BASD students have options for summer feeding
Last summer, the Butler Area School District may have sent families to the Child Summer Food Service and Activities program at area parks, but this summer, that program doesn’t appear to be happening.
Last summer, the Butler Area School District may have sent families to the Child Summer Food Service and Activities program at area parks, but this summer, that program doesn’t appear to be happening.
Instead, the the district is sending families as far to Knoch, Karns City Area and Moniteau school districts for one of several feeding programs.
In a Monday, June 12, letter to families, Butler superintendent Brian White alerted them to other feeding options for the summer.
One opportunity is through the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which is bringing food distribution days to three schools in Butler County over the summer in the Knoch, Karns City Area and Moniteau school districts.
The distributions will be from 4 to 6 p.m. at Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School, 1446 Kittanning Pike, Karns City, on June 12, July 25 and Aug. 18; Dassa McKinney Elementary School, 391 Hooker Road, West Sunbury, on June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15; and Knoch Primary School, 328 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, on June 23, July 19 and Aug. 16.
Families can receive groceries at no cost through these distributions. Preregistration is not required, so people from any area can pick up food from the events.
Abigail Eagan, food access innovations manager for the food bank, said bringing free food to the three school district areas is meant to help ease food insecurity during the summer months, when parents may struggle to afford enough food for their children.
“Across Butler County there's 35% of students who qualify for free and reduced meals,” Eagan said. “When school ends, those aren't available, and families may struggle to buy extra groceries.”
Kara Droney, director of communication for Butler Area School District, said 49.86% of district families applied and qualified for free and reduced-cost meals in 2021-22. Before the pandemic, in 2019-20, 46.42% of families qualified. Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy said the city is looking for a food provider for the Child Summer Food Service and Activities program at Rotary Park, Institute Hill Playground and Father Marinaro Park since the Grace Youth and Family Foundation, will not be doing it this year.
The foundation’s founder, Bill Halle, is charged with four felonies, including sexual assault by a volunteer or employee of a nonprofit and corruption of minors, ending its food providing service, which the city had paid about $8,000 per season.
“We have to find the right partner to do this with,” Dandoy said.
Additionally, more than 430 elementary students of Butler Area School District went home on the last day of school Friday, June 9, with new backpacks heavy with food items.
The Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation sends all qualifying students home at the end of each week during the school year with enough food for the weekend, and Audray Muscatello Yost, a leader of the weekend backpack program, said the organization always tries to do the same during the summer.
“We tried to hit each meal and just fill up the backpack,” Yost said. “I don't know how many items there were, but we put big bags of oatmeal and mac and cheese and fruit.”
Yost said the Kids’ Weekend Backpack Program, coordinated by the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, served 433 students by the end of this school year, but has served more than 450 students previously. She also said that while the backpack probably couldn’t hold enough food to last a child through the summer, a lot of the items packed would not expire before the start of the next school year.
Just because school is out doesn’t mean the foundation is idle, Yost added.
“We have people donating money for backpacks, but we could always use brand-new backpacks,” Yost said. “I'll make my first food order in August for the beginning of next school year.”
