Canton Families — Every Resource You Need This Summer in One Place
Summer is supposed to feel like freedom.
For a lot of Canton families it feels like pressure instead. School is out which means childcare costs go up, meal programs disappear, and the question of what to do with kids who have nowhere structured to be becomes a daily logistical challenge on top of everything else already on a parent's plate.
At We Can We Shall we believe access to information is itself a form of support. Knowing what is available in your community, who to call, where to go, and what is actually free should not require hours of searching and dead ends. So we did the research and put everything in one place.
This is the We Can We Shall Canton Community Resource Guide. Free summer activities for kids, free meals, housing assistance, utility help, and financial resources — all local, all verified, all available to Canton families right now.
Free Summer Activities and Programs for Kids
One of the most common things We Can We Shall hears from Canton parents is that there is nothing for their kids to do. No program, no camp, no structured activity that does not come with a fee attached. That is not entirely true — but finding the free options requires knowing where to look.
EN-RICH-MENT Arts Education Center at 901 Market Ave N is one of Canton's best kept secrets. Completely free summer programming for ages 5 to 18 covering music, visual arts, dance, theater, media production, cooking, and more. No cost. No income requirement. Just show up and sign your child up.
TomTod Ideas runs 100 percent free summer day camps for students leaving 5th through 8th grade across Stark County. Community based exploration and positive youth development for the age group that is hardest to find programming for. Register at tomtodideas.org.
Canton Parks and Recreation operates multiple recreation centers across the city with free and low cost programming for youth throughout the summer. Sports, educational programming, summer camps, and mentoring available. Call 330-489-3015 or visit cantonohio.gov/parks for current schedules and locations.
The Stark County District Library at 715 Market Ave N offers free programming year round for every age including summer reading programs, STEAM activities, teen events, and free computer access. None of it costs a dollar and it is available to every family in Canton. Visit starklibrary.org for the full summer schedule.
First Friday Canton happens every first Friday of the month in downtown Canton. Free community event with live entertainment, local vendors, and family activities. We Can We Shall will be there every single month this year. cantonfirstfriday.com
Free Food Resources
Food insecurity does not take summers off. These are the resources Canton families can access right now.
Crossroads UMC Fresh Market at 603 Shorb Ave NW offers free fresh produce and groceries Tuesday through Friday from 11AM to 4PM. No questions asked. No paperwork. Just come and get what your family needs. cantoncrossroadsumc.org
The Summer Meals Program for Kids provides free meals for children under 18 at multiple sites across Canton when school is out. This program exists specifically because school meal programs disappear in summer and food insecurity spikes for families who relied on them. Contact Stark County Job and Family Services at 330-452-4661 or visit starkjfs.org for current site locations.
Refuge of Hope at 405 Third Street NE runs an emergency food pantry and provides hot meals for Canton residents in need. 330-453-1785. refugeofhope.org
The Stark County Hunger Task Force operates a network of over 30 food pantries throughout Stark County. Their emergency food pantry at the Goodwill Community Campus at 408 9th St SW is open Monday through Friday 9AM to 1PM. 330-455-6667. starkhunger.org
The Akron Canton Regional Foodbank connects families to food pantries, hot meal sites, and hunger relief programs across the entire region. Their agency map at akroncantonfoodbank.org lets you find the closest location to your address.
Canton Food Not Bombs serves a free vegetarian meal every Saturday at the corner of Walnut Ave and 6th St NE from 4 to 5:30PM through the summer. Toiletries and other essential items also available.
Housing and Shelter Assistance
For families navigating housing instability these are the resources available in Canton right now.
The YWCA Canton Rapid Re-Housing Program at 231 6th St NE provides emergency shelter and rehousing services for individuals and families. 330-453-7644. ywcacanton.org
Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority at 400 E Tuscarawas Street manages affordable housing options for low income families, elderly, and disabled individuals across Stark County. 330-454-8051. starkmha.org
Catholic Charities of Stark County at 832 McKinley Ave NW offers rental assistance, emergency housing support, and utility disconnection prevention for qualifying individuals. 330-491-0896. catholiccharitiesportageandstark.org
The Stark County Homeless Navigation Hotline at 330-452-4363 connects callers to shelters and housing programs for households experiencing homelessness. Available Monday through Friday 7AM to 5:30PM and Saturday 10AM to 2PM.
Utility and Financial Assistance
Summer utility bills spike. Air conditioning is not a luxury when Ohio summers hit. These resources exist to help.
The Stark County Community Action Agency HEAP Program at 1366 Market Ave N provides help with heating and cooling costs, home weatherization, and furnace and hot water tank repair or replacement. The summer cooling component of HEAP specifically helps families with air conditioning costs during extreme heat. 330-454-1676. Emergency HEAP Line 330-617-1055. sccaa.org
Catholic Charities Utility Disconnection Prevention helps qualifying Canton residents prevent utility shutoffs and covers basic material needs. 330-491-0896. catholiccharitiesportageandstark.org
Stark County Job and Family Services at 221 3rd Street SE handles food assistance, cash assistance, Medicaid, Medicare, emergency assistance, and non-emergency medical transportation for eligible residents. 330-452-4661. starkjfs.org
Stark Help Central at starkhelpcentral.com is the most comprehensive online directory of health and human services resources in Stark County. Search by need — food, housing, utilities, employment, mental health, and more. Everything in one searchable database.
And if you are ever unsure where to start — call or text 211. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, connecting Canton residents to the right resource for whatever they are navigating. oh211.org
Why We Built This
We Can We Shall is a youth focused organization. But we have never believed that supporting youth is separate from supporting the families raising them.
A child whose parent is one missed payment away from a utility shutoff is not in a position to thrive. A family that does not know free summer programs exist cannot access them. A parent who is spending their mental energy navigating food insecurity has less bandwidth for everything else their child needs.
Information is support. Access is support. Knowing you are not alone in what you are navigating is support.
This resource guide is our way of showing up for the whole picture. Not just the youth programs. Not just the events. The daily reality of what Canton families are navigating and the resources that exist right now to help.
Share this with every Canton family you know. Save it. Come back to it. And follow We Can We Shall at wecanweshall.org where we will keep updating it as new resources become available.
Because that is what showing up looks like.
We can. We shall.
