Home is Where the Heart Is

Name of Your Sponsor
Ted & Lynn Coons

Name of Your Nonprofit
COMPASS at Broad Street

Tell us about your organization and why people should vote for you
Keeping Families Afloat with COMPASS!

For over 40 years, COMPASS has helped neighbors stay afloat by providing emergency rent and utility assistance, connecting families with community resources, and offering hope during life's most difficult moments. Our goal isn't just to respond to a crisis, it's to help families weather the storm and remain safely housed.

Every day, families in our community face storms they never expected; an unexpected job loss, a medical emergency, or rising housing and utility costs. For many, just one setback can put them at risk of losing their home.

That's where COMPASS steps in!
- 2,556 people experienced homelessness in Franklin County during the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, the highest number ever recorded and a 7.4% increase over 2024.

-Eviction filings affect 8.7% of renter households in Franklin County, significantly higher than the Ohio average of 6.2%.

-The median monthly rent in Franklin County is now $1,302, making it increasingly difficult for low- and moderate-income families to recover from unexpected financial emergencies.

-31.9% of Franklin County households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, exceeding the national Healthy People 2030 goal of 25.5%. Housing cost burden continues to worsen locally.

-13.9% of Franklin County residents live below the federal poverty level, leaving many households one unexpected expense away from eviction or utility shutoff.

-Franklin County acknowledges that the supply of affordable housing does not meet current demand, and identifies housing cost burden, eviction prevention, and homelessness prevention as critical community priorities.

Our Kiwanis Regatta entry celebrates the belief that everyone deserves a safe harbor to call home. Just as a strong boat needs a steady crew, our community is strongest when we work together to keep our neighbors afloat.

$50 Helps pay for an application fee to a new apartment, for a family currently living in their vehicle
$250 Helps a sick head of household, avoid a utility shutoff by contributing toward an overdue bill.
$500 Helps cover a portion of a family's rent for a family, whose rent has significantly increased
$1,000 Provide the average one-time emergency assistance for a family facing eviction, and helps keep them safely housed and prevent homelessness.

Home is where the heart is. Together, we can keep hope afloat, One family, One home, One community at a time.