Sponsors, Partners, Supporters, and Volunteers
I wanted to update you on the PCS/ Snack Pak relationship. As of Monday May 14th, Phyllis Cook has resigned from PCS as the executive director. Unfortunately Michelle and Maggie have been laid off by the PCS board and no longer have a formal role with the program. My hope is they will continue to volunteer with our program, but ultimately they will need to do what is best for them and their family. I am deeply saddened and surprised by this news and know they were a great resource for our program. The staff responsible for processing the donations and finances were not affected by these changes.
So what does this mean for Snack Pak 4 Kids? When we started this partnership 19 months ago our total focus was to feed kids. That focus has not changed. In fact without this partnership we would not be able to feed 2700 kids in 9 school districts with many more planned for next Fall. What has changed is the ability for PCS to provide the staff and support for daily operations of the program for the near future. What are our plans to deal with this change?
First, we are preparing to pack and prep bags on May 22nd so we can finish the year. We will need help delivering totes to the schools on May 23rd and May 30th. We are also making plans to implement 2 or 3 pilot summer feeding programs after school is out. We will need assistance with this effort also. Our primary focus has not changed, we are feeding kids. 100% of all money that has been donated will continue to buy food only. I will pay all the expenses out of my pocket that are not food related until we can get this partnership issue resolved. I met with the Amarillo Area Foundation three weeks ago and they have suggested other 501c3 organizations we may want to consider as a partner if the PCS partnership is unable to continue.
I am sure this has created more questions than answers and I am available by phone or email to address any of your concerns or ideas. The last thing we would want is the kids to go without because of unanswered questions or concerns. We have made too much progress ending weekend hunger in the Texas Panhandle to let this stop our progress.
Since we launched our website in October we have published our financials monthly for everyone to see. Click on our April financials to see our latest information.
Thank you
Dyron Howell, Founder Snack Pak 4 Kids
806-342-6190 or dyron@snackpak4kids.org
A peanut butter and Pop Tart drive will be held on Tues. Jan 31, during the Tulia vs.Abernathy basketball games. Admission will be free for anyone bringing a jar (13-18 oz) of peanut butter or an 8-pak or larger box of Pop Tarts. The items collected will be donated to the Snack Pak 4 Kids/Tulia weekend food program.