OMAD Helping With Student Nutritional Needs in Akron City Schools

On May 28th, OAPSE Making a Difference (OMAD), the Ohio Association of Public School Employees’ non-profit organization, was in Akron City Schools helping with the nutritional needs of students in the district. Working with the Akron Schools administration, OMAD identified two elementary schools facing significant food security challenges in the district.

Members from the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE), along with other volunteers, handed out bags to students from Glover and McEbright Elementary Schools. Over 700 students received bags full of non-perishable meals, snacks and drinks from OAPSE Making a Difference.

“I love these OMAD events. Being able to help the children we serve where the need is so high makes me so proud of my union and the entire OAPSE family,” explained Lois Carson, OAPSE State President. “OAPSE will continue to help the community every chance we can.”

Sheila Dawkins-Flinn, OAPSE State Secretary and OMAD Chairwoman, was overjoyed. “OMAD has been doing such great work around the state the past decade and it’s nice to see the program in Akron this year. The poverty rate is double in Akron compared to the state average and there are so many food insecure children in the district. We are doing what we can to help the children we serve.”

OMAD is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, established by OAPSE/AFSCME to focus on reducing hunger among the students we serve. We know that hungry children are not at their best and cannot learn to their full potential. Yet many of our students come to school hungry every day. We wanted to help as many of “our kids” as we could with volunteer hours and donations – and OMAD is the result.

Since the spring of 2014, OMAD has raised more than $160,000 from OAPSE leaders, members, staff, and vendors. Past OMAD projects include establishing a permanent food bank at Fairland Local Schools in southern Ohio – among the poorest school districts in the state – and providing take-home meals and tote bags to thousands of students in schools districts across Ohio.