logo
Mercer County Food Bank to hold ‘Stuff the Truck' in Hermitage

Mercer County Food Bank to hold ‘Stuff the Truck' in Hermitage

Yahoo29-05-2025

HERMITAGE, Pa. (WKBN) – Directors with the Mercer County Food Bank are looking for some help this weekend. They will be holding a 'Stuff-the-Truck' event this Saturday at Donofrio's supermarket in Hermitage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Organizers say they're being forced to rely on local donations to make up for funding cuts that have been coming from the federal government. They're hoping to collect at least 5,000 pounds of non-perishable food items this weekend alone.
'The need has been trending upward here in Mercer County since 2022. Last year, we distributed over 3 million pounds of food. With the cuts we've experienced this year from various channels, we're just trying to keep pace with the need,' said Becky Page, with the Mercer County Food Bank.
According to CBS News, the nearly $1 billion cuts to USDA, which helps to fund food banks, were made to stabilize programs and prioritize proven solutions as well as roll back COVID-era programs.
Organizers of this Saturday's event say they will be holding another food drive on June 7 at the Hermiage Walmart.
Patty Coller contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.
Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.

Yahoo

time14 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.

The Trump administration has declared an end to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people, and health experts have a warning: This is a threat to Black communities. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced the decision on May 27 and said vaccine guidance would now focus solely on adults over 65 and those with high-risk conditions, effective immediately. By June 3, Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos stepped down from her role helping lead the agency's COVID-19 vaccine advisory group, saying she could no longer support decisions that put pregnant people and children at risk. Before the changes took effect, COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for anyone 6 months and older. Kennedy did not offer a scientific rationale for the new recommendations. For Black Americans, the policy shifts are more than bureaucratic changes, according to Oni Blackstock, a physician and founder of Health Justice, a racial and health equity consulting practice. 'These new guidelines don't exist in a vacuum,' she said. 'Limiting booster eligibility risks further compromising the already fragile health status of many Black Americans.' Black Americans are 1.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19 and four times more likely to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Research from the Center for Primary Care at Harvard Medical School found that Black children are more than five times as likely to die from the virus. An estimated 165,000 to 220,000 Black Americans have died from COVID-19, according to data compiled by the APM Research Lab. According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 32% of Black Americans who contracted COVID-19 also experienced long COVID symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited a lack of evidence that annual boosters are needed by healthy, low-risk adults. However, Blackstock, a primary care and HIV physician, said the policy change marks a significant departure from past years when vaccines were broadly recommended and federally funded. 'This contradicts recent CDC data showing that the 2024–2025 boosters benefit people 18 years and older, especially early after vaccination,' she added. Blackstock noted that many Black Americans already struggle with health care access due to systemic barriers like a lack of insurance and residential segregation. 'When these combine with more restrictive vaccine guidelines,' she said, 'it becomes even harder for Black Americans to get boosters and worsens existing health disparities.' These barriers also deepen historic mistrust in health care, said Jerry Abraham, a family and community medicine physician. Abraham, who is director of the CDU-KEDREN Mobile Street Medicine program in Los Angeles, said the history of medical racism and continued treatment disparities fuel skepticism toward public health. Even as boosters offer real benefits, he said, many remain hesitant or disconnected from resources that ensure protection. 'If children and pregnant women are no longer recommended for vaccination, will grandma still go to CVS and get it herself?' he said. Abraham added that in an era where health care professionals can no longer trust the updated guidelines from federal agencies, it's deeply concerning and a reminder that Black communities must once again rely on themselves. For answers about what comes next, read on. Aisha Harris, a family medicine physician in Flint, Michigan, told Capital B that limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adults exposes high-risk groups like seniors and those who are immunocompromised. 'Reduced protection in healthy people increases their risk of being infected by COVID and of being a carrier,' said Harris, who owns the direct primary care clinic Harris Family Medicine. 'When more people are contagious, with or without symptoms, they have a higher chance of infecting others around them, including in their household or those they are taking care of as caregivers.' She warned this undermines community immunity. Without widespread coverage, even eligible groups face elevated risks. FDA officials say the new approach mirrors those taken by Australia and several European nations that limit vaccines to older or high-risk adults. But some critics argue the shift ignores U.S. disparities and bypasses standard CDC procedures. You can pay out of pocket, but it could cost up to $200. If the CDC doesn't recommend vaccines, Abraham said health plans are much less likely to cover them, since insurers typically follow CDC guidance. Yes, COVID-19 vaccines have already undergone extensive clinical trials before being authorized for public use. The FDA says it will require longer clinical trials before approving updated shots for healthy kids and adults, with studies lasting at least six months, likely delaying fall approvals. The CDC's vaccine advisory committee is expected to vote on fall vaccine recommendations in late June, but it's unclear how much influence it will have over the newly announced changes. High-risk conditions for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility generally include chronic kidney disease, chronic lung diseases, asthma, diabetes, immunocompromised states (from cancer treatment, organ transplant, HIV, etc.), heart conditions, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, sickle cell disease, smoking, and stroke or cerebrovascular disease. Yes. Studies show COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, reduces the risk of severe illness and may lower the chances of developing long COVID symptoms after infection. The post Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut. appeared first on Capital B News.

YSU launches new health management degree
YSU launches new health management degree

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

YSU launches new health management degree

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Youngstown State University is launching a new, fully online Associate of Science in Health Information Management (HIM) degree. The first class will start this fall through the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services and is designed to meet the rising demand for skilled professionals. According to National Labor Data, the field is projected to grow by 8% through 2029. The curriculum will include preparation for varying certifications and a practicum experience. 'This program was developed with a clear purpose: to prepare students for the future of healthcare,' said Sara Michaliszyn, dean of the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services, in a news release. 'We're combining flexible online learning with certification preparation, applied learning and career-aligned pathways. It's a comprehensive approach to supporting the next generation of health information professionals.' Applications are now open for the fall class. For more information on the program and how to apply, visit the HIM program page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

What UK's Strategic Defense Review means for Ukraine
What UK's Strategic Defense Review means for Ukraine

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

What UK's Strategic Defense Review means for Ukraine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on June 2 that the United Kingdom is moving to "warfighting readiness," in large part in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the threat Russia poses to Europe. He made the comment as his government unveiled its latest Strategic Defense Review, which U.K. General Richard Barrons, one of the review's authors, described as the "most profound" change in U.K. defense in 150 years. The review sets out ambitious new targets, including at least 12 new attack submarines, fleets of drones and autonomous vehicles, as well as 7,000 new long-range weapons. Yet it also comes with urgent warnings. The review reveals that the U.K.'s Armed Forces are currently unprepared to fight adversaries such as Russia or China, nor could they conduct high-intensity warfare in a war like that in Ukraine. Insufficient munition stockpiles, low troop numbers, and ageing equipment are just a few of the weaknesses underpinning its assessment. "The speed of development in Ukraine is so far ahead of what countries like the U.K. is capable of." But as well as committing to bolstering its own defense capabilities, the U.K. must also manage the commitments already made to Kyiv, which it has vowed to support with a "100-year partnership." The U.K. has been one of Kyiv's closest supporters since the start of the full-scale invasion, and the review reiterates long-term support for Ukraine, committing 3 billion pounds ($4.06 billion) annually in military aid. "The bottom line is that all of this is about defending the U.K. after the conflict moves on from Ukraine primarily," Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, a U.K.-based think tank, told the Kyiv Independent. "Whether it's positive, negative, or catastrophic, either way, that's when the U.K. and its allies need to be ready for Russia's next move." The U.K. wants to create a more flexible procurement process, as demonstrated by that developed by Ukraine throughout the full-scale invasion, a dynamic it says would be vital should the U.K. deploy troops in support of a ceasefire. The review urges deeper defense industrial collaboration, including joint ventures and helping Ukraine access global markets, as well as rebuilding and sustaining its defense sector. This could include helping Ukraine service Soviet-era equipment still used abroad. The U.K. also aims to learn from Ukraine's experience in modern warfare, particularly in land combat, drones, and hybrid threats. However, the review highlights challenges — U.K. stockpiles of weapons such as Storm Shadow long-range missiles have been depleted through its support to Ukraine, and years of underinvestment have weakened domestic defense capacity. The U.K. has announced that it will build six new munition factories. This indicates a significant attempt to address one of the key criticisms of European defense, which is its lack of industrial base and reliance on U.S. support. While U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey has said that "we should expect to see new factories opening very soon," it is not clear how quickly this will translate into meaningful battlefield assistance for Ukraine's Armed Forces. "The speed of development in Ukraine is so far ahead of what countries like the U.K. are capable of, the best-case outcome for Ukraine would just be sending the money there to build stuff," Giles said. When asked how Ukraine could be best supported outside of the recommendations in the review, Giles said the "maximum support" should be given to Ukraine, without the hesitancy about doing damage to Russia." We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store