Sandra Gail Foundation
Serving those experiencing homelessness in Central Ohio.
Donate"I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
About Sandra Gail
Sandra Gail, known to most as Sandy, gave her heart to Jesus at a young age and shared her faith throughout her life. She was involved at Spring Hills Baptist Church, primarily in women's ministry, and one of her passions was ministering to female inmates at the Licking County Justice Center through that ministry.
She loved to write and was finishing her first Christian book when she passed. She is remembered for putting others before herself.
“Even in our brokenness, we are treasures to God, who salvages all the pieces because we matter to Him.”
The Through-Line
Sandy's hands-on work with incarcerated women is the seed of this foundation.
Her son continued and broadened that commitment toward homelessness in Licking County: connecting with Trish Perry through Newark Homeless Outreach, then supporting the newer Community Drop-In. The foundation supports the full continuum, from incarceration and reentry through street outreach to daytime shelter, in Sandra's memory.
What We Support
The foundation supports organizations meeting critical needs in Licking County.
Newark Homeless Outreach
A project of OhioCAN, led by Trish Perry. Serves a Saturday hot meal plus hygiene items, clothing, and resources for housing and jobs to 75 to 125 or more people weekly at 10 Buena Vista Ave., Newark. Started as two moms doing a coat drive. Recently purchased a lot to build storage and inclement-weather shelter.
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Community Drop-In
Hosted at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, led by Deb Dingus. Low-barrier day shelter Tuesday through Thursday, 10am to 2pm: sack lunch, restroom, phone charging, rest. Also a Wednesday night community dinner open to all. Filled the gap when a prior day shelter closed.
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Licking County Jail Ministries
Sandy's original connection. Founded 1986. A Christian nonprofit serving inmates at the Licking County Justice Center. Chaplain Scott Hayes. Helps inmates secure housing, transportation, and employment on release, including supportive housing.
Visit WebsiteThe Need
people without stable housing in Licking County on any given night — a one-night snapshot that doesn't capture the many more who are one crisis away from losing their home.
HUD Point-in-Time Count
of people experiencing homelessness in Licking County are going through it for the very first time.
United Way of Licking County
Homelessness here is almost always situational, not chronic. A lost job, an unexpected medical bill, a relationship that ends — any one of these, landing on someone with no financial cushion and nowhere affordable to turn, can be enough. The people the foundation's partners serve are, more often than not, experiencing this for the first and only time.
How to Help
Gifts to the Sandra Gail Foundation are deployed through its donor-advised fund at the Columbus Foundation, directly supporting the organizations it partners with.
Note: The foundation does not accept direct payments. All giving flows through the donor-advised fund.