Crawford county has many resources families and individuals can use.All supplemental programs serving meals to children have received extra funding through August 31 due to the Corona pandemic.Check with each site to confirm current days and times.
1 Meadville Downtown YMCA (356 Chestnut St Meadville)Hosts the Free Dinner Program! It's open to all kids 18 years old and younger and meals are served every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Downtown Y beginning at 5:30PM! Check the website for each day's menu.No sign up is required and parents do not have to have their kids with them when picking up food. At this point, meals will be offered through the end of August.
2 Conneut Area Senior High School (CASH) is partnering with the Linesville United Methodist Church and NW Tri-County Intermediate Unit to offer meals to children under the age of 18. They can be picked up on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 - 7 pm at CASH. Meal paks contain breakfast and lunch foods and are made to cover multiple days. Tuesday evening paks have food for Wednesday and Thursday, and Thursday night paks have food for Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Families do not have to be residents of the school district to join the program, but registration through the Conneut Valley School District's FaceBook page is required. Meal pickup is around the rear of the CASH building and runs through August 13.
3 Crawford Central School District hosts their meals through August 31. Food is for kids under 18, but participants don't have to be in the district. Effective June 8th though August 31, 2020
SCHOOL MEALS AVAILABLE
at
Meadville Area Senior High School
Second District Elementary School
Cochranton Elementary School
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM MONDAY – WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY
Follow Signs to Pick Up Point
Meals served via MOBILE DISTRIBUTION on the following schedule:
11:00 am 5th Ward – Bethany United Methodist Church – 140 Wadsworth Avenue. Meals will be served until gone.
11:30-11:50 First District Elementary School, (follow drop-off traffic pattern)
12:00-12:20 East End Elementary School, Lafayette street lot
12:30-12:50 Forest Green Apartments, Forest Green Drive (off Arthur Street)
** Mobile distribution schedule subject to change. Visit www.craw.org for updates
4 The Center for Family Services, Inc. operates seven food pantries to serve Crawford County residents. The Pantries are funded through the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
Program Guidelines
- Households must utilize the food pantry designated for their zip code area, unless an arrangement is made with a CFS staff member.
- The Center Food Pantries provide one supplemental food box per month per household.
- Supplemental Food box eligibility is determined on a self declaration of need based on the current 150% of Poverty guidelines.
- Additional Emergency Food Boxes are distributed on a case by case basis.
- Contact a Food Pantry here to receive eligibility.
5 The Meadville Soup Kitchen, 956 S Main St, Meadville can be reached at (814) 337-1233. Doors open at 11:15 am and guests are asked to wear a mask to enter. Covid guidelines are in place and the serving line is open until 12:30.
6 Titusville's Saint James Soup Kitchen offers a free home-style meal to the public on Tuesdays, serving from noon to 1:00 p.m. Their location is 112 East Main Street. Usually, all are welcome to attend and share in the food and fellowship. Many people arrive early in the morning to have coffee with their friends. Four thousand nine hundred seventy (4,970) meals were served in 2019. The menu is posted in the Titusville Herald, with holiday scheduling and occasional snow days being the only things that close Soup Kitchen. Because of Covid events, they will not have a hot meal served through the Soup Kitchen as long as the Sunday services are curtailed. Instead, they will offer take out bags of groceries every Tuesday rather than the current bi-monthly schedule. Times for food bag distribution will be between the hours of 11 AM-1 PM. If you are currently enrolled in the food bag program at the site and your last name begins with the letter A-M you can pick up your bag between 11 AM-12 Noon. If your last name begins with the letter N-Z you can pick up your bag between 12 Noon-1. For more information, or to reserve a bag, Phone: 814-827-3590 Email: stjameschurch@zoominternet.net.
7 FOOD FOR THOUGHT is continuing its drive through food bag distributions on Wednesdays at two locations, the St. Hippolytes Church on state Route 27 in Frenchtown and Chelby's Hair Garage in Townville. Both sites operate 4:30 - 6:30pm. If you are unable to take advantage of the giveaway yet still have a need, you can email hzurasky123@gmail.com or call Harry Zurasky at 814-671-8310. No questions are asked to participate in the program, and volunteers and donations are appreciated.
8 SECOND HARVEST of ERIE conducts mobile giveaways for qualified families in Centerville and Meadville. Call Second Harvest for details: 814-459-3663.
These many programs have one common goal; to offer help to anyone in need. I want to stress that many of these programs are open to ANYONE. Some have a self declaration of need based on the current 150% of Poverty guidelines. That means a family of four can have yearly income of $39,300 and be eligible to receive this valuable support.
