Food program extended for Austintown students

By Elise Franco

The superintendent said about 48 percent of students are on free and reduced lunches.

AUSTINTOWN — Students who need food will find some relief even after classes are out for the summer.

Volunteers from the Greater Austintown Ministerial Association are making it possible for children who attend school in the district to receive free or reduced lunch beginning June 15 and running through July 31.

Pastor Rick Stauffer of Tabernacle Evangelical Presbyterian Church on Raccoon Road said the program will allow children who are on free and reduced lunches during the school year to continue through the summer.

“When they’re out of school, they don’t get that,” he said. “Frankly they may not be getting much of anything at all.”

The program will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at Woodside Elementary on Elmwood Avenue.

The Rev. Mr. Stauffer said Austintown does have a need for this program, and the ministerial association is happy to get involved.

“There’s a remarkable amount of students receiving this aid already, which tells us there’s a growing number of families in need,” he said. “We feel as churches we need to respond to that change.”

District Superintendent Doug Heuer said the district is pleased to be able to offer this program to students.

“The school district is the vehicle to ... make sure students get a nutritious lunch during the school year,” he said. “The problem is school is only open nine months out of the year, and these kids are still in need.”

Heuer said Woodside was chosen as the building to host the program because it is home to a large population of students who benefit from this aid during the year.

He said overall about 48 percent of students in the seven-building district receive free and reduced lunch. At Woodside, that number is close to 70 percent, Heuer said.

Mr. Stauffer said bringing the program into Woodside also allows the ministerial association to open it up to all children in the township.

“If you have a building that houses more than 50 percent of the folks who are already getting this aid, you can have an open lunch,” he said. “Anybody can come and eat.”

Mr. Stauffer said Woodside’s location gives easy access to students who live nearby.

“It made a whole lot of practical sense,” he said. “There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood who can already walk to the school.”

This allows kids who may not have someone to drive them the opportunity to eat lunch for free, Mr. Stauffer said.

Students must fill out a registration form to qualify for the free and reduced lunch summer program. He said the forms, which will be located at Woodside, require a signature from a parent or guardian and information regarding any allergies.

Mr. Stauffer said even though it’s open to any child in the township, Woodside students will be the focus of initial promotion.

“We’re going to promote this through Woodside for the first year because we’re not sure we want an influx of thousands just yet,” he said. “It will invite not only students, but family as well.”

Mr. Stauffer said any township resident up through age 19 is eligible for the program, and he expects word-of-mouth will bring those children in.

“Other kids will need to come a day or two before they want to eat and sign up,” he said. “We certainly want to make that available to them.”

Lisa Oles, township board of trustees president, said extending free and reduced lunches through the summer will benefit entire families.

“I think there absolutely is a need,” she said. “We have a lot of underprivileged children in the community, and certainly in these rough economic times when parents are out of work, any assistance we can give is welcome.”

efranco@vindy.com