Barker CSD - Community First: How Barker Schools and United Way Built a Care Closet and a Culture of Support

Barker CSD - Community First: How Barker Schools and United Way Built a Care Closet and a Culture of Support

From Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools by Dr. Brian Graham

March 27, 2026 · 39 min · Season 4 · Episode 20

About this episode

This episode discusses the Care Closet initiative at Barker Schools and the support services available to students and families.

Public schools do far more than teach academics — they often serve as the heartbeat of a community. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jacob Reimer, the Superintendent of Barker CSD and school counselor Allison Finitz as well as Andrea Gray from the United Way to share the story behind Barker’s Care Closet and the broader network of support services now available to students and families. Find us on Twitter @NiagaraErie Or visit our website E-NSSA.org

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Brian Graham

Guests: Dr. Jacob Reimer, Allison Finitz, Andrea Gray

Topics covered

  • community support
  • public schools
  • care closet
  • student services
  • family support

Keywords

  • Barker CSD
  • community support
  • care closet
  • public education
  • United Way
  • student services
  • family assistance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Barker CSD, United Way, E-NSSA.org

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