Weekly Media Roundup: March 18, 2020

Despite Closed Doors, Cooperage Continues to Serve, WNEP-TV (Pennsylvania)

The Cooperage Project provides robust afterschool programming to children in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The nonprofit recently had to cancel its afterschool program due to the coronavirus pandemic but, like other afterschool programs across the country, is still finding ways to support children and families. For example, in partnership with the Wayne Highlands School District, the Cooperage Project is offering free lunch to anyone under the age of 18 each weekday while schools are closed. Staff are also brainstorming ways to offer programming online. “We're just here to help in any way that we can, as a nonprofit community hub that can't really hub right now, how can we connect those dots and give the community what they need?” Interim Executive Director Arrah Fisher told WNEP-TV.

Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Raises $100,000 for Communities Affected by COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic, Madison.com (Wisconsin)

Last Friday, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County – which provides preschool and afterschool programs in Wisconsin – set up an online donation drive to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In less than 10 hours, it raised more than $100,000. The Club will work with city and county leaders to distribute the funds, which may go toward meals, medical supplies, transportation, and more for those in need. The Club will also continue to support families with afterschool programing, snacks and meals while closely monitoring safety and closure recommendations. “This is exactly what hope looks like,” Leslie Petty, chair of the board of directors, told Madison.com. “It is us, pulling together in this community to make this happen.”

Coronavirus: Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Announces Centers of Hope Afterschool Program to Continue to Provide Free Meals During School Closures, The Atlanta Voice (Georgia)

The Centers of Hope afterschool program, run by the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, combines education and play to promote healthy lifestyles for children. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recently announced that beginning this week, the program will serve free meals to all students who need them while schools are closed due to coronavirus. “Atlanta’s children must continue to receive the food and proper nutrition they need regardless of current events,” Bottoms told the Atlanta Voice. “In these times, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our residents—especially those who face challenges on a day-to-day basis.”

After-School Programs Urged to Follow Health Officials’ Guidance on Coronavirus, Youth Today

During the coronavirus pandemic, afterschool programs are advised to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as from their local health officials. Several afterschool conferences, including the National Afterschool Association annual conference and the Afterschool for All Challenge, converted to virtual events to avoid exposing participants to contagion.  Advocates are pushing for support for afterschool programs, program staff and the families they serve. “After-school programs are impacted and need to be thought of,” Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant told Youth Today. “If after-school shuts down, kids are not getting fed.”