Program helps needy children in Scioto County

Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District Director Dan Palmer announced that he received two recent donations for his Operation GRACE program in Scioto County.

On Friday, Elli Schwartz and Hanna Piscalko, students from The Ohio State University College of Public Health, along with Deborah Jones, also from the university, delivered clothing for 63 children, which included pants, tops, socks, underwear and winter coats.

“Ohio State University students did this last year, and again this year. We weren’t able to get them down before Christmas, but we’re calling this Christmas after Christamas,” Palmer said. “The kids who will be helped out by this are from (Scioto County Juvenile Court)  Judge Alan Lemmon’s court, and a lot of them probably weren’t able to have Christmas, so this really helps.”

In addition to the OSU donation, Michael Holtz, president of MPH Hotels, which owns the Ironton Holiday Inn, recently made a generous donation of $5,000 to the program.

Palmer said that Melissa Butterworth, regional sales director, and Regina Chaffin, general manager of the Ironton Holiday Inn, were instrumental in receiving this donation.

Operation GRACE provides necessary items, such as clothing and hygiene products, for children in Scioto County who are affected by drugs in their families, and may not otherwise have access to these items.

GRACE stands for Giving Relief to Area Children for Enrichment.