During this extended school closure due to the Coronavirus, we are thankful for the great members of our community who continue to show how much they care for our children and our city. We appreciate your patience as this process evolves with new information coming in daily.
We will continue to adapt, put our children first, and focus on everyone’s health and safety.
What is Collaborate and Care for Cincinnati?
Collaborate and Care for Cincinnati is our way of empowering the community to support the efforts of CPS’ Student Dining Services team as they ensure students can continue to receive nutritious, healthy meals during this mandatory, state-ordered school closure.
Student Dining Services is distributing to-go meals at 24 school sites around the city on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while our students are out of school. We have School Support Teams who are volunteering and co-locating with Student Dining Services at the meal-distribution sites to provide additional items and supplies to support families.
Who are the School Support Teams?
CPS’ Student Dining Services manages the to-go meal distributions at the 24 school sites. School representatives, Resource Coordinators and community groups are partnering to set up tables at the sites stocked with additional supplies — such as hygiene kits, educational items, additional food — to provide more support to families. We are finalizing our point of contact at each site and will share on the CPS website and our social media channels.
Can we show up at a school site to volunteer and help?
At this time, we do not need volunteers to help at the school sites. We are limiting the number of people at each site to ensure that we comply with new health guidelines designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Please do not come to the meal distribution sites asking to volunteer.
If you are a restaurant or community group that can set up on your own at a meal-distribution school site, please contact the School Support Teams to coordinate.
What can we do to support families in need?
Thank you for your interest in supporting families in our communities. You may donate money or items listed below, assist in collecting donations, or reach out to the School Support Teams if you want to impact a certain community or school site.
To donate money, please write a check made out to Cincinnati Public Schools, and add “School Site Support” in the memo line. Donated money will be used to purchase items listed below and additional food, if needed.
Contact Asia Bradford, School Community Coordinator with CPS’ Athletic Department, to coordinate collection of donated goods, or mail a check to:
Cincinnati Public Schools
Attn: Collaborate & Care
P.O Box 5381
Cincinnati, OH 45201-5381
What donated items are most needed?
Items should be new and unopened, please, for sanitation reasons:
- Hygiene/toiletry kits
- Educational or fun activity kits — books, stickers, coloring pages, crayons, colored pencils, etc.
- Food items — non-perishable food, canned goods
When and where can we drop off donated items?
To volunteer or to make arrangements to drop off donated items, please email Ricky Miller.
When and where can our families go to receive meals and additional support?
While schools are closed, CPS is providing free to-go meals to all children age 18 and under on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 11a.m. and 1 p.m. at 24 schools serving as meal distribution sites.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, each child receives two breakfasts and two lunches (four meals).
On Fridays, each child receives one breakfast and one lunch (two meals).