SMES VOLUNTEERS

volunteers

Spotlighting Warrior Wings @ SMES

“Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 NIV

Six years ago, there was a calling from within the St. Martin’s community to intentionally support families who were experiencing a life transition. The PTO answered the call, and the Warrior Wings program was born. Warrior Wings supports the school’s Episcopal identity and also serves as a PTO function to provide meals to SMES families, faculty and staff during a time of need or transition. Whether to ease the load of a new mom after the birth of a child, to extend support to someone experiencing an illness or to show community support for the loss of a loved one, Warrior Wings strives to provide comfort and love to SMES families through a home-cooked meal.

The SMES PTO solicits volunteers for the program to facilitate requests, coordinate cooking meals and deliver meals. The meal recipient remains anonymous, and the address is only shared with the person who is responsible for delivery. “Requests generally come from SMES parents, faculty, staff or Mother Taylor,” said Warrior Wings co-chair Tia Clarida. “To deliver a meal to someone during a time of need is a nice surprise and is a testament to the culture here at St. Martin’s. It’s also a wonderful way for parents to easily get involved and support the PTO on their own time—whether they prepare food or deliver meals.”

Volunteers can sign up through the PTO web page, where detailed instructions for meal preparation, freezing methods and storage in the school cafeteria are outlined. Also, for those who prefer to deliver, meal packing instructions are posted in the school cafeteria for a smooth experience.

“It’s so easy to get involved in this program, and it can make a real impact on many families in the community,” said cochair Katherine Kinser.

“This school year, we’ve served approximately 36 families with meals! Volunteer drivers find it so easy to prepare the cold storage bag including the addition of a sweet note handmade by SMES students for a nice, cheery package!”

To get involved with the Warrior Wings program, look for the PTO volunteer opportunities email that will be sent early in the school year or visit the website at stmartinschool.org and find the PTO volunteer opportunities under the Support tab.

A message from our 2018-19 PTO co-presidents

he PTO is proud to enrich the St. Martin’s community in many ways. We organize events to create fellowship with SMES families and faculty, raise money to donate to the school, plan many events and provide opportunities to show our appreciation for our fabulous teachers and staff. We are pleased to report another successful year and want to express our gratitude to everyone who donated their time, talents and financial resources to support the PTO.

We want to thank our PTO Executive Board: Carrie Ackel, Renee Loope, Erin Spink, Lindy MacPhee, Julia Hubbard, Heather Zunzunegui, and Marianne Zalenski. We greatly appreciate them for meeting with us weekly to ensure all events were communicated and run efficiently. A special thank you goes out to our amazing Fling co-chairs, Caroline Kulinski and Shara Sanders, and to all of our event chairs who worked tireless hours organizing and planning our 40-plus PTO sponsored programs and events. Lastly, our thanks to the Board of Trustees and school staff for their continued support of the PTO.

We are proud to report that the 2019 Fling raised more than $100,000! The PTO also hosted the inaugural Warrior 5K and Tricia Anderson and Katie Challen Fun Run, St. Martin’s first USATF-sanctioned course/ Peachtree Road Race Qualifier. Thanks to the more than 300 participants and community sponsors who helped us earn more than $6,000. We are pleased to provide a detailed account of our fundraising efforts and school allocation details in the annual report provided by the school next school year.

Again, we are grateful for the support of each of you and the opportunity to lead the PTO this year. Our successors, Carrie Ackel and Renee Loope, and their seven-member executive board will welcome and appreciate the same support as they work to make the 2019-2020 school year an even bigger success.

Sincerely,