Did you hear about this hero fourth-grader?

It's Pantry Packs day.

Every Friday, all over the Lake Washington School District, more than eight hundred children will walk into their school counselor's office or open their locker and pick up a non-descript grocery bag filled with nourishing food.

If you donated to our fall campaign, Pantry Packs is one way you're making an impact. If you've given an unrestricted donation, you're also contributing to the steady progress a student makes while working with his Avid tutor, the connections made between a high schooler and his LINKs mentor, and dozens of other programs and grants.

Here, in Impact Update, we'll gather stories and report back to you on the impact you're having, and give you opportunities for more. I hope you enjoy this first issue.

Sincerely,
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Larry Wright, PhD
Executive Director
Lake Washington Schools Foundation

P.S. Reach out to me anytime--I'd love to hear your ideas.

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donor spotlight:

one good kid inspires another.

Local hero Barrett with his "big check" for Pantry Packs from GoFundMe.

Local fourth-grade student Barrett was inspired to act when he heard about another kid’s philanthropy efforts to raise money for children who need hearing aids. He and his mom contemplated how Barrett could give back to his community. Back in September, Barrett’s mom had received an email about LWSF's Pantry Packs campaign, and she told Barrett about it. Barrett said, “I was very surprised that 815 students go hungry each week in the LWSD.” Together, they created the material for a GoFundMe page with a $250 goal--which was surpassed in 3 days!

So far, Barrett's page has raised nearly $1900 dollars in about a month’s time and received an additional $1,000 from GoFundMe when they selected Barrett as one of their Kid Heroes. He was also honored with an award given by his school at Rockwell Elementary. Barrett's mother said this award is given to students “who give their ‘Beagle Best’ by being safe, respectful, responsible, and kind in all aspects of school life.” He’s also participated in a Pantry Packs “packing party.” We asked Barrett about his future plans with helping Pantry Packs and he replied, “My idea for future ways to help Pantry Packs is to donate gift cards for groceries for breaks, especially Winter break!” 

Thank you Barrett for all that you’ve accomplished. You are what makes the world a better place!
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Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to hear these stories as they happen!

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Together, we can zero balance school lunch debt in the lwsd.

We know you care about children. We've seen your generosity before, in campaigns like Pantry Packs and others like it. This one's different. This time, we're asking you to give a little to make sure every family starts the new year with a Zero Balance.
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A fresh start for all students. Isn't that the best gift you can imagine?

Read More...

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register now for local college presentation on January 31, 2018.

Lake Washington Schools Foundation is pleased to partner with Lake Washington Institute of Technology to present the next step in its "Find Your Fit" series. Free and open to all Lake Washington School District families, this presentation and Q&A session (with tours available after) will introduce the array of workforce-ready programs available at this vibrant local college.

Get ready to think outside of the classic college box at this exciting presentation. Sign up today; this event will fill up!

Register for event

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"I'd tell them, hey, we've got 300 LWSD homeless students. They were like, 'Really?'"

Marlene Vacknitz (right) with Colleen Wolfe, volunteer Pantry Packs driver for Redmond Middle School. (Photo by Anne Young with Young Reflections Photography, 2017).

You may have already heard of Pantry Packs by now but what about the volunteers that run it day in, day out? For this story, we chose to interview one of the Pantry Packs Volunteer Leadership Team Members, Marlene Vacknitz, to learn about the roots of Pantry Packs.

When Marlene first began advocating for the Eastside's homeless population, she'd chat with friends and colleagues about her work and was often stunned by the lack of awareness she encountered, even among well-intentioned and compassionate people who are were already working to help youth in the area.

Read more...

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save-the-date FOR OUR ANNUAL BENEFIT LUNCHEON ON MARCh 27, 2018

Mark your calendars for our biggest annual event. The Spring for Learning luncheon invites local philanthropists (that's you!) to engage with like-minded community members and be inspired by remarkable speakers while enjoying a fabulous luncheon at the Marriott Redmond.

This year, we're excited to welcome Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib as our guest speaker.

Email us now to become a Table Captain or Corporate Sponsor!

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