COVID-19: How you can help CPS families

With Cincinnati Public Schools closed and businesses shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many CPS families are struggling to provide meals and basic supplies for their children.

To help these families, Cincinnati Public Schools created the Collaborate & Care initiative, designed to help children and families affected by the school closure. CPS designated 24 schools as distribution sites, and partnered with community organizations to serve as the Site Champion for specific sites.

Activities Beyond the Classroom volunteered to be the Site Champion for two distribution sites: Cheviot School and Winton Hills Academy. As the Site Champion, we are working hard to coordinate volunteers as well as gather as many supplies for the families as we can, and we need YOUR help!!

How you can help

You can help support ABC’s efforts in a number of ways:

1. DONATE MONEY to the COVID-19 Fund: Donate to the fund, and we will use your donation to purchase food and supplies for families in need.
2. DONATE SUPPLIES: Purchase supplies and donate them to ABC’s efforts. Supplies needed include sharpened pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, crayons, colored pencils, markers, activity books, instructional activities, craft materials, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, lotion, tote bags, gallon ziplock bags, and non-perishable food items. Donations can be dropped off at either location (Cheviot or Winton Hills) at 10:30AM on  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
3. VOLUNTEER: We need volunteers to help sort and bag donations into family-sized portions, and to help distribute donations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Learn more and sign up as a volunteer on our Sign-Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e49acab2ca31-covid19.

ABC will continue these efforts until CPS schools are back in session.

Special thanks

Special thanks to local community member Meeka Owens for helping lead the efforts at Cheviot.

Another special thank you to Ollie’s Trolley for allowing us to use their storage space to receive, store, and sort donations. (By the way, Ollie’s Trolley is still open for carry-out!)