Valley schools keeping students fed during coronavirus closures
Just as they did last week -- it's all hands on deck for dozens of volunteers and educators working hard to make sure students are fed during this very anxious time. However, with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's recent order to "stay home," schools are adapting how meal distributions occur.
In Youngstown, the school district began bagged breakfast and lunch pick-up at various sites across the city last week. Now, the meals will be enough for five days to try and minimize social contact.
In Austintown, it's a similar scene as the district's food services department distributed one full week of meals per child, all at Austintown Elementary School. "It shows the time that we are in right now; it's a crisis," said Austintown Food Services Director, Alexis Weber.
In Columbiana - using their regular bus routes, school leaders are delivering breakfast and lunch for all students K-12 at no cost as well.
Using parent information, delivery will happen at the student's bus stop... and walkers will pick up at their individual schools. "We're seeing 9th and 10th graders at home by themselves.....they need food. Some of these kids have siblings so they need extra food," said Scott Caron of the Columbiana Exempted Village Schools.
In addition to food, many schools are expanding digital online learning platforms and for students without that technology, schools are creating printed packets and distributing them along with meals.
Below is a distribution site list for the schools mentioned:
YOUNGSTOWN CITY SCHOOLS:
St. Anthony, 1155 Turin St., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Choffin Career and Technical Center, 200 E. Wood St., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Former Hayes Middle School, 1616 Ford Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Ursuline High School, 750 Wick Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Harding Elementary School, 1903 Cordova Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Wick Park, bus will be on Broadway, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Kirkmere Elementary School, 2851 Kirk Road, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Volney Rogers Elementary School, 2400 S. Schenley Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Chaney High School, 731 S. Hazelwood Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Stambaugh Charter Academy, 2420 Donald Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Wonder Bread parking lot corner of Mahoning and Glacier avenues, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Palms, 301 Steel St., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
McGuffey Elementary School, 310 S. Schenley Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Summit Academy Elementary School, 144 N. Schenley Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
East High School, 474 Bennington Ave., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
L.E. Black Funeral Home, 1951 McGuffey Road, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Youngstown Academy of Excellence, 1408 Rigby St., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Martin Luther King Elementary School, 2024 Mariner Ave,m 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
McGuffey Centre, 1649 Jacobs Road, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Kendis Circle, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Citi Trends, 2960 McCartney Road, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Rising Star Baptist Church, 2943 Wardle Ave., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Victor and Buckeye streets, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Wilson Elementary School, 2725 Gibson St., 10 a.m. to noon.
Former Princeton School, Hillman Avenue, 10 a.m. to noon.
Williamson Elementary School, 58 Williamson Ave., 10 a.m. to noon.
Horizon Science Academy, 3403 Southern Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon.
Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church, 3919 Southern Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon.
Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, off of Glenwood Avenue, 10 a.m. to noon.
Paul C. Bunn Elementary School, 1825 Sequoya, 10 a.m. to noon.
Volney field parking lot, off of Glenwood, 10 a.m. to noon.
Southside Academy, 1400 Oak Hill Ave., 10 a.m. to noon.
Family Video, 2072 E. Midlothian Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon.
Former Sheridan School, 3321 Hudson Avenue, 10 a.m. to noon.
Glenwood Business Center, 2246 Glenwood Ave., 10 a.m. to noon.
***Families should be aware that some foods do contain allergens such as peanut butter. If a scholar receives special diet meals from YCSD, per doctor's order, call 330-744-7194 and arrange pick up of special meals. Mondays and Thursdays are call and pick-up days for special meals at YCSD's Central Kitchen, located in the back of Choffin Career and Technical Center, 200 E. Wood St. Call 330-744-6921 with questions about meal distribution.
AUSTINTOWN SCHOOLS:
***Beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, and for all of the following Mondays, the Food Services Department will distribute ONE FULL WEEK OF MEALS (5 breakfasts and 5 lunches) per child on Mondays each week. There will be no meal distribution Tuesday through Friday. Additionally, we will only be distributing meals at Austintown Elementary School.
This will continue for ALL of the following MONDAYS during the closure or until further notice. Please continue to remain in your vehicle and "drive-up" to our site to receive your meals. The distribution will be set up in the parking lot between AES and AIS. The meals are free to all children age 18 and under. Meals are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Meal Distribution Time: 10:30 – 12:30 on MONDAYS ONLY
Location: Austintown Elementary School – 245 Idaho Road, Austintown, OH 44515
This information is subject to change. If new information arises, it will be communicated. For any questions, please contact the Food Service Department: AFFoodServices@austintownschools.org
COLUMBIANA EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOLS:
***Starting Monday, March 23rd, using our regular bus routes, Columbiana Schools will deliver breakfast and lunch for all students K-12 at no cost. In order to collect information regarding delivery, we have created a survey that will need to be completed weekly. We are asking all families to complete the survey, each week, by Thursday at noon of the previous week. For the days indicated, we will deliver lunch and breakfast to your child's bus stop.
Walkers and open enrollment students will still need to complete the survey but will pick up lunches at their building. All other students will have delivery to (or near) your stop.
Buses will leave the school each day at approximately 11:00 am. We anticipate runs lasting approximately an hour or so. Please have someone out for pickup as staff will hand lunches out from the bus.
Those who have already responded to the survey do not need to do so again for the week of March 23rd. If you are interested in signing up it is not too late. We are asking you to complete the survey on a weekly basis by noon each Thursday for the following week. The survey can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/coexcafe
If you do not have access to the Internet or have issues accessing the survey, please call the appropriate school office with the extension of your building principal.
Joshua Dixon: 330-482-5355, ext. 34507
Columbiana Middle School: 330-482-5354, ext. 34408
Columbiana High School: 330-482-3818, ext. 34314
