Grant helps Alta families get fresh produce

By AMANDA TONOLI

atonoli@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A $35,000 grant from the Swanston Foundation helped Alta Head Start families to get fresh produce Wednesday from a semi-annual farmers’ market.

Parents who help out in the classroom earn Alta Bucks which can be spent at the farmers market twice a year, explained Lori Stellmar, Alta Head Start health and nutrition manager.

“They basically are using play money to get real food,” she said.

Stellmar said she enjoys putting on the market around holidays because it helps families supplement certain foods so they can ensure they have enough food for a special holiday dinner.

“They can get fruits and veggies here and then go buy their turkeys or ham for Thanksgiving,” she added.

Seven of Alta’s locations put on the farmers market so parents didn’t have to travel too far outside of their areas to take advantage of the opportunity.

The seven locations are: McCartney Learning center, 1988 McCartney Road; OCCHA Learning Center, 3660 Shirley Road; Renaissance Learning Center, 345 Oak Hill Ave.; Rockford Village Learning Center, 1406 Dogwood Drive; Sebring Learning Center, 126 W. Indiana Ave., Sebring,; Boardman Lockwood United Methodist Church, 4570 Lockwood Blvd.; and Westchester Learning Center, 122 Westchester Drive, Austintown.

“It’s just nice to help families,” Stellmar said. “So many families are just truly grateful for what we provide for them, and it’s touching to see. The reward of being able to help makes it all worthwhile.”

Parent Marquis Hawkins of Youngstown said he enjoys being able to broaden his child’s horizons.

“It’s just a very convenient way to give a child a chance to try locally grown fruits and vegetables,” Hawkins said.

Missy Christy, parent and Alta education supervisor, echoed Hawkins’s sentiment.

“This is great for children so they get to explore new fruits and vegetables they may not have gotten to try otherwise,” Christy said.