COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — NBC4 and more than a hundred other Nexstar Media Group, Inc. stations celebrated the company’s 28th anniversary by giving back to our communities on Friday.

The annual event known as Founder’s Day of Caring celebrates the founding of Nexstar on June 17, 1996, and is a chance for employees across the country to help serve their community by spending eight hours volunteering with charities. For 2024 NBC4 staff volunteered with multiple local organizations dedicated to improving lives and supporting those in need.

Once again, NBC4 staff supported the Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4. At the Mid-Ohio Farm, an urban farming initiative launched in collaboration with the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, employees helped build raised beds and expand the vertical farm. This effort is part of the farm’s mission to end hunger and promote healthier communities through sustainable urban agriculture.

  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)
    NBC4 volunteers worked at the Mid-Ohio Farm (Photo Courtesy: Carolyn Yaussy)

Additionally, volunteers worked with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM) food pantry in Westerville. Tasks included sorting, organizing, packing, and taking inventory of food items. These efforts ensure that the pantry can efficiently provide food to families in need, reinforcing WARM’s commitment to alleviating hunger in the community.

  • NBC4 volunteers worked with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM) food pantry in Westerville (Photo Courtesy: Adrienne Shonkwiler)
    NBC4 volunteers worked with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM) food pantry in Westerville (Photo Courtesy: Adrienne Shonkwiler)
  • NBC4 volunteers worked with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM) food pantry in Westerville (Photo Courtesy: Adrienne Shonkwiler)
    NBC4 volunteers worked with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (WARM) food pantry in Westerville (Photo Courtesy: Adrienne Shonkwiler)

Staff also assisted at the Ark of Redemption, a local cat shelter in North Columbus. Volunteers helped with daily feeding and cleaning, socializing and playing with the cats, and taking photos for the adoption website. This support is crucial for the shelter’s operation, helping cats find loving homes and making sure they receive proper care.

Another nonprofit that benefited from volunteer efforts included Charity Newsies, an organization providing new clothing to children in Franklin County. Volunteers sorted and organized clothing, taking inventory to ensure children K-12 receive attire for school. This initiative plays a vital role in boosting the confidence and well-being of local children.

In years past on Founder’s Day, NBC4 employees have volunteered hundreds of hours of service painting buildings at Recreation Unlimited, planting flowers with Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Homes, doing maintenance work at Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, painting a mural at Faith Mission with Lutheran Social Services, Kind Columbus and Harmony Project, and much more.

NBC4’s participation in these volunteer activities highlights the station’s and Nexstar’s ongoing commitment to community service and making a positive impact. Through collective efforts, NBC4 staff is proud to support and strengthen the communities they serve.

Nexstar is the largest local broadcast television group in the United States with more than 200 owned or partner stations in 117 U.S. markets reaching hundreds of millions of people in communities across the U.S.