Sharebacapac Founded to Help Combat Weekend Hunger in Westerville

9/14/2012

Pictured receiving a Proclamation from the City of Westerville are Sharebacapac founders Brandy Wampler (second from left) and Sherry Williamson (center), along with Scott Marier, Executive Director of the Westerville Area Resource Ministry (left); Patti Wilson, Otterbein College (second from right); and Westerville Mayor Kathleen Cocuzzi (right).

Children are going hungry. Not just in far-away places described in news reports, but right here in Westerville. Efforts have been made to provide food for them on weekends when school is not in session, the most recent of which is an organization called Sharebacapac, founded by parent Brandy Wampler and her mother, Westerville resident Sherry Williamson. They have been working with the Otterbein University Center for Community Engagement to help bridge the gap between the days when meals at Westerville City Schools are provided.

Finding students in need, unfortunately, has not been a problem. The program currently provides food bags for 26 children in six schools every Friday. They have requests for 14 more in another school. Their goal is to eventually be able to offer this support to any needy child in the Westerville City School District, but that will take funding.

Elementary Leadership students at Mark Twain Elementary School will be hosting a “Milk Money Challenge” fundraiser to support this program. Classrooms will compete for prizes to see who can bring in the most change between the middle of September to the middle of October. It is hoped that other schools will sponsor fundraisers as well.

Sharebacapac has received grants, generous food donations from Progressive Medical and space in one of Church of the Messiah’s buildings to house the program. Leadership Westerville also pitched in to help by organizing a letter-writing campaign that generated $1,300 for the cause. Their volunteers filled a number of food packs which contained milk, juice, hot and cold cereal, entrees, fruit and snacks.

More information about the Sharebacapac program can be found on the group’s Facebook page, Westerville Sharebacapac, or by e-mailing sharebacapac@yahoo.com.