The Issue: Academic Underperformance and Obesity

Anton Grdina Elementary School, which serves prekindergartners through eighth graders, is currently on academic watch. Of the school’s fifth graders, only 46% are performing at or above the state-mandated math proficiency level, and only 7.7% are performing at or above the reading proficiency level, according to a report from the Ohio Department of Education. Adding to the problem is the issue of childhood obesity: more than one-third of Ohio’s third graders are overweight or obese, according to a report from the Ohio Department of Health.

The Campaign: Providing Meals and Yoga Mats to Students

If 30 people donate $10 to this Grassroots campaign, then HandsOn Northeast Ohio can purchase a healthy dinner for each student as well as 20 yoga mats for its Saturday Service Warriors program at Cleveland’s Garden Valley Neighborhood House, thanks to matching donations from Youth Service America for UnitedHealth Heroes. Donations will be matched up to $200.

Each Saturday morning, volunteers lead fourth and fifth graders from Anton Grdina Elementary School in one-on-one tutoring that focuses on literacy as well as exercise. Following a nutritious breakfast, the students participate in workouts ranging from cardiovascular-intensive routines to yoga and meditation before diving into projects such as newsletter writing and oral presentations. Each additional $10 raised will go toward purchasing snacks of fruit and vegetables for the participating students.

All donations will be matched up to a $200 total by Youth Service America for UnitedHealth Heroes.