There’s a lot going on at Mission Amarillo! First, we would like to announce that our annual spring fundraiser, FamFest will be Saturday, May 18 at Sam Houston Park. There will be around 30 vendors, food trucks, carnival games, and silent auction. It’s always a great time for the entire family and a great way to help us do what we do. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, May 18! We will be taking sponsorships for our Event Sponsors starting March 4.
Also, we are continuing to raise funds for our Be-Loved House project. We are making progress towards our goal and hope to begin renovations in the coming months. Residents at Be-Loved House will receive training in various life skills like using a bank, avoiding payday loans and rent to own, learning how to live on a budget, and how to build a credit rating. Ladies can stay in Be-Loved House for up to 2 years. Only 3 months of that will be training and the rest of their time there will be spent putting these lessons into practice. Once their 2 years are over, we will match any money they’ve saved in a savings account up to $2,000. Our goal for all our moms in Be-Loved House is that they will be able to live without the limitations of government assistance when they leave. If you’d like to donate towards renovations, follow this link. https://www.missionamarillo.org/be-loved-house
Last of all, our shoe deliveries are continuing to grow at an unprecedented rate. In past years, we typically deliver around 40-50 shoes a month in January and February. This year has been very different. In January, we gave away 120 pairs of shoes and so far in February we have given away 119 pairs! This unexpected demand has lowered our shoe inventory to far lower levels than we have ever experienced this time of year. As of this writing, we currently have 20 sizes with 10 or less in stock, several with fewer than 7. It doesn’t take long for these inventory numbers to drop to zero. If you would like to collect shoes for us, please follow this link and we will contact you with all the details! https://www.missionamarillo.org/forms/shoe-request
Thank you for supporting Mission Amarillo and for helping us love our neighbor and equip them for life!
NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE
National Day of Silence in April each year is a student-led movement to protest bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and those who support them. The Day of Silence brings awareness and illustrates to the schools and the colleges how intimidation, name-calling, and general bullying have a silencing effect. Participating students take a day-long vow of silence.
NATIONAL ONLY CHILD DAY
On April 12th, National Only Child Day celebrates the individual child, the siblingless, the one and onlies. You know who you are. There are more of you these days than in decades before
WALMART AND SAM’S CLUB FIGHT HUNGER. SPARK CHANGE. CAMPAIGN RETURNS TO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE TO HELP PEOPLE FACING HUNGER
Taking place in stores and online, the 11th annual campaign supports local hunger relief efforts
AMARILLO, Texas, April 1, 2024 — Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, and in every community in America, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. Yet in 2022, 44 million people— 1 in 7 individuals —faced food insecurity in the U.S.
Those are the highest numbers in a decade, underscoring the need for more charitable food assistance in the Texas Panhandle and beyond.
Now, for the 11th straight year, all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs are launching the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign, with the goal of providing people facing hunger with access to the food and resources they say they need to thrive. Since its inception in 2014, the campaign has generated over $186 million and helped secure nearly 1.9 billion meals* for the Feeding America® network of local food banks.
“The Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign comes at a crucial time, when 1 in 8 of our neighbors are struggling across the Panhandle,” said Zack Wilson, executive director for High Plains Food Bank. “This, coupled with the many natural disasters we have experienced over the past eight months, has led to a tremendous need.”
The campaign will run in stores and online from April 1-April 29, with three ways for shoppers to participate:
– By donating at check-out registers in stores or clubs or rounding up purchases made at Walmart.com and within the Walmart app.
– By purchasing participating products in-store or online at Walmart.com or SamsClub.com. For every purchase of a participating product, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America partner food bank at Walmart and five meals ($0.50) at Sam’s Club, up to applicable limits. See specially marked packages for full details.
– By donating at Feeding America’s Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign donation site at either www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.
“Serving communities and expanding access to affordable, healthy food lies at the heart of Walmart and Sam’s Club’s purpose to help people live better,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer at Walmart and president of the Walmart Foundation. “Our annual Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign is a way to invite our customers, members, and suppliers to fight hunger alongside us. The funds raised through this campaign go toward local Feeding America food banks, meaning we can all make a difference in our own neighborhoods.”
The 20 participating suppliers for Walmart include: Bush Brothers & Company; CELSIUS® Essential Energy Drink; The Coca-Cola Company; Conagra Brands; Dole Packaged Foods; Ferrara; Ferrero; General Mills; Hain Celestial; Hershey Salty Snacks; Hidden Valley Ranch; Kellanova; W.K. Kellogg Company; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kodiak; Kraft Heinz; Monster Energy; Pepsi-Cola Advertising & Marketing, Inc.; Red Bull North America; Unilever
The eight participating suppliers for Sam’s Club include: General Mills; W.K. Kellogg Company; Kraft Heinz; Nestlé; Nissin; Nongshim; Palmetto Gourmet Foods, A Borealis Foods Company; and Unilever.
For more information or to donate, visit www.FeedingAmerica.org/Walmart or www.FeedingAmerica.org/SamsClub.
*Currently, $1 helps provide at least ten meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local partner food banks. Locally High Plains Food Bank can provide 9 meals with every $1 donated.
# # #
About High Plains Food Bank
Since 1982, High Plains Food Bank has strived to alleviate hunger in the Texas Panhandle. Currently, 1 in 8 neighbors, including 1 in 6 kids, experiences food insecurity. HPFB and more than 140 partner food pantries and meal programs provide access to healthy food, education, and other resources across 29 counties to help neighbors establish food security, improve their health, and thrive. In 2023, HPFB distributed 7.8 million pounds of food through the network. In addition to providing increased vitality, food banking decreases waste by distributing food that would otherwise go uneaten to people who need it.
*High Plains Food Bank is an equal opportunity provider.
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of
people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries, and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security, and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living, and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Approximately 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and clubs each week under 46 banners in 24 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunities. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting https://corporate.walmart.com, Facebook at https://facebook.com/walmart, and Twitter at https://twitter.com/walmart.
Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club®, a division of Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings, and services to millions of members in nearly 600 U.S. clubs, including Puerto Rico. Now in its 39th year, Sam’s Club continues to redefine warehouse shopping with its highly curated assortment of high-quality fresh food and Member’s Mark items and market-leading technologies and services like Scan & Go™, Curbside Pickup and home delivery service in select markets. To learn more about Sam’s Club, visit the Sam’s Club Newsroom, shop at samsclub.com, and interact with Sam’s Club on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you so much for your continued support.
Z
Zivorad Filipovic | Director of Marketing and Communications
806.374.8562 main
806.350.1427 direct
806.477.0168 mobile
1910 SE 8th Ave., Amarillo, TX 79102
Panhandle Eye Group is bringing Mission Cataract back this year!
The goal of Mission Cataract is to eradicate blindness due to cataracts in our community and bring as many people as possible from blindness to useful productive lives. We want to make sure every vision impaired person in Amarillo and the surrounding areas without insurance or financial resources learns about this remarkable program.
To qualify for this free community service, applicants must have: poor vision, due to cataracts uncorrectable with glasses, which interferes with activities of daily living, no Medicare, Medicaid, or third-party insurance coverage, and no other means to pay for cataract surgery. Free cataract screening will take place on Saturday, June 15th.
To receive an application package, email Janet Tarr, Executive Assistant, at janet.tarr@paneye.com or call 806-331-4444.
Janet Tarr, CAP
Executive Assistant
Panhandle Eye Group, LLP
7400 Fleming Ave.
Amarillo, TX 79106
806-331-4444 Business
806-356-0014 Fax
American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum: Take in “Ranching Remudas,” on view through July 27. (2601 E. Interstate 40; 806-376-5181)
CANYON, Texas — More than 50 West Texas A&M University alumni are featured in a new art exhibition opening April 1.
WT’s first art program alumni exhibition will hang through April 27 in the Dord Fitz Formal Gallery inside Mary Moody Northen Hall. An opening reception will run from 5 to 7 p.m. April 4.
The art program received nearly 170 submissions from 75 artists. Guest juror Deana Craighead, curator of art at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, selected 53 works to hang in the show—one each per artist chosen.
Three alumni will receive cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500, to be announced at the opening reception.
“We are incredibly proud of these alumni, who represent graduates from the 1970s to just last year,” said Jon Revett, art program director and Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts.
“The art program has been part of WT’s identity since its establishment in the 1910s, when none other than Georgia O’Keeffe served as its leader,” said Dr. Amy Von Lintel, professor of art history. “Our exhibition will demonstrate that the legacy of quality art education begun by O’Keeffe continues on the campus to this day.”
Craighead said she was impressed with the quality of the entries and wanted to include as many artists as possible in the show.
“In choosing works for the exhibition, it was important to illustrate the rich history and depth of the art program and the quality of graduates that have continued to make art, both professionally or as a hobby,” Craighead said.
Selected artists include Dárē Akinwole, Dick Archer, Mariah Aytch, Adrian Ballesteros, Amanda Barnett, Kendra Barth, Jacob Bautista, Stephanie Boyd, Jarys Boyd, Tiahna-Dawn Brecheisen, Brittany Busch, Ann Callen, Kayla Cantu, Sawyer Crane, Blake Cripps, Loc Dao, Renea Dauntes, Ana Davila, Elba Duron, Sage Edsall, Emory Elliott, Amanda Fitzgerald, John Flatt, Helené Gagneux, Arash Ghahari Kermani, Victor Granadoz, Mandy Gregory, Evarista Herrera, Brent Hilliard, Kegan Hollis, Ixchel Houseal, Joshua Jinkens, Ruthie Landelius, Miguel Lares, William Lebeda, Brooke Locke, Delores Maldonado, Mark Martin, Joey Martinez, Chasely Matmanivong, Michael Merriman, Megan Moore, Patrick Ponce, Justin Rogers, Benjamin Selby, Brian Singleton, Sara Spaulding, Clayton Spaulding, Julia Strait, Aaron Taylor, Marcia Tippit, Phuc “May” Truong, Rayan Turner, Slayden Watson, Barbara Williams and Traci Winter.
Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email jrevett@wtamu.edu.
Fostering an appreciation of the arts and cultivating strong relations with alumni are key goals of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
DHDC Celebrates DEAR Day by inviting guests to a special Storytime in their pj’s!
Visitors are encouraged to come in their pj’s to “Drop Everything and Read” at DHDC.
Amarillo, TX – The Don Harrington Discovery Center (DHDC) is participating in National Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day on Friday, April 12, with public programming included in general admission or DHDC membership.
DHDC will host Storytimes every other hour and encourages guest to snuggle up in their two reading nooks and discover a new story or rediscover an old favorite. Their goal is to help promote literacy in the community.
Providing a hands-on, collaborative space for visitors at all learning levels and educational interests is a major part of the literacy initiatives and elements that the Don Harrington Discovery Center has started. With the opening of their exhibit, the Literacy Corner, a reading nook in the second story of their Discover Through Time exhibit, and their weekly program Storytime at DHDC, DHDC has been purposeful in working towards this goal.
DHDC is working diligently to increase access to literary resources in the community and to bridge the gap in educational achievement existing in vulnerable communities. Literacy has been shown to impact many aspects of life. Populations with higher literacy rates have also shown higher economic productivity, lower healthcare costs, and even lower levels of involvement with the justice system. Their efforts were recognized last year with the award of a $4,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to support youth literacy efforts.
Follow DHDC on Facebook and Instagram for more information on their community programs. Information can be found on their website as well.
Best,
Sophia Britto | Marketing Coordinator | 806.355.9547 x 104
Choose Your Discovery:
Aaron Watson & Walker Montgomery are taking over the Starlight Ranch main-stage on Saturday, June 15th!
Set your alarms- tickets go on-sale Friday, February 9th @ 10am http://tinyurl.com/ya97h56e #Amarillo #LiveMusic
