Community serves 200,000 meals to East Liverpool students

EAST LIVERPOOL -- For this holiday season, volunteers hit a landmark accomplishment.

Not only have they distributed close to 200,000 meals to East Liverpool students since classroom doors were shuttered in 2020 due to the pandemic, members of the school district staff and the community donated almost $7,000 through the effort of city Councilman Jeff Kreefer and his project to provide gift cards, hams and turkeys to families in need within the district.

Kreefer, a retired city firefighter who represents the city's Third Ward on council, explained that the city has been extremely good to him, so he believed this pandemic was the time to give back. He noted how the tremendous need has only increased since his friends donated $2,200 in grocery gift cards earlier this year as the pandemic has continued through this holiday season.

East Liverpool Superintendent Jonathan Ludwig and his team were assigned the task earlier this year of distributing those grocery gift cards, and they donned their elf hats once again on Friday to give out 232 hams and turkeys to families during the weekly Potter Brunch Bag service, which has continued since the district once again went virtual.

Kreefer said his council colleague, Fred Rayl of Rayl's Market, provided 70 percent of the product, which also included some spiral hams, at cost, and his wife filled in the gaps through trips to both Sam's Club in Boardman and Robinson Township, Pa. Families came that Friday prepared to tote home their student's meals for 14 days (which amounted to around 21,000), and many of them also received either a ham or turkey.

In addition to his council colleagues (and their spouses), Kreefer offered thanks to the following: Tom and Judy Andrix, Bob and Robin Bosco, Greg and Katie Bricker, Antony and Kelly Cuomo, Dawson Funeral Home, David and Jennifer Edgell, Robin Gallagher, Mark Hissom and Barb Learn, Holy Trinity Parish, William and Mary Beth Jones, Michael and Cindy Kreefer, Scott and Courtney Kreefer, Sean and Sarah Kreefer, Jeff and Helen Martin, James Miller, Mark and Cathy Neville, Dan and Lisa Palmer, Jesse and Shawnee Retort, Jim and Joyce Sabatini, Second Baptist Church, and Robert and Janie Smith.