Fans of the Columbus Mavericks were in the holiday spirit this past weekend as they watched their hometown team take on the Ft. Wayne Spacemen. In addition to bringing their signature energy to the games, they also brought dozens of new toys to donate to the Mavericks’ Holiday Toy Drive. The Toy Drive, which will support Columbus’ Central Community House, was a smashing success and evidence that Columbus hockey fans are truly a tight-knit community. The Mavericks’ players are excited to take part in this effort and look forward to delivering the bounty of toys this week! Central Community House is a source of support and a community home for the children, families and seniors living in the near east and near south areas of Columbus. Within their full-service community center, people of all ages come together to learn, play, share their gifts and find assistance when needed. From their public Computer Lab to monthly Community Dinners, services are designed to aid individuals in living self-sufficiently while adding to the overall quality of life in our neighborhood. Within Central Community House’s service area, nearly half of occupied households live below the Federal Poverty Line. Rather than simply address one problem or social condition, they build relationships and work holistically to combat the myriad affects of generational poverty. They have a long history of success offering programs such as early education child care, after school/summer programs, Transit Arts/teen development, Senior Program, community organizing and advocacy, family strengthening, social work services, basic/emergency materials assistance and workforce development.