Grant Connects Gibbs Families With Needed Services

Our community cares

By Erika Irwin, Principal

Gibbs Elementary was honored to be the recipient of a grant through Key Bank and The United Way of Greater Stark County in May 2022. There have been many benefits from the grant during this initial year that have benefited the families at Gibbs Elementary.

Principal Erika Irwin was invited to the May United Way Board Meeting to share out the yearly report of how funds have been used to help make Gibbs students feel safe and loved. One of the benefits that our Gibbs families have access to is The Gibbs Elementary Assistance Program. This program has been designed to help families solve problems getting to work, school, doctors, groceries, or related public benefits, and prevent housing instability. Families that have students enrolled at Gibbs Elementary have the ability to apply for support and assistance to help their child be more successful in school by having the necessary resources for their family’s well-being.

Several families had the opportunity to attend Parent Cafes hosted by the Early Childhood Resource Center. These cafes were held at Gibbs Elementary during the day to help families connect with SPARK services and to create a welcoming environment for parents to learn and share parenting tips from the staff at the ECRC. We were able to have our final Parent Cafe in May celebrating two mothers who are expecting babies this summer.

The Early Childhood Resource Center has partnered with Gibbs to enroll neighborhood children in SPARK which will support kindergarten readiness. The sign-ups for SPARK have tripled since the program began this year.

A focus of the Canton City School District is to increase attendance in all grades over the next few years. One of the ways that Gibbs feels that we can support this great cause is to encourage families to understand just how important it is to come to school starting in preschool and kindergarten and set the expectation that education is vital.

The Positive Parenting Program hosted by Child and Adolescent Services has been crucial to the message that school attendance is very important. Gibbs hosted events at least once a month this year focusing on parent topics such as bedtime routines, helping with homework, and managing behaviors in a safe and productive manner using positive parenting strategies. Each caregiver in attendance was able to have breakfast and receive workbook materials and support from a counselor through C&A. This venue provided caregivers a safe place to discuss parenting challenges and receive support from each other, Gibbs staff, and C&A.

The most recent service added to support families at Gibbs has been the partnership with Access Health. Gibbs now has an outreach coordinator, Eboni Butler, who helps families at Gibbs connect with primary care, health insurance, and the navigation of resources. Butler is available to conduct home visits to set up family goals and address their overall health and social needs.

The United Way of Greater Stark County has been an active partner with Gibbs Elementary by providing encouragement to staff, students, and families during this school year. They even sponsored our year-end carnival! We had a bouncy house, Kona ice and games, and every student received a Gibbs Family T-shirt!

The belief of the United Way is that a strong education is the foundation for a better future. This aligns with the district values of Canton City Schools that all Bulldogs will acquire a worldview of life’s possibilities and confidence to pursue their dreams using the knowledge and skills learned here.

If you would like more information or assistance please reach out to Erika Irwin (Principal) or Stacie Strange (Gibbs Community Worker) by calling the Gibbs office and leaving a message or reach out via ParentSquare.