Three Sarah Bush Lincoln employees are doing their best to make sure that kids are getting enough to eat over the weekends during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stephanie Logan, Melissa Smith and Libby Ard are three of eight Oakland moms who formed Moms with a Mission in 2015 to help children who are less fortunate. Since the women became friends while attending their children’s sporting events, their first project was to assist kids with sports fees and purchasing shoes or equipment. The group also hosted fundraisers for children suffering from various medical issues.
In 2016, the group gladly stepped up to take over the Power Pak program to make sure that kids in the Oakland School District were getting enough to eat on the weekends when its founder was battling cancer. “Program Founder Pam Hudson asked Moms on a Mission if we would take over her program and we agreed without hesitation. We were honored that she trusted us with her pride and joy,” Stephanie said.
Moms on a Mission has been gathering food, packing bags and sending it home with kids every week ever since. “The school nurse gives us the number of students that need a bag each week and we assemble the bags and take them to school,” she said. The bags are then discreetly placed in each child’s backpack.
While the group is grateful that the schools are continuing to provide breakfast and lunch for these children on week days during the pandemic, “we knew that there might be a higher need for our services so we offered to send extra food home with kids for the weekends in each of our three-school sports co-op,” Stephanie said.
Moms on a Mission are now taking care of 10 children who attend Shiloh schools while continuing to send home extra food bags for 14 kids in the Oakland School District. “We always provide six to seven items a week including two proteins, a drink, breakfast, snack and fruit,” Stephanie said.
“Our community has been very generous with food and monetary donations. We would not be able to continue the program without their help and we are very grateful.”