About Us

We provide more than just groceries! At NNEMAP, you and your family can also get hygiene products, healthcare items, and much more. There are also people on site to help you enroll in food stamps and other programs.

NNEMAP Food Pantry is a nonprofit social service agency distributing food and other resources to residents of Columbus, Ohio. NNEMAP’s clientele consists of families living at or below 200 percent of the federally designated poverty level.

OUR HISTORY

NNEMAP’s history goes back to 1958. The construction of Interstate 670 disrupted the area’s “flytown” neighborhoods so drastically that home values plummeted. Within three months of the highway’s construction, a new population of disadvantaged persons needed emergency services. Fourth Avenue Christian Church opened a food pantry with several auxiliary services, and maintained it at their facility for 10 years. By 1968 about a dozen churches known as the Near Northside Cooperative Ministry were working with the Godman Guild Association to serve a population that had moved toward High Street. In April 1969, the pantry incorporated as Near Northside Emergency Material Assistance Program. The pantry operated for 17 years out of a house on Dennison Avenue, a former parsonage donated for the purpose by St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Amiee Romans

President

Amiee Romans has worked in the health and wellness industry for over 30 years. She currently works as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Licensed Massage Therapist for her two companies, Authentic Nutrition and Essentials Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Amiee serves on NNEMAP’s Wellness and Nutrition Committee and leads food demos to help our neighbors learn more about food and how to prepare it.

Amiee is passionate about helping people understand how nutritious food can prevent or better manage lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity and hypertension. She also enjoys teaching community nutrition as a preceptor for OSU’s Medical Dietetics program.

Amiee is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in human nutrition. She is also a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Integrative Yoga Therapist.  Amiee enjoys paddleboarding and yoga in her free time. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, and playing games with her family and friends.

 

Amy Sockman

Vice President

Amy Sockman is a 24 year veteran of the banking industry and currently serves as Executive Director of Branch Operations at Wells Fargo in Columbus, Ohio. Amy has held various roles in Program Management, Operations, Business Banking and Consumer Banking at Chase, Citizens and PNC.

In addition to her Board service at NNEMAP, Amy has provided professional consulting at non profits assisting with affordable housing and employment for veterans.

Amy is a graduate of Franklin University with a MBA and a bachelor’s in business administration.

Amy lives with her husband and 2 dachshunds in Grove City, Ohio, has 2 adult children. Amy is a world traveler who enjoys reading, event planning and hosting family gatherings. 

Denise Arbogast

Secretary

 With 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, Denise has been a dedicated associate of Grange Insurance since 1990. Currently serving as Assistant Vice President of Personal Lines Underwriting and Operations, she has held various leadership roles across underwriting, operations, compliance, budgeting, and vendor management. Certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Denise is passionate about process improvement and driving operational excellence. She has been an active member of the NNEMAP Board of Directors since 2021.

Denise finds inspiration in the power of community and the lasting influence that compassionate service can have on individuals’ lives. Her commitment to nonprofit work is driven by a desire to contribute to meaningful change and support those in need. She finds great fulfillment in collaborating with others to create sustainable solutions that uplift communities. Denise holds a bachelor’s degree from Franklin University and continues to seek opportunities for personal and professional growth through education and community involvement.

Outside of her professional and volunteer roles, Denise resides in Grove City, Ohio, with her husband Shawn and their cat, Nash. She enjoys staying active by playing volleyball and golf and is an enthusiastic supporter of various sporting events, both as a participant and a spectator.

Gayle Donato

Treasurer

Gayle Donato is a 30-year veteran within financial services and currently serves as the Senior Assistant Vice President of Life In-Force Management at Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio.  At Nationwide Gayle has held various roles within finance including serving as an Assistant Vice President – Treasurer.

Gayle is passionate about developing each associate based on their unique skills and interests as well as advancing continuous improvement using new technology and process improvements.  She also makes time to mentor and coach others and believes in having fun while working hard!  

Gayle is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science and a graduate of the American College of Financial Services with a Master’s of Science in Management.  She holds the Certified Treasury Professional and Fellow of the Society of Actuaries designations. 

 Gayle lives with her husband and two children in Hilliard, Ohio.   Gayle and her children recently went on a life-changing mission trip to Honduras.  As a family they also enjoy church, volunteering, hiking, golfing, and beach vacations.  

Anatol (Andy) Ahijevych

At-Large

Andy retired from Battelle after spending 37 years in various accounting/finance related positions. He graduated from The Ohio State University with degrees in Accounting and a Masters of Business Administration. He became a Certified Public Accountant prior to joining Battelle.

Daniel Ajayi

At-Large

Daniel Ajayi is a young man with distinctive features that span through many facets of life. His influence is felt both in occupation and vocation respectively. Currently, he is the Regional Specialist (Centra Ohio) for After School and Summer Food Service with Children’s Hunger Alliance, an organization that has continued to see that no kid goes hungry with more than 10 Million nutritious meals and snacks served throughout Ohio’s 88 counties.

As an entrepreneur, he is the founder and Chief Executive Director of the SnowTouch Cleaning Company LLC., a published Author with 12 books (including Remedy for Longevity, Fruitology, and Financial Freedom etc.) to his credit. His music carrier also has witnessed tremendous success. Some of his gospel music are on Social Media. He is a recipient of different awards and a Life Coach under “Coach Daniel Concept” with a concentration on leadership and financial literacy. Daniel Ajayi is an executive member (Finance and Leadership) of Asian American Commerce Group.

As a missionary and a visionary leader, Daniel Ajayi is the founder and Mission Ambassador for the Kingdom Ambassadors Church and Children Foundation with centers in the United State and some part of Africa and the President of Bible Fellowship and Leadership Academy (BFLA); institutions that were set up to discover, develop and deploy upcoming leaders for maximum impact in the global society. He also hosts a monthly Family Financial Fellowship.

During the pandemic Daniel Joined the Children’s Hunger Alliance Team as a food service coordinator, working at the warehouse and distribution of an average of 400 meals daily for children at St Stephen Community House in the South Linden Area. It was a wholesome relief for the families in this neighborhood.  

Daniel is currently an area commissioner in the city of Columbus, Ohio State serving in the capacity of the Vice-Chair for North Linden Area Commission and the Chair of the Linden Health and Safety Committee. He is also an alumnus of New American Leadership Academy. He enjoys reading, performing music, and playing soccer. He is married and blessed with Children.  

 

Shelly Lawler

At-Large

Shelly is a leading project management professional who specializes in governance, risk management, and compliance (“GRC”) and business resiliency. Shelly currently serves as a senior consulting manager for PwC’s One Firm Risk Organization where she helps the Firm maintain independence of restricted entities in both fact and appearance. Prior to her current role, Shelly served as a senior manager in PwC’s Cybersecurity and Privacy practice and was responsible for management of strategic projects with the goal of client satisfaction.  

 

Shelly has a deep-rooted passion for operational organization and establishing systems that streamline tasks and improve efficiency. She has extensive experience leading complex, multi-site programs & projects with the ability to deliver productivity, revenue, and quality improvements through efficiently delivered programs & projects with strengths in client relations, coaching, and team building. She is experienced in international business relations and has served clients in locations such as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden & China.  

 

Shelly is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business where she majored in Operations Management. She is also a Certified Business Continuity Professional (“CBCP”) and a Certified Project Management Professional (“PMP”). 

   

Shelly lives by the verse “for unto whomsoever much is given, of him/her shall be required” and enjoys volunteering with local service organizations. In addition to NNEMAP, she has participated in service with the following organizations: Twin Rivers (OH) Chapter of the Links Incorporated, PwC Minority Inclusion Network, SunGard Women’s Leadership Initiative, Victorian Gate Condo Association, Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, Junior League of Columbus, INROADS. In her spare time, she prioritizes spending time with family. She is a world traveler and avid foodie.

Samuel (Sam) Moore

At-Large

Sam has served in several leadership roles at Northwest Christian Church in Columbus. Currently he is Congregation Moderator. A Lexington, Kentucky native, Sam holds Master’s and Bachelor degrees from the University of Kentucky and Indiana University, respectively. He is the Founder and President of Funding and Risk Innovations, a company engaged in funding of international trade and management of country and credit risk. He serves on a number of boards and advisory committees in the field of international banking and finance. Sam and his wife Mary, also active at NWCC.

Carla Nuenke

At-Large

Carla is an active member of Northwest Christian Church having served in several leadership positions including board chair and is currently chair of the Stewardship Commission.  She is a Professional Mental Health Counselor, having participated in direct service, social service program management, and retired from service planning at the ADAMH Board.  She currently provides telehealth counseling through Better Help and Grow Therapy.  She holds a MS in Life-span Development and a Med in Counselor Education, both from Purdue University.  In addition, she is on the board of the Columbus chapter of American Mensa.

Richard Parsons

At-Large

Ricky Parsons is an attorney at Kravitz, Brown & Dortch, LLC, practicing in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation, with a focus on proceedings before the Ohio Parole Board.  Ricky volunteers at the Legal Aid Society of Southeast and Central Ohio’s brief advice clinics.  He is also an assistant class agent for his alma mater, Carleton College, and provides pro bono counsel to Hogar Irekani, an orphanage in Morelia, Mexico.

Ricky is inspired by the idea that the skills he’s been fortunate to develop as an attorney can serve people beyond the courtroom.  He finds it very rewarding to help others lead more secure lives, providing an environment where they can more readily pursue their own dreams and goals.  Ricky obtained his Bachelor of the Arts, magna cum laude, from Carleton College in Northfield Minnesota.  He received his juris doctorate, summa cum laude, from Capital University.

Ricky lives with his husband in Columbus and travels frequently to Mexico to visit with the children at Hogar Irekani.

Venita Robinson

At-Large

Venita supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s (NCH) Pediatric Vital Signs (PVS). PVS is the way we seek to improve and measure the health of children in the communities we serve by recognizing the fact that a child’s wellbeing is inextricably tied to educational opportunities, neighborhood safety, housing quality and several other drivers that can be addressed through population health strategies. As the Infant Wellness Manager, Venita uses her skills to think through 3 of the 8 large, complex problems – unintended teen pregnancy prevention, child obesity and infant mortality.

Venita works with hospital systems, Federally Qualified Health Systems and Community Based Organizations as part of the Ohio Better Birth Outcomes, to facilitate interventions within the healthcare setting to reduce infant mortality in Franklin County – with the focus on reducing the Black infant mortality rate. 

Outside of work, some of the ways Venita gives back to her community is by sitting on the Executive Board for both New Directions Career Center and NNEMAP Food Pantry, and being a mentor for both Big Brother Big Sisters and NCH’s high school mentoring program. Venita also facilitates racial reconciliation sessions through Crossroad’s LivingUNDIVIDED program. When there is time, Venita loves to travel and work on her home, Alberta.

STAFF LEADERSHIP

Roy Clark

Executive Director
King Avenue United Methodist Church
Macy’s (retired)

Roy has been Executive Director of NNEMAP since 2009. His background includes a 34-year career with Lazarus and Macy’s, with 23 of those years as a General Manager. Roy’s years at Macy’s included being the regional representative to Central Ohio non-profits, an experience that led him to a career change to the non-profit sector. Roy has served on both social service and arts boards in Columbus. He attends King Avenue United Methodist Church.

Crystal Vance

Development & Marketing

Crystal Vance joined NNEMAP Food Pantry as Director of Development and Marketing at the end of 2021. She brings a strong background in fundraising, communications, and community engagement from her previous role with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and Marshall Health System in Huntington, WV.

 At NNEMAP, she works closely with Executive Director Roy Clark to build awareness of the pantry’s mission, develop donor and corporate partnerships, and lead fundraising initiatives that strengthen services for families across Central Ohio. 

Working at NNEMAP has also inspired Crystal to study more about the cultures and languages of the families she meets. She actively works to learn key phrases and words to help bridge language barriers and ensure every neighbor feels welcome and supported.

 

Jim Hamberg

Director of Operations

Jim has been employed with NNEMAP since October 2019.  Jim retired from Columbus State Community College after 30 years working in various administrative positions during his career, in addition to serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Mathematics Department.  What started as a post-retirement part-time position grew into a fulltime second career with NNEMAP.  He currently serves as the Director of Operations.

 

During his tenure at NNEMAP, Jim has focused on expanding food access to families.  His leadership has helped make NNEMAP’s delivery program the largest in the state, serving more than 8000 families each year.  And Jim was the driving force to get 24/7/365 food availability to families through refrigerated lockers at the pantry.

 

In his spare time (yeah, sure!) Jim enjoys biking the paths in Columbus, and spending time with his two grandsons, his daughter and two sons. 

 

Hi favorite vacation has been a tour of Costa Rica and one of his most memorable experiences was shark cage diving in the waters off of Oahu.

 

Jim holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Math and Physics Education, and Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel, both from The Ohio State University; so of course, is a die hard Buckeyes fan.

 

 

NNEMAP MURAL

With the participation of the staff and board members of NNEMAP we were fortunate to work with Phil Martin, a well known artist and muralist, to create this wonderful mural on our 55-foot-long east-facing wall. Over 80 volunteers and neighbors assisted with the painting project, which was completed in October 2015.