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Do you want to paint a snowman? Come paint alongside a friend or loved one this holiday. Paint a winter snow couple! Enroll Now
We Play to Win: The Weekly Playbook
Dec. 9, 2025
Spotlight on Culture
Celebrate Together at the All Staff Holiday Hop
Celebrating together builds strong connections and strengthens our culture. Ring in the holiday season with your colleagues at the All-Staff Holiday Hop at Dodge Community Center on Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.! Enjoy a free pancake brunch, hot chocolate bar, crafts, activities, a silent auction and raffles as Dodge is transformed into a holiday wonderland. Bring your holiday spirit, your best bids for the silent auction and cash for the 50/50 raffle. All centers and programs will be closed during the event to allow staff to attend.
News and Information
Protect What Matters: Voluntary Benefits Enrollment Ends Dec. 15
Open enrollment for voluntary benefits though Colonial Life runs through Dec. 15. Options include accident, cancer, critical illness, disability, hospital indemnity, life insurance and a Dependent Care Account. To learn more, schedule a virtual session with a Colonial Life Benefit Counselor through PES-One. Counselors are available Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Call 614-477-0390 or email Support@Pes-One.com.
Playbook Columbus Nears the Finish Line
Playbook Columbus is entering its final phase as we move from big-picture ideas to specific strategies and action steps for the next decade. Many of you helped shape the Vision Plan through surveys, focus groups and workshops focused on operations, programming, and physical projects. These strategies will become the foundation for each section’s annual playbook, with more details coming soon about how it all connects. A full draft of the Vision Plan will be released for public comment in December, with final adoption scheduled for January.
Quarterly Meetings Return in 2026
The 2026 Quarterly Staff Leadership Meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of the first month of each quarter: Jan. 27, April 28, July 28 and Oct. 27. Extended Leadership members should plan to attend, and all staff are welcome.
Have a burning question? Submit it online—anonymously if you’d like—for a chance to have it answered live or featured in the The Weekly Playbook newsletter.
Know Who to Call: Policy & Legal Questions
Steve Dyer, our Legal and Policy manager, left the department for a new opportunity closer to home. With this change, there are some new contacts for important legal and policy matters.
- For all City Attorney Office needs, policy and legal questions, MOUs, lease agreements and public records requests, email Shannon Prince at SOPrince@columbus.gov.
- Most fee waivers can be processed by following the existing policy, but requests from the Mayor’s Office, City Council, the CRPD Commission or outside government agencies—and any specialized requests your supervisor can’t answer—should be sent to Steve Hiland at SHHiland@columbus.gov.
35 events found.
Calendar of Events
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Need help with your cell phone, tablet, or computer? Join our friendly drop-in sessions where we'll help you learn to use your devices with confidence! Our instructors are here to answer all […]
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Let's get the center ready for the holiday season. Come make decorations, enjoy cookies and cocoa! |
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Mark your calendars for Columbus' hottest wintertime dance party! WinterFest Columbus, presented by Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, returns on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 11 a.m.–4 p.m., along The Scioto […]
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Join this free event for LBGTQ teens and allies ages 12-18! You can drop in or register online. This is a safe space for all teens! Swimwear must be primarily […] |
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Wear your best ugly sweater and join us for a festive social. Registration is just $15 and includes a meal. Make sure to register at the Marion Franklin Community Center […] |
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Need help with your cell phone, tablet, or computer? Join our friendly drop-in sessions where we'll help you learn to use your devices with confidence! Our instructors are here to answer all […]
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Join us for a free celebration. Spend time with Santa Claus and receive a gift!
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Join us at Van Fleet Theatre, located at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave., 43215) as the Columbus Performing Arts Players present The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Adapted […] |
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A FREE holiday brunch for the whole family and our special guest, Santa! Enjoy delicious food and light entertainment! Every child will get to visit with Santa, take a photo […]
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Enjoy some delicious pancakes and say hello to our special guest: Santa Claus! This free event is one you don't want to miss so make sure to come.
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Join us for our annual holiday bash complete with games, music, and food. It'll be a fun time and there will be giveaways for those in attendance! |
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Join us at Van Fleet Theatre, located at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave., 43215) as the Columbus Performing Arts Players present The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Adapted […] |
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Join us for our annual holiday meal at Thompson Community Center complete with a game of bingo. It will be a fun time, filled with food, sweets and smiles! We […]
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Join us for our FREEannual holiday bash complete with carnival games, music, and a gift exchange. It's sure to be a good time, so don't miss out! |
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Join us for our annual holiday celebration at Gillie Community Center. Come party with us! It will be a fun time, filled with smiles. We can't wait to see you!
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Join us for a buffet style meal and giveaways. You and your family do not want to miss this special event. For more information, please contact the center at 614-724-4043.
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Join us for the holiday and break bread with us as we enjoy a nice, warm meal. We can't wait to see you! |
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Need help with your cell phone, tablet, or computer? Join our friendly drop-in sessions where we'll help you learn to use your devices with confidence! Our instructors are here to answer all […]
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Join us for our annual holiday meal and toy giveaway* at Milo Grogan Community Center. There will be free toys, food and fun! *Child must be present to receive a […]
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Join us for our annual winter dinner and gift giveaway at Sullivant Gardens Community Center. It will be a fun time, filled with food, toys, and smiles! We can't wait […] |
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Key Dates
December
Staff Holiday Hop
Dec. 11 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | Dodge Community Center
Colonial Life Open Enrollment Closes
Dec. 15
Empty Bowls
Dec. 19 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | 1111 E. Broad St., Hungry Soldier Room
January
Empty Bowls
Jan. 9 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | 1533 Alum Industrial Dr.
Quarterly Leadership Meeting
Jan. 27 | 1-3 p.m. | 1111 E. Broad St.-Continental Room
Staff Spotlight
Lifting Our Community and Department
Letha Pugh
President, Columbus Recreation and Parks Commission
Lift Each Other Up:
Congratulations to Letha for being named one of YWCA Columbus’ 2026 Women of Achievement honorees! This recognition celebrates leaders who strengthen our community—and Letha does that every day.
Letha joined the Commission in 2021 and was elected president in 2023. In this role, she helps guide the vision and direction of our department, always pushing us to serve Columbus with intention and heart.
Her leadership extends far beyond our walls. Letha is deeply involved in Service!, the Parsons Area Stakeholders Group, Black, Out and Proud, and serves on the boards of The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, the Columbus Sports Commission and Freedom Equity. She helped launch Café Overlook, a workforce development initiative supporting restored citizens, and was part of the inaugural Emerging Developers Accelerator Program at the Affordable Housing Trust.
As if that weren’t enough, she also co-founded two beloved local businesses—the gluten-free bakery Bake Me Happy and Preston’s Burger.
Congratulations to Letha on this well-deserved honor! Her dedication, creativity and community leadership continue to lift up our department and our city.
Nominate A Coworker for the Staff Spotlight
Fill out this form to nominate a coworker. The employee and their assistant director will be notified that they were nominated.
Living Our Values
Adopt a Center: Lifting Our Community This Holiday Season
Lift Each Other Up: We’re making the holidays a little brighter across Columbus through the Adopt a Center program. Thanks to the generosity of individuals, businesses and our own staff, thousands of residents are experiencing meaningful moments of joy this season.
In November alone, we served more than 2,800 hot Thanksgiving meals at 34 events. And we’re not slowing down—December brings 33 more events, where the community will receive 3,300+ meals, along with gifts and warm winter clothing.
This effort takes serious coordination and heart. A big congratulations to Alaina Reimer for leading the logistics, and to our Community Center teams for planning and hosting each event. We’re also grateful for our volunteers, donors and the Community Relations team for keeping this work moving.
There’s still time to help! You can make a financial contribution or purchase a gift from the Amazon Wish List. You can also bring a toy to the Staff Holiday Hop this Thursday. Learn more and donate.
Archive
2025
May 28, 2025
2024
2023
As new weekly updates are posted, an archive of each week will be available here.