Roots & Roofs Planning Committee

Summary of Meeting of March 30, 2015

Michael Wilkos chaired the meeting of the Roots & Roofs planning committee on March 30 at
Godman Guild Association. Rather than recording all of the discussion at the meeting, this is a
summary of the decisions made and the planning to date. Another planning meeting has not been
scheduled at this time.
If you have suggestions, questions, or wish to volunteer for specific tasks, please contact
Michael Wilkos at (614) 477-8918 and mwilkos@columbusfoundation.org.
Schedule for Roots & Roofs on Saturday, May 15 (gather at Godman Guild Association)
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Teams of volunteers plant flowers, prepare community gardens, and
pick up litter.
9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sale of plants and mulch for residents.
12:30 to 1 p.m. Lunch for volunteers.
1 p.m. Brief program to thank volunteers and celebrate neighborhood improvements.
Food for volunteers
Godman Guilds Blue Bow Tie Bistro will cater lunch for the volunteers.
Volunteers
Veritas Church has committed to bringing 30 volunteers. Michael Wilkos will check with
Veritas to see if the volunteers are committed to specific tasks.
Steve Sterrett will check with Beth Staten to see if Continuum Church will have volunteers.
Volunteer tasks
1. Staff the volunteer table and assign volunteers to projects.
2. Team leaders for litter pick-up. Volunteers will be sent to pick up litter once we have enough
volunteers assigned to flowers and mulch.
3. Staff the sale of flowering plants, bulbs, and mulch.
4. Prepare bulbs and plants for the sale. Volunteers are needed over the lunch hour on Friday,
May 15, to sort and sack plant material in Godman Guilds blue room.
5. Coordinate gardening tools. Barbara Fant of The Columbus Foundation will reserve tools
from tool library. Tools will be picked up Friday, May 15, and stored at Godman Guild. In
addition, a pick-up truck will be rented from U-Haul for use during Roots & Roofs.
6. Staff the event set-up.
7. Staff the event clean-up.
8. Prepare sign-up sheets for volunteers to be circulated at WPCCA meeting April 22. Steve
Sterrett will do this.
Volunteer projects and locations
1. Indianola Park (Indianola Avenue at East Eighth Avenue): weeding, plantings, and mulch.
Michael will talk with Archbishop Mor Cassianus about volunteers from St. Sophia taking

the lead on this project. The citys Recreation and Parks Department will leave a load of
mulch at this park.
2. Weinland Park, Weinland Park Elementary School, and Schoenbaum Family Center:
weeding, plantings, and mulch. The citys Recreation and Parks Department will leave a load
of mulch at this park.
3. Fourth Street Farms: preparation of community garden. Evelyn Van Til and Woody Drake will
lead volunteers at this site. Among the tasks will be erecting a mural in the garden. The
mural has already been painted.
4. Godman Guild Association: work on community garden and weeding, plantings, and mulch
around building. Terry Althouse will lead volunteers at the Godman Guild building.
5. Bird sanctuary, North Fifth Street: clean-up, weeding, plantings, and mulch.
6. Community Properties of Ohio apartment buildings: Community Properties of Ohio
Management Services will have folks planting flowers.
7. Weinland Park entrance signs: weeding, plantings, and mulch.
8. Vacant lot owned by Wagenbrenner Development on North Fourth Street at East 11th Avenue:
possibly small garden bed preparation, plantings, and mulch.
9. Traffic island on Grant Avenue north of East Fifth Avenue: possibly small garden bed
preparation, plantings, and mulch.
10. Traffic islands on North Sixth Street (along side Godman Guild): possibly small garden bed
preparation, plantings, and mulch.
11. Neighborhood churches: possibly weeding, plantings, and mulch around their buildings.
12. Michael Wilkos will contact Elizabeth Kloss regarding the possibility of work at the
community garden at Indianola and Euclid avenues and Fruit of the Vine Church regarding
the Arawak Garden on North Fourth Street.
Publicity
Retain Roots & Roofs logo for 2015.
Flyers. A flyer similar to last years will be prepared for distribution at the WPCCA meeting
on April 22. A neighborhood map and a brief description of the volunteer project sites will be
printed on the back of the flyer.
News release. Steve Sterrett will draft a news release that cites the beautification efforts and
the new housing investments with a balance of affordable and market-rate units. The news
release also will note the mural installation at 4th Street Farms.
Notice through WPCCA Google group.
Neighborhood newsletter. Michael Wilkos will talk with Jen Mankin about the possibility of
printing a May newsletter for distribution in late April.
Other activities
T-shirts for volunteers. Michael Wilkos will order 195 red t-shirts for distribution to the
volunteers.
Walking tour. Matt Adair and Rory Krupp are redesigning and expanding the Weinland Park
walking tour map and brochure in time for Roots & Roofs. Michael will ask Rory about
possibility of leading a walking tour of the neighborhood as part of Roots & Roofs.
Housing tours. Michael will check with Wagenbrenner Development regarding public
showings of its housing options in the neighborhood.

Program. A brief program at 1 p.m. will feature Brandyn McElroy thanking volunteers for
their work and a representative from Wagenbrenner Development, perhaps Joe Williams,
speaking to the housing opportunities.