ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Muskingum County is a quaint community that has an abundance of generosity as well as families who are struggling with hunger. Zanesville City Schools Assistant Superintendent Steve Foreman explained how, with help from the YMCA, students with food insecurity problems are being cared for.
“So we have the Blessing Bag program in every single Zanesville City School,” Foreman said. “It is funded in different ways from building to building. We basically pack, we have the cafeteria staff members pack the bags on Fridays. They’re placed somewhere in the school for anonymous, easy pick-up on the way out the door. You know there’s no need to sign them out or get permission. You just, if you want one you take one. If you don’t, you don’t. Those are available to all of our students.”
The Blessing Bags, packed with shelf-stable food items, ensure that students have something to eat during the days they are not in school. Approximately 100 bags are packed each week and items as well as the amounts can vary between the different schools and age groups.
“This particular building that we’re talking about today is John McIntire Elementary,” Foreman said. “It is funded by the Muskingum Valley YMCA. They wrote a grant and received it and it was through the United Way. And the grant was basically to support the health of young people in the area and we were very fortunate that they reached out to us.”
If anyone is interested in donating to the Blessing Bag Program they can call the Zanesville City Schools Food Service Department.
