We are extremely pleased to publicly thank two companies, Wegmans and Staples, who have generously supported our programs this year.
Wegmans and Phantom Food Packs
The Phoenixville Community Education Foundation funds the Phantom Food Pack program. The Phoenixville Area School District offers this program to eligible Kindergarten and First Grade students providing them with a backpack full of food every Friday to help the family eat through the weekend. Beginning in the fall of 2015, this program will be expanded to students in the 2nd grade. These food packs are offered to free and reduced lunch families in the Kindergarten Center and Barkley, and families that opt in will only receive one pack a week transported by their oldest student in K, 1st or 2nd grade. These backpacks are distributed to approximately 75 students on a weekly basis from October through May. Without these food packs going home every weekend, some of our free and reduced lunch students would go hungry until Monday’s school day.
Wegmans donated $1,000 for this program. It is run by a group of volunteers at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Four other local volunteer groups including another church help pack the food packs every Thursday evening.
JoAnn Mansueto, Wegmans Service Team Leader
Staples Foundation Awards Us a Grant!
We were awarded $1000 by Staples Foundation, the private charitable arm of Staples, Inc., under a program that lets Staples associates direct donations.
“We are so excited to receive this grant from the Staples Foundation,” says Kelly Connors, Executive Director, the Ed Foundation. ” It will help support our Stepping Up Summer Literacy program. Stepping Up is for elementary students who are at risk of losing reading skills over the summer. Trained teachers work with the students to keep up literacy levels in a fun and enjoyable environment”