Our partnership with Mikey’s Late Night Slice is celebrating four years this month and together we’ve created an aggressive goal to double diaper donations and provide for additional families in our community through our annual pizza collaboration. Since the inception of Hot Mikey’s Takeover, we’ve donated $1 from every slice or pie sold to purchase diapers for the Columbus Diaper Bank, a non-profit here in Central Ohio that works to provide diapers to families in need by partnering with community-based social agencies.
We had a chance to interview the Executive Director, Jimmy Mehl, and learn more about the direct impact the Columbus Diaper Bank has on families in our community and hear their organization’s goals for 2019.
Q: How did you get involved with the Columbus Diaper Bank?
A: I was talking with Jason Biundo, co-founder of Chief Creative Officer of Mikey’s Late Night Slice, one day about doing some volunteering and he had mentioned the Columbus Diaper Bank. So, after a couple months of playing email tag with Mikey Sorboro, co-founder of Mikey’s Late Night Slice, we finally had a chance to talk about volunteering for the CDB. It was during the opening night of last year’s Hot Mikey’s Takeover event where I was able to talk with Mikey about my desire to help with the CDB. By the time we were finished talking, he asked me to be the acting director and I didn’t hesitate to say yes. It wasn’t until I was asked these questions that I realized it’s been almost one year since I started this journey.
Q: What is your donation goal for this year?
A: I would like to raise $25,000.00 and see at least 100,000 diapers donated for 2019. Now, last year I believe they raised 52,000 diapers for the HMT event. I would be happy if we were able to match that number this year (but my competitive side wants to crush last year’s donations).
Q: How will your goal impact Central Ohio?
A: Last year the CDB partnered with 8 new programs and organizations. This year’s goal will allow us to provide more diapers to our current partners, potentially add baby wipes to our regular inventory, and more importantly continue to add to our list of programs and organizations that we can help. Each program we help has anywhere from 5 to 60+ families that they distribute the diapers to.
Q: How do you distribute the diapers?
A: The CDB distributes the diapers to 14 different programs & organizations throughout our community. Places like the Columbus Early Learning Center, Children’s Hospital Palliative Care, and Maryhaven Stable Cradle contact me once a month with their diaper needs.
Q: How can our community of customers get involved beyond buying a slice of Hot Mikey’s Takeover pizza?
A: They can go to our webpage www.columbusdiaperbank.org and either make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor (like Mikey from LNS). If they prefer to give diaper donations (opened & unopened packs) they can drop them off to any of the Mikey’s Late Night Slice locations, Firefly Play Café in Clintonville, or to our new partner Bottoms Up Coffee in Franklinton.
Hot Mikey’s Takeover pizza is back Monday, February 11 through Sunday, February, 17 at all Central Ohio Mikey’s Late Night Slice locations. Tickets are also on sale for our annual Preview Party on Saturday, February 9 at Mikey’s newest location across from the Columbus Convention Center at 457 N. High St.