GATEway Optimists

Recently Southside Optimist Club of Savannah donated $250.00 to P.A.C.K. (people of action caring for kids) which is located locally on 4 Mall Terrace in Savannah. Southside Club president Wayne Ervin, as seen in the picture, is giving P.A.C.K. coordinator Malena Stone a check for $250.00 to assist in the charity’s continued operation of providing lunch bags of food on weekends to area Savannah schools and their students needing help in their daily lives.
P.A.C.K. began six years ago as a kitchen table project by Malena and Dudley Stone who were concerned that their three young boys were unaware of the needs of the community around them. The Stones, convinced that they needed
to do a better job of serving regularly with the boys, were surprised when they were unable to find a local charity willing to let young children volunteer. They began packing 50 bags of food in their kitchen each week and taking them to a local school for children struggling with weekend hunger. Today P.A.C.K. is a 501 c-3 non-profit organization and had over 5,000 volunteers in 2019 who packed more than 130,000 care bags. It additionally has provided a local store where students with concerns can come in with a parent or caregiver to choose new clothes needed for school and daily
wardrobe. They also have stocked book bags and have a special closet for birthdays or special rewards where a child can select books, clothes, as well as toys.
Mr. Ervin and fellow Optimist Club member Kay Ervin were greatly impressed with the tour provided by Ms. Stone, “which demonstrated how tremendous the P.A.C.K. organization has become with huge support coming from businesses as well as the local Savannah school system.” Many parents and their children have given time and energy as volunteers while assisting others within a five county radius of coastal Georgia. They additionally have encouraged parents or
volunteers to help during the week from 10 to 12 in the morning to bagging lunches and/or organizing clothing packets. “