Talk About Woodville: Whimsical calendar sales benefit food pantry

Rene Dix
·4 min read

Last December, I mentioned a fundraiser Matt Hammer was working on to benefit the Good Samaritan Council, better known to Woodville residents as “the food pantry.” Hammer and friend Mason Frantz created a calendar featuring Hammer posing in his cut-off bibs for, as he calls it, “whimsical pictures each month.”

A Secret Santa covered the cost of printing, so all of the proceeds from the calendar sale could be donated to the food pantry. Five hundred copies were ordered and available for a donation of $10 each at the Village Barber Shop, which was once owned by Hammer’s family. Thanks to social media, word spread quickly. Calendars flew out the door and many were mailed to friends and family across the country. Some bought multiple copies and many generous folks even donated a little extra cash for the cause.

“It turned into an amazing fundraiser,” Hammer said. “One Hundred percent of your donations are going to the Woodville Food Pantry. You are just getting a silly calendar for free.”

Alice Fork receives funds from Matt Hammer at Martin Marietta, where Hammer works. He collected donations from a calendar from a calendar fundraiser to aid the Good Samaritan Council.
Alice Fork receives funds from Matt Hammer at Martin Marietta, where Hammer works. He collected donations from a calendar from a calendar fundraiser to aid the Good Samaritan Council.

Calendar project brings in $4,000 for food pantry

Earlier this week in the lobby at Martin Marrietta where he works, Hammer met with Good Samaritan's president, Alice Fork, to hand over the proceeds from the fundraiser. The thick stack of cash and checks totaled exactly $4,000.

"Wow. I might need a security escort to get to the bank," joked Fork when she heard how much had been raised. "This is wonderful. Thank you."

Hammer dedicated the calendar project in memory of his father, Paul, who taught him to garden and about the gift of giving. Most folks in Woodville remember the elder Hammer from his days as barber at the family barber shop where he cut hair next to his brothers, Phil and Ray.

Copies of the calendar are still available at the Village Barber Shop for a discounted donation of $5 each. To purchase a copy via mail, send a text to Hammer at 419-346-6743. If you like, Hammer will happily autograph your calendar and, if you live in Woodville, you just might convince him to deliver a calendar personally.

“You can add this piece of American history to your home or office,” Hammer posted recently on his Facebook page. “Think of the admiration you’ll receive as onlookers wish they could have your copy.”

The Good Samaritan Food Pantry and a new garage added beside the building.
The Good Samaritan Food Pantry and a new garage added beside the building.

Anyone who lives in Woodville or Woodville Township is eligible for assistance from the Good Samaritan Council. Distribution days are the fourth Thursday and Friday of each month, with adjustments in November and December for the holidays. If the pantry can help you, call ahead so they can have the order ready. The pantry is located at 212 Bridge St. For more information, call 419-260-7838.

Food donations for the pantry may be dropped off at the Woodville Police Department, Woodville Public Library or Solomon Lutheran Church. Monetary donations may be dropped off at the Woodville Branch of Fremont Federal Credit Union. The pantry’s monthly “wish list” of needed items is posted on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GoodSamaritanCouncil.

Summer ball registration

It’s time to register for the 2023 Woodmore Youth Organization (WYO) summer baseball and softball programs. Cost for the first player per family is $75 for players age 8 and younger (beginner/T-ball) and $100 for players ages 9-14, with a $25 multi-player discount for each additional player. The season will run April 9-July 16. Registration is at www.woodmoreyouth.org. Deadline is March 5.

The WYO is looking for businesses to sponsor this year’s ball teams. Contact info@woodmoreyouth.org if you are interested in becoming a sponsor or if you have any registration questions or issues.

4-H Open House set for Feb. 26

The Woodville Buckeyes 4-H Club will host an open house for families with children interested in joining 4-H. Children in grades three-12 are eligible to join the traditional 4-H program, choosing from projects in a variety of interest areas that will be judged and displayed at the Sandusky County Fair in August. Children in grades kindergarten-two can participate in the Cloverbuds program.

The open house will be 4-5 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Woodville Public Library, 101 E. Main St. For more information, contact the club via email at WoodvilleBuckeyes@gmail.com, its Facebook page @WoodvilleBuckeyes4H or by calling adviser Rene Dix at 419-307-0914.

This year’s enrollment deadline is March 30.

Contact Rene Dix at 419-307-0914 or via email at rene.dix@email.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Talk About Woodville: Whimsical calendar sales to benefit food pantry