York staff provides lunch and other support to community after storm causes school closure

The power outage may have canceled classes, but didn’t stop York Elementary from finding a way to meet their students’ needs.

With classes canceled on April 30 due to a widespread outage after a severe storm, York Elementary School staff members took it upon themselves to find ways to serve their community.

“It began around 8 a.m. this morning in York’s group chat,” said York principal Shondra Fetter. “With many of our families currently without power, we wanted to find meaningful ways to support our community. We started by brainstorming how we could best meet their immediate needs, primarily food and assistance with home cleanup.”

York then reached out to community partners Wesley United Methodist Church, Steinmetz Insurance and Financial and Emmaus Church for support. Thanks to their generosity, and donations from York staff, they were able to purchase hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly, snacks and bottled water.

Staff members brought grills from home, set up an assembly line and served hot meals outside the school to York families. Other staff members brought chainsaws and lawn equipment to assist families in the area with clearing driveways and removing debris. 

“At York, we believe in supporting the whole child, which includes meeting even the most basic needs,” said Fetter. “It’s important to us that our families know they are never alone during difficult times. We are here for them, always ready to offer support or resources in any way we can.”

Many York staff members who themselves were without power and experienced storm damage showed up to the school to offer support.

“I am continually inspired by the compassion and dedication of our staff,” said Fetter. “This is truly the most caring team I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.”