Brian Otte didn't expect to spend his first month as Dublin Food Pantry's executive director standing next to Tony the Tiger, Mr. Pringles, Spider-Man, and the Coca-Cola Polar Bear.

But that's where he found himself at a Dublin Food Pantry Day event at the Miracle League of Central Ohio, a program that helps children with physical and mental challenges play baseball. The event collected 375 pounds of food and hygiene items and $1,500 in cash donations, Otte wrote in a reflection published Tuesday, July 28 on the pantry's website.

"What surprises me most is experiencing firsthand the many ways this community shows up for the pantry's work, ways I wasn't fully aware of before stepping into this role," Otte wrote, answering a question posed by board member Chris at a recent meeting.

The Miracle League event was one of several community partnerships Otte encountered in his first 30 days. US Bank Branch Manager January Howe presented the pantry with a donation at the grand reopening of the bank's Frantz Road location. Kroger contributed as part of its Zero Hunger Zero Waste initiative during a ribbon cutting for its renovated Hospital Drive store.

Irish Festival connection

The pantry also had a booth at the 39th Dublin Irish Festival, which ran Friday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 2, at Coffman Park. Roughly 90,000 people were expected to attend the three-day event, according to AOL coverage. On the festival's final day, guests arriving for church services between 9:30 and 11 a.m. were admitted free and encouraged to bring nonperishable food and cash donations for the pantry, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Demand continues to climb

Otte steps into the role at a time of sustained need. The pantry served 861 households in July 2026 alone, according to a separate pantry blog post published July 31. In 2025, it served more than 10,000 households, including 3,482 children.

Karen Ernes, a volunteer and team lead since 2008, said the client base has shifted from primarily older adults to families with young children, working professionals, and people with advanced degrees navigating layoffs or rising costs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nightly visits surged from 20–30 households to more than 120.

Demand has not let up.

Dublin City Schools teacher Gretchen Taylor, who volunteers at the pantry, put it plainly in the July 31 post: "You might not be aware of the level of need unless you see it firsthand … It really challenges what people assume about who needs help."

A 50-year institution

Founded in March 1976, the Dublin Food Pantry is approaching its 50th anniversary. It operates a choice-based model that lets neighbors select foods matching their dietary needs, cultural preferences, and family routines.

Volunteer Mary Yerina, who began serving at the pantry with her husband Bob Redfield in 2017, described helping a retired teacher who arrived in tears on her first visit. The woman had lost her apartment in a fire.

Residents who want to help can drop off nonperishable food donations at 6608 Dublin Center Dr. from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.