Community Foundation announces Toni Morrison scholars

The Community Foundation of Lorain County announced the 2023 Toni Morrison Scholars on Thursday.

This year, the committee received 88 submissions from students across the county, showcasing the talent and passion of young scholars. After a thorough reading process, 18 students were honored, including five scholar emeritus members and one honorary mention.

The Toni Morrison Essay Contest is an annual competition that encourages students to explore the

Meals From A1

Wellington Schools serves about 1,000 students, according to its most recent state report card. More than 1 in 4 of its students are low-income.

“It’s kind of cruel, really, that that’s what some families have to deal with,” she said. “When they had lunches and breakfast given to their kids you just know that was something that made their lives easier and to just have it taken away in a way that feels somewhat arbitrary is really hard.”

She said lunch shaming is a very real thing, such as when students with delinquent accounts are unable to eat hot lunches, as well as the stigma attached to only low-income families receiving free or reduced meals.

“It’s something that just themes and literary works of Morrison, a Nobel Prize-winning author and Lorain native. The contest is open to all students in Lorain County and aims to promote a love of literature and learning. This year, students were asked to respond to one of two prompts: “If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down” or “What’s the world for you if you can’t make it up the way you want it?”

The essays were judged by a panel of community volunteers, including retired teachers, librarians, professors, nonprofit partners, members from the African American Com- doesn’t go away,” she said, noting meals just need to be free for all children.

Oberlin Community Services, which focuses on Lorain County’s rural southern half, has served 700 to 800 children per month this school year, Food Programs Coordinator Liv Hanson said in a statement.

Universal free school meals were valuable to families who don’t normally qualify for food services as it freed up money to pay other bills, Hanson said.

While school breakfasts and lunches are relatively inexpensive for districts at $4.50 or so per meal, it can add up to about $300 per month for a family with three children paying for both meals each day.

“Free lunches really make a difference in how munity Fund, the Women’s Fund and more.

Elementary School

Maximus Georgas, Walter G. Nord School (Amherst)

Christopher Lipian, Zoltan Academy

Noah Pysell, Toni Morrison Elementary School (Lorain)

Ava Salter, Toni Morrison Elementary School (Lorain)

Savannah Tidmore Toni Morrison Elementary School (Lorain)

Middle School

Cecelia Zseberan, General Johnnie Wilson Middle School (Lorain)

Sadie Harris, Amherst

Junior High School

Jacob Shawver, Westwood Middle School (Elyria)

Cianna Ortiz, Amherst Junior High School High

School

Jason White, Elyria High School

Cali Hildebrandt, North Ridgeville High School

Victoria Venable, Marion L. Steele High School (Amherst) Abigail Clayton, Elyria

High School

Caitlin Gardner, North Ridgeville High School College

Makalia Jones, Lorain County Community College (Elyria)

Malcolm Bamba, Oberlin College

Nicholas DuFresne, Lorain County Community College (Elyria)

Alena Aguayo, Ashland University

“We are thrilled to continue this initiative and introduce the next generation of writers and thinkers to Toni Morrison,” said Brittany Lovett, marketing and communications officer at the Community Foundation.

“These essays are powerful reflections about identity, culture, and place, and we are excited to see these students continue to grow and make an impact in their communities.” have free breakfast for all students, with the Board of Education paying the gap between the funds provided by the federal government and the cost for all children to eat for free. financially stable families are,” she said. Oberlin Community Services stocks a small pantry at Oberlin High School with longer-lasting perishables like apples and bread to help reduce hunger among students, and it works with the Oberlin Rotary Club to provide weekend food “backpacks.” It is in the process of launching a similar program in Wellington Schools.

The scholars were recognized at a celebration on Toni Morrison Day, Feb. 18 at the Lorain Public Library System Main Branch.

For more information or to view the winning essays, visit peoplewhocare.org. If you have questions or would like to become involved, contact Brittany Lovett at blovett@people whocare.org or (440) 984.7390.

Unger said universal school meals have higher participation rates, and estimates it would cost about $200 million for the state to cover both breakfast and lunch for all public schools per year, or about $60 million for just breakfast.

“Morally, making sure kids have food to eat is just the right thing to do,” she said.

In Athens County, staff with Alexander Schools have seen their lunch debt more than double since before the pandemic, and found working families had relied on the expanded free breakfast and lunch programs to help meet their children’s nutritional needs.

Alexander Schools Director of Special Programs Lindy Douglas, who previously served as its superintendent for eight years, said while three of the five districts in the county meet federal poverty guidelines to provide meals to all students, Alexander and Athens City schools do not — and oftentimes the students who are not on free or reduced lunch programs are not eating, or not bringing nutritious food with them.

Alexander Schools does

“This is half a percent of our general revenue,” she said. “It’s well worth every dollar.”

DiMauro was encouraged by the current administration and Ohio House leadership’s commitment to move the fair school funding plan forward as a sign that public school-focused legislation may have a pathway to legislation in this General Assembly.

Unger also said serving in larger quantities reduces food waste, and allows for more local sourcing, supporting Ohio farmers and the economy while feeding kids.

Starting next school year, students who receive Medicaid insurance will be automatically certified for free school lunches, but the issue still lies in even students who are eligible don’t always participate due to stigma.

Locally, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio has seen a slight increase in fami- lies with children seeking food assistance, CEO Julie Chase-Morefield said in an email. The food bank serves families in Lorain, Erie, Huron and Crawford counties.

Chase-Morefield believes the increase in families coming to its food distributions this year has been mitigated by the increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program allotments during the pandemic — which are set to end March 1.

“When this sunsets in March we anticipate that need may increase by as much as 20 to 30 percent in the populations most affected: families with children, disabled individuals and seniors,” she said.

SNAP benefits were expanded to the maximum amount for all recipients, taking some from 20-some dollars a month to more than $200.

While the increase had to end eventually, social service agencies have been bracing for impact since the rollback was signed into law Dec. 29 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

“Providing free breakfast and lunch during the pandemic was an incredible safety net for vulnerable students and why we believe consideration should be given in Ohio to establishing universal free breakfast and lunch for all students,” Chase-Morefield said. “You can’t learn on an empty stomach.”

The state’s biennial budget will move through the Ohio House and Senate this spring and summer. It must be signed by the governor by June 30.