About Us

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FIRST Collective is a nonprofit organization in Central Ohio. We are a group of organizers, activists, and local residents interested in making art, creating social infrastructure, and fostering community through mutual aid.

FIRST Collective conducts multiple programs to provide and serve Columbus Ohio's unsheltered communities. 

OUTREACH - We provide outreach to several neighborhoods in Columbus. Our volunteers go out into the community to build relationships and trust, and provide supplies and support for unsheltered residents. 

TRANSITION TO HOUSING -  FIRST Volunteers worked with individuals engaged in a transitional housing pilot program that ran from September 2022 - July 2023. We are now providing support for residents during their transition to permanent housing. 

EMERGENCY HOUSING - FIRST operates an emergency housing fund during colder months. All funds raised are used to provide emergency housing and supplies to our residents in need. 

RESOURCE FAIR - We host an annual resource fair on the East side of Columbus. This year, the resource fair will be help on November 3rd, 9am-noon at Driving Branch Park.

CAMP SHAMELESS - On the near-east side of Columbus, FIRST Collective had an encampment set up for un-housed folks that is entirely volunteer run. This camp housed 20-25 residents, provides shelter, food, medical supplies and care, transportation, harm reduction supplies, funds for individuals’ immediate needs, and a community of support, acceptance, and growth. The E Mound Street camp, was also known as Camp Shameless. Camp shameless was evicted on September 12th of 2022. Many of the camp residents were moved to a motel on the east side as part of a transitional housing pilot program.

Camp Shameless was an extremely unique place in Columbus Ohio where the homeless were not forced to live out of site. A community was built there, a community lived there for 6 months and we miss it dearly. While we are excited that many residents have an opportunity to be a part of this pilot program, there are still many community members that were not offered nothing and lost the place they called home. 

Read about the history of Camp Shameless

WINTER WARMING CENTER - January - March of 2022, FIRST operated an overnight warming center at a church on the Near East Side. Warming center guests had a safe and warm place to sleep, access to a kitchen and food, and access to bathroom facilities. The warming center was completely volunteer run.