Members of the Ohio County Schools Communities In Schools team gather to exchange information and talk about their experiences on the job. Pictured from left, in front, are Marleah Donahue, CIS site director at Elm Grove Elementary School, and Unique Robinson, Wheeling Park High School. In back are C.J. Besece, WPHS, Abby Pownall, Bridge Street Middle School, Kristen Paynter, Woodsdale Elementary School, Heather Weekley, Warwood Elementary School, Jessica Stradwick, Madison Elementary School and Mike McLeod, Wheeling Middle School. Not pictured is Brooke Barton, CIS liaison at Ritchie Elementary School.

WHEELING — Communities In Schools (CIS) workers in Ohio County School do whatever they have to do to keep at-risk students in the classroom – even if it means providing them food and clothing, or driving to their home to transport them.

“We all focus on attendance.That is our main goal,” said Unique Murphy, CIS site director at Wheeling Park High School. “Essentially, we address any barriers presented to us by our students or their families in order to get them to come to school daily.”

She noted at the high school level there are youths who are homeless.

“They turn 18, get kicked out of their homes and we have to help find permanent residency for them,” Murphy explained. “We work with the housing authority in Hil-Dar and DHHR (Department of Human Resources) to get them signed up for resources like HUD and medical cards.

“Then we work with (government officials) to help them get their birth certificates – either because their parents have lost them or they won’t give them to the kids.”

She noted many of the students are just “not having their basic needs met,” as they lack proper food, clothing and hygiene.

“We do a lot not just to get it for them, but to teach them so they understand that they need pads and tampons – that they need to shower and they need to use hygiene products,” she said.

Sometimes this leads to home visits by the CIS site director, and witnessing the home may not have running water or electricity, Murphy continued.

“I do a lot more home visits just to make sure everyone has what they need – dropping off food, taking clothes and underwear,” she said. “I am trying to provide support to them in any way. If their needs are not met at home, then they can come to school.”

Heather Weekly, site director at Warwood Elementary, explained that at her school she serves as “the caring adult.”

“I’m someone who says, ‘You weren’t in school yesterday. I missed you.’ Or, ‘I’m glad you’re here today.'” she said. “I’ll check in with the kids, whether they are on my case list or not, and just make myself present.”

Weekly also makes it a priority to make certain the students have food at home. She seeks donations from local businesses – and especially focuses on those food items that can be stored and that the youths can serve themselves without help from anyone.

Marleah Donahue serves as CIS site director at Elm Grove Elementary. She noted about 20 students are helped out each school day morning when they are welcomed inside the Exley Center for breakfast.

“Numbers show in black and white that school attendance is up for kids in the program,” she added.

“My focus has been family engagement this year – just because we know a child’s education is important to a parent. Often, there are barriers that keep them from doing what they need to do, or going where they need to get. We help in those areas that often impede education.”

Abby Pownall, CIS site director at Bridge Street Middle School, said she schedules a meeting with a small group of girls at the school each week to talk about their lives.

“We find out what they want to do and I use it as a relationship builder,” she explained. “Some of these girls struggle with attendance.”

“We started scrapbooking and these girls were able to connect and found they had more in common than they realized. In turn, by building these relationships, they felt comfortable to come to me and say, ‘We might need extra food this month. Can you help with that?’ I think if I wasn’t meeting with them in a small group relationship, they may not have come to anyone at the school for that help.”

Kristen Paynter, who works with students at Woodsdale Elementary, serves as the chief CIS site director for Ohio County Schools.

She noted that organizations such as the Wheeling Park Commission often help students by providing incentives to help assure their school attendance. These can come in the form of park passes or coupons.

Other local businesses who often get involved are McDonalds, Ziegenfelders, Walmart and Kalkreuth Roofing, according to Paynter and the other site directors.

Mike McLeod, CIS site director at Wheeling Middle School, noted it “takes a village” to assist some youths in Ohio County Schools and keep them in school.

He added the CIS site coordinators themselves often make sacrifices on a personal level to make certain the students have what they need to thrive.

“They have families and their own kids,” he said of the site coordinators. “Right before Christmas they were gathering gifts. They’re getting food and they’re picking up kids who aren’t their kids. I’m sure there are situations where this takes away from the time they spend with their own family.”

“Still they make that sacrifice, and they do it without a pat on the back. It’s not easy to make those sacrifices when you have your own children and they miss out.” he added.