The Get to School Club

Several years ago, Shantelle Oyako saw a need in our community.  She witnessed young men and women coming to school late and being, overall, disengaged in school.  She then connected with the school to work to solve these problems.  What came of this was the Get To School Club.  This group met monthly to celebrate successes, learn some great lessons and enjoy some delicious meals.  Over the years, this program has grown to include all students at Woodland and has led to more experiences outside of school including family meals, inspirational movies, and service projects.

Shantelle then turned her attention to outside of the school walls and began a mission to support families in many different ways.  Shantelle created her own mobile pantry.  She reached out to several donors and, ultimately, filled her van (and home) with stacks and stacks of food items to be on the ready to help a family in need.  This inspired our school district to create pantries within our buildings to serve this same purpose.  Now, schools across the district are helping to provide for our families in need.

Most recently, she has connected with Whole Again and La Soupe to create a memorable summer feeding program that also serves as a summer camp to help keep our students and families connected to Woodland Elementary throughout the summer months.

Throughout all this, Shantelle continues to be the lifeline to our community.  She does not rest and she does not become complacent.  She is always ready to serve and has trust in the Lord that she will be provided with the resources and the strength to do what she can to keep our families and our kids happy and healthy.