Marietta Community Foundation Celebrates a Record-Breaking 2025 Nonprofit Challenge: ‘Stock the Shelves’
Washington County - What began as a community challenge became a county-wide movement. From October 13 to November 14, Marietta Community Foundation hosted its tenth annual Nonprofit Challenge—an initiative that has grown into one of Washington County’s most beloved traditions.
With generous support from the Hathaway family, 28 nonprofits competed for $26,000 in grant funding, all while rallying the community around a mission that touches hundreds of lives every year: food insecurity. From that mission, the ‘Stock the Shelves’ Challenge came to life.
Over the course of a month, nonprofits and community members collected more than 185,000 points worth of food, personal care items, formula, and laundry essentials. These donations translate into thousands of high-quality items that will soon be distributed among all 14 local food pantries.
“This year’s Nonprofit Challenge exceeded every expectation we had,” said Heather Allender, President & CEO of Marietta Community Foundation. “Our community didn’t just participate—they embraced the mission with heart, creativity, and generosity. The impact of ‘Stock the Shelves’ will be felt for months, if not years, across Washington County. This is the power of people coming together with purpose.”
Throughout the challenge, donations were collected at the Foundation’s office before being transported to ARC Resin’s warehouse for sorting. With the help of O’Neill Center, Wasco, Blessing Birds, and the Marietta College Baseball Team, thousands of items were efficiently organized for distribution—resulting in each food pantry receiving two substantial loads of essential supplies.
On Wednesday, November 19, the Foundation gathered its nonprofit partners for a Nonprofit Open House, celebrating the top performers of the challenge. Leading the charge was Blessing Birds, whose extraordinary effort earned them first place.
“We are honored and overwhelmed by the support we received,” said Sarah Miller, Founder of Blessing Birds. “Our team worked every single day with one goal in mind: to uplift families who need us. Winning is wonderful…but knowing how many people we’ll help means even more. This challenge brought out the best in our community.”
Top Five Winners of the 2025 Stock the Shelves Challenge:
$9,000: Blessing Birds – 42,282 points
$7,000: Harmar Rowing Club – 36,864 points
$4,500: Kiwanis – 22,252 points
$3,000: Belpre Church of the Nazarene – 20,006 points
$2,500: O’Neill Center – 18,159 points
‘Shelf Surge’ $1000 Mini-Challenge Winners:
Formula Challenge: Blessing Birds – 1,160 points
Laundry Challenge: Blessing Birds – 16,247 points
“This was not just a challenge,” Allender added. “It was a statement…Washington County truly takes care of its own.”
The Foundation will now arrange times for each food pantry to pick up their sorted items, beginning a new chapter in the impact of the ‘Stock the Shelves’ Challenge.
Marietta Community Foundation extends its deepest gratitude to everyone who played a role in this record-breaking year. Together, we are building a stronger, healthier, and more hopeful future for Washington County.
Marietta Community Foundation is committed to strengthening Washington County, believing that a united community holds unlimited potential. With over $34M in grants and scholarships and more than $60M in assets across nearly 400 funds, the Foundation empowers individuals, families, businesses, and organizations across Washington County to drive transformative, lasting impact. Learn more at www.mcfohio.org.
