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Kids line up for bookbags at Oakhill center
YOUNGSTOWN
Children began arriving with their parents by 8 a.m., an hour before the start of the annual back-to-school bookbag and school supply giveaway Wednesday at Oakhill Renaissance Place.
The school supplies, including pencils, crayons, notebooks, flash drives and hand sanitizers, were contained within the 300 bookbags before the distribution, which was on a first-come, first-served basis.
It was the fifth year for the event, known as Child Support Awareness Day, and the third year for the bookbag giveaway.
The annual event is sponsored by the Mahoning County Child Support Enforcement Agency.
“We’re here to help. We want to make sure the children have a good start for the school year. We want to give back as an agency to the community,” said Toni Tablack, program administrator for CSEA and the county’s Department of Job and Family Services.
Among the earliest arrivals were Sonia Cohill of Youngstown, her daughter, Taedriana, 10, and son, Montrell, 11, for whom classes will begin Tuesday at St. Joseph the Provider School.
“We didn’t want to be the last of the 300,” Sonia Cohill said.
“They never stopped thinking about school when they got out of school for the summer,” she said of her children. “They read a lot,” she added.
However, Montrell, who aspires to be an artist, said: “I’m not ready to be waking up that early.” He added that he expects to sleep on the bus en route to school.
“I miss all my friends,” said Taedriana, explaining in part why she looks forward to returning to school.
Besides the giveaway, the event featured a clown, face-painting and an opportunity for participants to get a close-up look at police and fire-department vehicles.
Also featured were information tables from a host of agencies, including JFS and CSEA, the city health department, the county recycling division, county Children Services Board, Access Health and Ohio Means Jobs.
Donors to the event included community leaders and other individuals, labor unions, businesses, institutions, community service organizations and JFS and CSEA employees.
Barnes & Noble bookstores donated books for distribution at the event.
Throughout this month, CSEA will continue its Deals for Wheels program, which allows child-support debtors to get their suspended driver’s licenses reinstated for payment of one month’s support plus $1 and a $25 reinstatement fee.
They may do so from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, at CSEA offices at Oakhill, 345 Oak Hill Ave.
Debtors who aren’t working must agree to seek employment.