A work-study program at Berkshire Local Schools in Geauga County has expanded.
When News 5 last visited in March of 2023, the director of the program told us how 40% of peers with disabilities are unemployed but looking for employment. It is why the work they do is so meaningful.
Dani Taraba is a senior at Berkshire High School and loves cheering on the Badgers.
"My favorite Berkshire cheer is, 'We are the best,'" she said in her cheerleading outfit. "When you call out the best, we clap here."
Dani is also part of a team effort to help tackle food insecurity in her community.
"We saw a need for students from their lunchtime on Friday to breakfast time on Monday, the 68 hours of hunger," said Ashley Brzozowski, a special education supervisor at Berkshire Local Schools.
Brzozowski started the Badger Lab Vocational Program at Berkshire a few years ago for students of all abilities to teach them hard and soft skills for workforce success.
I visited in March 2023 to see how they partnered with local employers, like Great Lakes Growers, to help students learn and earn.
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I went back this school year to see how it's expanded.
"Since then, I've had to take a supervisory position of my program," said Brzozowski. "Hire more staff. We got more students. Students from other school districts come to our program, and we've gained about five new employers."
They also now partner with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
Ashley wanted to end those 68 hours of hunger for all students in the district while also providing another learning opportunity for the Badger Lab students. So, she reached out to the food bank for guidance on how to start a program to address the need and was surprised by their response.
"They jumped on it," she said.
Berkshire is now one of about 100 sites the food bank serves through its free Backpack for Kids program across its six-county region.
"We're on target to distribute a little more than 170,000 backpacks this year, and hopefully reaching a little more than 10,000," said Jessica Morgan, chief programs officer for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
The food bank delivers cases of food every week that Badger Lab students like Robby, Emma, and Dani, who were the day News 5 visited- sort, bag, and then discreetly deliver to make sure everyone has enough food over the weekend.
Berkshire Local Schools wanted a way to say "Thank you" to the food bank.
So, to pay it forward, some students visit Cleveland every week and volunteer at the food bank.
On the day we visited, Badger Lab students Deanna and Dani were helping pack meals for the elderly.
"We rely on volunteers to do what we do," said Morgan.
The food bank relies on private donations to fund the backpack program, free of charge, which right now has a waitlist.
"We cannot run this program without strong community support," said Morgan.
Morgan said about 10% of the kids who live in Geauga County are food insecure.
She said there's often a misconception about food insecurity that there isn't a need if you're working.
"We know that a lot of families who are struggling are working, but maybe in low-paying jobs, and so having strong programming that we can offer in partnerships with a number of organizations is just really critical," she said.
So, too, is the experience the Badger Lab students are getting, helping create a brighter future for not only their peers but themselves, too.
Dani will attend Clemson next year, where she hopes to keep cheering and build on the success she's experienced at Berkshire.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has a help center. You can call 216-738-2067 if you're struggling, need to ask a question, or aren't sure where to go for help. The help center is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
