Reading, Writing and Philanthropy
Today's guest blogger is Penny Loughan, chief executive officer of The Pantry of Broward.
Penny served in the United States Army for 21 years before retiring and being awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
In Broward County, she worked as a JROTC teacher at Piper High School for eight years and for three years a social service agency feeding Fort Lauderdale’s homeless and families who had fallen on hard times.
Penny, with BJ Buntrock, founded The Pantry of Broward to help seniors on low fixed incomes and grandparents raising their grandchildren.
Penny talks about how the Pantry is working to get students more involved in philanthropy.
As a new school year looms with a multitude of lessons, schedules and homework assignments demanding most of our children’s time, when and where do parents find the perfect moment to "teach" the concept of philanthropy?
We’d like to hear your stories about how your family teaches the idea of "giving back" to the community.
In that vein, over the course of six weeks, this blog will follow two schools in Broward County as they put their special spin on a food drive for our featured non-profit, The Pantry of Broward.
The agency provides food and support services to more than 350 seniors on low fixed-incomes and grandparents raising their grandchildren throughout Broward County each month.
The need for food brings these seniors to seek assistance from the agency, but it's usually the symptom of greater needs, such as payment toward a utility bill or medical care.
Count on both classes of students to come up with philanthropic tips and create the "look" of the food drive at their respective school, with the ultimate delivery of grocery items to The Pantry of Broward.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
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