mental Illness moved local offices to Cooper Center. Offers free mental health support including adult support groups (grief support), school partnerships, and safe spaces for individuals. Contact: [email protected] or (440) 240-8477.
• OhioGuidestonemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health and substance use treatment provider. Offers once-monthly health clinics during food pantry hours at Cooper Center. Provides services for mental health, substance use disorder, family care, foster care, and more.
• Colors+ CounselingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulturally competent mental health clinicians providing individual and family counseling, art therapy, music therapy, and EMDR. Specializes in LGBTQIA+ services.
• Meadow Educational ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric speech therapy practice with offices on second floor of Cooper Center. Provides parent and professional training, and nature-based education.
• RiveonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral health organization offering mental health and addiction treatment. Part of Rural Response Network working to reduce overdoses in southern Lorain County.
• Rural Response NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium working to reduce overdoses and strengthen capacity of Oberlin, Wellington, and surrounding townships for opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support. Includes Riveon, Let's Get Real, and OCS.
• Genesis House Lorain County Safe HarborminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDomestic violence shelter providing comprehensive family-focused services. OCS provides referrals and support for affected families.
• Oberlin Schools (OSCD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partner for Back to School Giveaway program ensuring every student has school supplies. Students visit Cooper Center for educational field trips.
• City of OberlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner providing funding and support for community services.
• UCANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization supporting educational and community programs.
• LASC (Legal Aid Society of Cleveland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free legal services to low-income residents including civil legal issues at Cooper Center offices.
• Neighborhood AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization supporting local residents.
• Thrive SLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity support organization in southern Lorain County.
• Oberlin Kids (OBK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization supporting children and families in Oberlin.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Mid-Ohio Food Collective: Central Ohio food bank and family services organization operating choice pantries, mobile pantries, and Fresh Markets. Closely comparable to OCS's choice pantry model and community-driven distribution approach, though in the Columbus region.
• Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Northwest Ohio through partner agencies and direct distributions. Comparable mission and operating model to OCS, though serving a different Ohio region with a more urban footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National hunger-relief network that includes Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio (OCS's primary supplier) as a member. Establishes the operating framework and best practices for member food banks and partner pantries like OCS.
• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank: Regional food bank serving eight counties in Northeast Ohio through a network of partner pantries and programs. Comparable to OCS in mission and choice-pantry-style distribution model, though at a much larger operational scale.
• Greater Cleveland Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Northeast Ohio including Lorain County, distributing tens of millions of pounds of food annually. Directly comparable to OCS's food pantry function but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland: Large multi-service nonprofit providing food assistance, emergency rent/utility support, and social services across Northeast Ohio including Lorain County. Directly comparable to OCS in emergency assistance and food pantry services.
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland: Multi-service social services provider operating food pantries, emergency assistance, and case management across Northeast Ohio. Comparable mission to OCS with much broader service portfolio and multiple Lorain County access points.

Direct peers

• Lorain County Community Action Agency: Community action agency serving low-income residents across Lorain County with emergency assistance, housing, and utility support. Overlaps with OCS's emergency financial assistance and referral programs in the same service geography.
• United Way of Greater Lorain County: Collaborative funder and partner of OCS, working with twelve agencies including OCS on prevention and case management. Closely comparable as a Lorain County-focused social safety-net convener and funding entity.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio: Primary food supplier to OCS, distributing 12+ million pounds of food annually to a network of 88 Lorain County pantries plus 37 more in Huron, Erie, and Crawford counties. Operates comparable hunger-relief programming and is the upstream counterpart to OCS's pantry function.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oberlincommunityservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oberlin-community-services-council

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oberlin Community Services