Every student in Clairton City School District went home with a $50 grocery gift card to help fill their pantry over the holidays thanks to a partnership between two local nonprofits.
The Will Allen Foundation, founded by the former safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with the Eden Hall Foundation, distributed 750 gift cards to ensure families had access to fresh food during the district’s winter break.
“We believe every child deserves to feel supported, especially during times when resources at home may be stretched thin,” said Jessi Marsh, CEO of the Will Allen Foundation.
Nearly 30% of Clairton students live below the poverty line.
Superintendent Tamara Allen-Thomas said the project exemplified the power of partnership in uncertain times.
“When we see a need, we come together to uplift the whole family, providing both nourishment and reassurance,” she said. “This is the kind of unity that carries communities forward.”
Gift cards are usable at Produce Marketplace, a program of Mon Valley Initiative, which opened in 2018 to address the closure of the last supermarket in Clairton.
It carries fresh produce, dairy, meats and other staples.
The Will Allen Foundation works to provide students from under-resourced neighborhoods with the tools, programs, and opportunities they need to succeed.
Carly Carstens, a program officer at advocacy group Eden Hall, said she is grateful for the “creative and nimble” project to address real-time challenges facing families.
