Great communities are built through shared vision, collaboration, and action.

The One Linden Plan was created to provide a roadmap for a stronger, healthier, safer, and more prosperous Linden. It represents the collective hopes and aspirations of residents, businesses, community organizations, institutions, and public leaders working together toward a common future.

Community of Caring Development Foundation is proud to support that vision through programs and initiatives that address many of the priorities identified in the One Linden Plan.

Through Leadership Linden, we are developing community leaders equipped to create positive change.

Through Linden Fresh Market, we are addressing food access and community health.

Through Food Is Life, we are investing in youth development and workforce readiness.

Through the Linden Community Fund, we are creating pathways for community investment.

Through forums such as The United Nations of Linden, we are fostering dialogue, inclusion, and civic engagement.

Through partnerships with residents, businesses, faith institutions, schools, and public agencies, we are helping create a connected community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

Building the One Linden Vision requires more than a single organization. It requires all of us.

It requires leaders willing to listen.
Residents willing to participate.
Businesses willing to invest.
Organizations willing to collaborate.

The future of Linden will not be determined by what happens to us—it will be determined by what we build together.

At Community of Caring Development Foundation, we remain committed to creating a connected community where opportunity grows, leadership develops, and residents help shape the future they want to see.

Together, we are not simply imagining a better Linden.

We are building it.

Linden is changing.

Today, our community is home to families whose roots stretch across generations in Columbus alongside residents from East Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. This rich cultural diversity is one of Linden’s greatest assets and presents an opportunity to build a stronger, more vibrant future.

That was the focus of Leadership Linden’s 2026 Spring Forum, “The United Nations of Linden.”

The forum brought together community leaders, entrepreneurs, elected officials, faith leaders, and residents to explore a critical question:

How do we leverage Linden’s growing diversity as a driver of community investment?

Moderated by Columbus City Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, the conversation featured a distinguished panel including State Representative Ismail Mohamed, Liberian-American entrepreneur Alpha Tongor, and Linden business owner Leone Robinson of Island Vibes Restaurant.

Throughout the discussion, one theme emerged repeatedly: Linden’s diversity is not a challenge to overcome—it is a competitive advantage to embrace.

Panelists discussed the importance of attracting diverse food options, creating cultural events, supporting minority-owned businesses, engaging youth, and building stronger cross-cultural relationships. They also explored how infrastructure improvements, public policy, and community collaboration can position Linden as a destination for visitors, investors, and entrepreneurs.

The forum reinforced a simple but powerful idea: when we celebrate and leverage our cultural diversity, we strengthen our local economy, expand opportunities, and build a community where everyone belongs.

At Community of Caring Development Foundation, we believe building community is building the market. The future of Linden will be shaped by our ability to bring people together, create opportunity, and invest in our greatest asset—our people.

 

Food Can Change Lives

This summer, young people in Linden are discovering that food is much more than something we eat.

Food Is Life is an innovative summer youth program designed to help participants ages 14-18 explore how food impacts health, careers, the environment, and community well-being.

Through hands-on experiences, students learn:

  • Cooking and meal preparation skills
  • Nutrition and healthy eating habits
  • Urban gardening techniques
  • Teamwork and leadership
  • Career opportunities in food, hospitality, agriculture, and wellness

Participants also enjoy exciting field trips to local farms, food businesses, and community organizations, giving them firsthand exposure to career pathways and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Most importantly, Food Is Life provides a safe, supportive environment where young people can build confidence, develop life skills, and connect with positive mentors.

By investing in our youth today, we are helping create healthier communities tomorrow.

Visit the Linden Fresh Market Page for more information.

Feeding Families. Building Community.

Access to healthy food is one of the most important building blocks of a thriving community.

The Linden Fresh Market was created to provide more than food assistance—it was designed to create dignity, improve health outcomes, and connect residents with resources that support long-term wellness.

Serving hundreds of families throughout the year, the Fresh Market offers access to fresh produce, healthy foods, household staples, and community resources in a welcoming environment.

But the impact doesn’t stop there.

The market also serves as a hub for:

  • Nutrition education
  • Health and wellness programs
  • Community partnerships
  • Workforce development opportunities
  • Youth engagement initiatives
  • Special events and outreach activities

Through strategic partnerships and innovative programming, Linden Fresh Market continues to demonstrate that food security is about much more than filling a pantry—it is about creating healthier families and stronger neighborhoods.

Looking Ahead

Exciting initiatives such as the Linden Fresh Market Community Cookbook and expanded health partnerships will continue to strengthen the Market’s role as a neighborhood cornerstone.

Leadership Starts Right Here in Linden

Strong communities are built by strong leaders. That’s the belief behind the Leadership Linden, Academy, one of the flagship programs of the Community of Caring Development Foundation.

For fifteen weeks, residents, professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, nonprofit leaders, and community advocates come together to learn, connect, and develop solutions that strengthen the Linden community. Through weekly sessions, participants gain insight into economic development, public policy, education, health, housing, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.

But Leadership Linden is much more than a leadership program. It is a catalyst for action.

Each cohort works collaboratively to identify challenges and opportunities facing the community, culminating in Capstone Projects that propose innovative solutions designed to improve quality of life and increase community investment.

Recent Capstone projects have included concepts such as:

  • The Linden Coffee House
  • Linden International Fest
  • Linden Health Hub
  • Passport Youth Initiative
  • Community-Centered Banking
  • Mixed-Use Development along Cleveland Avenue

Leadership Linden continues to prove that the best ideas for Linden often come from the people who live, work, worship, and invest in the community every day.

Interested in becoming part of the next cohort?

Visit our Leadership Linden Academy site and learn more about upcoming classes and opportunities to get involved.  Visit https://www.leadershiplindenacademy.org/  today.

To read the entire article, go to https://www.dispatch.com/…/columbus-jewish…/69900171007/.