Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Panco.
Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Angels of Action was founded in 2011 by three local moms who all saw a major need that their community was facing: hungry children.
Joni, Stephanie, and Julie were noticing that there was a huge amount of food insecurity in Mecosta county. They put their heads together and came up with the idea for a non-profit that would help combat this ever growing issue.
The ladies started out small – local businesses hosted food drives, and Backpack Blessings began; initially being run out of Joni’s home. The small operation was supplying weekend backpack food bags to 25 children per week at one school.
In 2013, they were able to move into a downtown Big Rapids store front. There, they were able to pack more food bags, around 150, and also started distributing and hosting blanket making events to be passed out to children in the winter months. As the program grew, they partnered with two local school districts to help store and pack the food bags. On Thursday mornings, volunteers would head over to the schools to pack the bags that were needed before loading them up into their cars and delivering them to the schools that were enrolled in the program.
Fast forward to March of 2020, the local First Baptist Church of Big Rapids generously donated their building to Angels of Action! Being able to move into such a large space allowed for pre-existing programs to flourish, while having the space to branch out and meet more needs in the community. The paperwork was signed on Tuesday, and by that Friday the entire world was shutting down. If it were not for just acquiring a larger space, Angels of Action would have been stopped in its tracks. The schools called, saying that we had just a few short hours to come and pick up the stored food items before they had to lock their doors during the pandemic. Thankfully, Angels now had the space to store and pack the food in house.
Covid really helped propel all of our programs to where they are today. Because of social distancing, and other restrictions in place, the gang really needed to find creative ways to still help fulfill food needs, while remaining respectful of the new guidelines. With these limitations in place, Rock the Crock was formed! Families get to learn how to make some delicious meals at home with the set it and forget it ease of a crock pot.
So, what started out as 25 weekend bags has now transformed into us sending out over 1400 bags per week to both Mecosta and Osceola county schools! We were able to have a space for a library, tutoring, the Give Shop – ALL of our programs are free to families that have school aged children and live in Mecosta and Osceola county!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The three founding women struggled in the beginning, getting a non profit off the ground is no easy feat. The idea seed was planted in 2010, and a year later they were able to start the process of helping feed children. Once the organization was up and running, finding a bigger space was the bigger issue. Working out of their own personal spaces made it difficult to reach as many kiddos they wanted to. Once the chips started falling into place, finding the spot downtown, and later the old church building, it really allowed the idea of what they wanted Angels of Action to look like become a reality.
We are not a federally funded non-profit. We rely on local grants, community partnerships, and private donations to fund our operation. Finding clever ways to save on the cost of food, and the other expenses of our programs is an uphill battle. We work very hard to organize fundraising events, finding new ways to make them new and exciting while keeping the original theme alive. Some of the fan favorite fundraisers that we do are Karaoke for a Cause, our Chicken Barbeque, La Senorita Golf Outing, and Light up the Night – just to name a few.
Covid was also a fairly large road bump – we really learned how to pivot to meet the needs of our community while being respectful of the restrictions set in place. It allowed us to adapt quickly to any situation that was thrown our way, something we still often utilize on a weekly basis since no day is ever the same. But, all of the struggles faced along the way has helped shape us into being what we are today. A staple in the community, a safe space for families to come get what they need to help thrive, and a place that is so full of love you can feel it when you walk through the doors.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Here at Angels of Action, we are best known for fighting childhood hunger, but we are so much more than that!
Being the Program Coordinator and School Liaison, I am in charge of making sure our programs run smoothly, and that there is an open line of communication from our office to the schools, and with the families in our programs. We are often the first call people make when they hit any kind of hardship, and we can help guide them to the resources they need even if we are unable to assist.
We are best known for two programs, Backpack Blessings and Rock the Crock – Backpack Blessings is our weekend food program where we send out over 1400 bags a week to our local schools in Mecosta and Osceola county. The menu changes every week, but every bag contains milk, juice, two breakfast items, two lunch items, and two snacks. In addition to the weekly bags, we also send out peanut butter and jelly four times a year: the first delivery of the school year, Winter break, Spring break, and the final delivery of the year.
Rock the Crock is our eight week home cooking program – we have three rounds a year, and in each round we have up to 50 families participating. In the beginning, each family gets a reusable tote, a brand new crock pot, cooking utensils, soap, sponge, everything you could possibly need to make the meals at home. Then, for eight weeks, our volunteer drivers drop off the ingredients to their home.
In addition to those programs, we also have a Give Shop, tutoring, and a library! The Give Shop is a little store stocked with new and gently used items that families who are struggling can come in and shop for themselves and their kiddos, get hygiene items, shoes, and school supplies. Literacy in Action, our tutoring program, helps in both math and English. We currently have two locations – our main office, and in Evart, MI. By the end of 2026, we are hoping to expand into Morley Stanwood for our third location, and by the end of 2027 be in the Remus area. Both adults and children benefit from this service, and we are working on becoming more accessible to the areas we service so families do not need to drive as far to get to us. We also have a library where families can bring their children in to pick out books, teachers can come and stock their classroom with books, even community partners come to help extend the reach of literature! Families are not asked to return the books, if their kids outgrow them and they are still in good shape, they can donate them back to us, or share with their friends and school.
All of our programs are free for anyone who has children in school in Mecosta or Osceola county! That ranges from three year old preschool, all the way to seniors in high school. We really try to meet all needs children and families might face, not just food insecurity.
I think what makes us Angels the most proud is the way that we have grown over the last decade. Going from 25 students at one school, to over 1400 at almost 40 schools in two counties has been extraordinary. Knowing that we help serve children and their families in more than just food, but the every day essentials that a lot of us take for granted, to feel confident, strong, and to thrive makes every day beyond worth it. In addition, we are diligent when it comes to taking on something new. Even in the beginning, before we added a new school with more students, or even a new program, we were taking the time to make sure we were able to sustain it long term. We put our whole hearts into what we do, and we do not want to retract on something just because we bit off more than we can chew. Personally, I would like to add that our volunteers are what we are proud of as well. The love and support they have shown us from the beginning has only grown tenfold over the years. From helping with daily tasks, getting a call to be an spare pair of hands when something changes last minute, or going above and beyond to help us fulfill a need that we might not be able to with what we have on hand, to every other small and big thing they do for us – they are our rockstars, our superheroes, and our guardian angels, thank you all!
What makes Angels of Action stand apart is that we don’t just hand out food or resources; we build relationships, create dignity, and meet families where they are with love and understanding. Everything we do is rooted in the belief that no child should have to worry about being hungry, cold, or without the basic things they need to thrive. Whether it’s a weekend food bag through Backpack Blessings, a winter coat, hygiene supplies, tutoring support, or a family meal through Rock the Crock, we try to look at the whole child and the whole family, not just one need in front of us. We also try to lead with heart in everything we do. Families who walk through our doors are treated with kindness, respect, and compassion. We want people to feel seen, supported, and valued, never judged. We are willing to adapt, grow, collaborate with other community organizations, and fill gaps wherever our community needs us the most. If we see a need affecting local children and families, we ask, “How can we help?” and then we get to work.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a little precocious, and always marched to the beat of my own drum – I always had big dreams of helping in any way that I could; at age three I wanted to be a paleontologist, a nurse, an astronaut, a vet, and yes, even a ballerina. Clearly, I am none of those. I loved to be outside, either in the woods or by the water, reading, backpacking, hanging out with my pets, helping out on the farm, and being involved with different extra curriculars. I was, and have always been, an eager and curious person. I need to know all of the information, even the ancillary details, to figure out how and why things worked the way they did, something I have not grown out of.
I think what really helped spark my love of giving back to my community was the Girl Scouts. Weather it was the animal shelter, a nursing home, cleaning up garbage in a park, it did not matter, I loved helping out. Knowing that a small moment in time had the potential to make someone’s life better always filled me with warmth.
It took a while to find what I was most passionate about. I worked in law, finance, hospitality, and even the medical field. I loved all of those jobs for various reasons, but it never felt like the perfect fit. When I moved to Big Rapids, three years ago, I got involved with volunteering here at Angels of Action. I got to see every side of of the non profit – packing weekend food bags, setting up for events and fundraisers, organizing the spaces needed for the programs, double checking item that were going out to the families in different programs, et cetera. It really made me realize that it was not just a place that focused on helping school children with food, it was a place that was allowing children and their families be able to thrive.
Pricing:
- Hunger Hero’s
- We spend $10,000 a month just on our Backpack Blessing program
- $7 sponsors a child for the weekend, $30 for a month
- $110 for half a school year
- $225 per child for a whole school year
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.angelsofaction.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelsofaction/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelsofaction/
