Bethlehem on Broad Street (BOBS)

12/20/2023

's been a couple years since I shared this. So, joyous greetings of the holiday season to you all...

12/11/2023

Dear Friends of Bethlehem On Broad Street –

For over 40 years, Bethlehem On Broad Street (BOBS) has offered a warm place to experience the true holiday spirit on Christmas Day. For several hundred adults and children, that means a hot, sit-down meal, joyous music, welcoming fellowship, and gifts of winterwear, blankets, toiletries, hygiene kits, and toys for kids. Without BOBS and our partner organizations, most of our guests wouldn’t experience such comforts in the holiday season. For this great event to remain successful, we need the time and energy of over 200 volunteers, a sizable financial investment, and tasty food donated by volunteer bakers. Can you help us continue this vitally needed tradition by helping with one or more of the opportunities below?

Volunteer: The donation of your time and energy is invaluable and so appreciated. You can help with preparations from December 19th to 24th, and/or help lift spirits and warm
hearts with a hot meal and gifts on Christmas Day. We have many choices of volunteer roles and shifts to match different interests and ability levels, including options for families to volunteer together. Let us know the role(s) and shift(s) you’re interested in by going to the link below.

http://bethlehemonbroadstreet.org/volunteer/

Donate Financially: We are always thankful for the monetary support of our friends. Each year our costs increase for items we need to purchase - food, winterwear, toiletries, etc. Your entire donation in any amount helps meet the physical and emotional needs of our BOBS guests, most of whom are unsheltered or at risk of losing their housing. You can contribute online by clicking the link below, and selecting “B.O.B.S.” in the “FUND” drop-down menu on the First Congregational Church website.

https://app.easytithe.com/App/Giving/Firs444421

You can also donate by check to: BOBS, c/o First Congregational Church, at 444 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio, 43215.

Donate Turkeys & Hams: Our guests love the BOBS Christmas dinner, especially the traditional roasted turkey and ham that volunteers donate. Tell us how many roasted turkeys or hams you’ll give, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 614-397-7512.

Donate Rolls, Muffins, and Desserts: No Christmas Dinner would be complete without the rolls and dessert! Please let us know what your donated bread items and/or dessert(s) will be, and how many servings you’ll donate, by emailing the info to [email protected], or by calling 614-397-7512.

Donate Children’s Gifts: With our return to the traditional BOBS program, we’ll be giving new toys and games to our young guests. You can buy one or more toys suitable for children ages 1-5 years old and/or ages 6-12-years old. Then email us at [email protected] to let us know what you bought. We’ll email you back with info on delivering your unwrapped gift(s) to BOBS at First Congregational Church, at 444 East Broad Street, by December 19th.

Thank You for your support, and God Bless You!
The BOBS Board

12/07/23

12/04/2023

Please consider signing up to volunteer for Bethlehem on Broad Street this year. https://bethlehemonbroadstreet.org/volunteer/

12/17/2022

Bethlehem on Broad Street has been hosting a Christmas Dinner Celebration for those in need in Columbus for over thirty years.

We need help this year in the kitchen carving turkeys and ham and preparing side dishes on Dec 22nd and 23rd at First Congregational Church, at 444 East Broad Street.

You can sign up for this important and rewarding service here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8Pi3pTFPKPd1NeyOictbqIpFgi2r7AxjJ0VV409E5OvV2TA/viewform

12/03/2022

Please donate generously. Your monetary support is always needed and appreciated, but especially this year, since we’re facing higher costs for most of our purchased items - food, winter wear, toiletries, and children’s gifts. Your contribution in any amount will be used entirely to help meet some of the basic physical and emotional needs of our BOBS guests, most of whom are either unsheltered or near the brink of becoming unsheltered. You can easily make your contribution online by clicking the button below.

Please be sure to specify BOBS in the “FUND” on the drop-down menu on the First Congregational Church website. https://app.easytithe.com/App/Giving/Firs444421

12/01/2022

It's time to start thinking about volunteering for Bethlehem on Broad Street (BOBS). This is such a great way to apply the Christmas spirit for others. http://bethlehemonbroadstreet.org/volunteer.html

12/22/2021

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2021/12/21/bethlehem-broad-street-annual-bethlehem-broad-program-feed-hungry-first-congregational-church-downto/8976408002/

Volunteers are needed for the annual Bethlehem on Broad Street program to feed the hungry at First Congregational Church Downtown on Christmas.

12/08/2021

Bethlehem On Broad Street is 100% volunteer-run. The donation of your time and attention on Christmas Day is invaluable to our guests, and so very appreciated.

Volunteer Sign-ups Here: http://bethlehemonbroadstreet.org/volunteer.html

We offer our guests an ear for their concerns, serve them a festive hot meal, and give them much-needed toiletries, socks, hats, gloves, and toys. You can also help before Christmas Day with the many advance preparations needed. Use the contact options below to find out more on how you can help Please review these notes for volunteers and then click on the button, below, to sign up as a BOBS Volunteer this Christmas Season.

11/30/2021

On this Giving Tuesday, please consider a generous donation to Bethlehem on Broad Street -- Christmas in Columbus for our friends in need. We thank you.

Your generous donations to Bethlehem on Broad Street are always helpful and appreciated. But especially this year since each meal will be more expensive as we are serving our guests with food truck, prepared meals. Donate Here Please be sure to specify B.O.B.S. on the First Congregational Donation F...

11/29/2021

To sign up as a volunteer, visit our website. http://bethlehemonbroadstreet.org ALSO, donations are really important this year to fund our programs for Columbus' neediest citizens. Just follow this link

There are many different ways to mark the holiday season. But for many of those who have participated on our yearly ecumenical fellowship, there is no better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than through Bethlehem on Broad Street (BOBS). As we move into the coldest part of the year, there are ma...

11/16/2021

Sign up as a volunteer at our website http://bethlehemonbroadstreet.org ALSO, donations are really important this year to fund our programs for Columbus' neediest citizens. You can donate here as well.

There are many different ways to mark the holiday season. But for many of those who have participated on our yearly ecumenical fellowship, there is no better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than through Bethlehem on Broad Street (BOBS). As we move into the coldest part of the year, there are ma...

12/07/2020

Holiday Greetings! All of us at Bethlehem On Broad Street hope you are well and a blessed holiday season.

We’re happy to let you know that we’re on track for a successful program this year. At one point, the uncertainties of COVID-19 forced us to face the possibility of canceling our Christmas Day event. Because we can’t safely accommodate guests in the church and we can’t assure volunteer-made meals are safe, this year we’ll have three, licensed, professionally-run food trucks cooking and serving full meals in the church parking lot.

We have worked with ally churches, other groups, and health officials, to plan an event that will provide masks, maintain social distancing, and practice other safety measures for the protection of all our guests and volunteers. It will be very different, but we will preserve the spirit and 35-year commitment to our neighbors in need.

Due to the outdoor setting and safety precautions, we cannot offer toys and gifts, but we will distribute personal toiletry/hygiene packets to our guests.

You can help financially by donating to offset the additional, new costs we’re incurring this year. You can donate online

here: https://app.easytithe.com/App/Giving/Firs444421 (choose “B.O.B.S.” in the drop-down Fund menu).