More than a decade ago Edisto United volunteers worked with Jane Edwards’ kids; that group has since disbanded, but the idea of giving kids something to take home on the weekend lived on.  In 2016 Edisto Island Youth Recreation (EIYR) picked it up, and the idea of Panther Packs was born.

The reason it’s still going strong is because of Amanda Smith and her small cadre of “helpers.”  Amanda has been assembling and delivering these weekend snack packs for Jane Edwards’ children so long that she’s forgotten how many years it’s been.

Each bag contains 10 items the kids can prepare/snack without help.   It’s not meant to feed a child over the weekend; it’s a little addition, a small supplement, more importantly, it says, “we care about you.”

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to the Bingo money Edisto Beach Lion’s Club collects each summer, here’s one grateful recipient:  the Panther Pack program. That money and the proceeds from sales of Christmas ornaments at With These Hands art gallery fund Panther Packs for a year.  Amanda’s mom Carolyn created The Giving Tree –a Christmas tree decorated with artists’ creations raised $3,000 last year.

Edisto Island Youth Recreation sponsors the program and handles the administration, but Amanda is quick to point out that the real work is a community effort—her husband Dakota Smith picks up supplies from Costco and packs the bags as do Carolyn Wilson, Lynn Taylor, Courtney Denmeade, and Carlton Snow.  In a pinch, they also deliver.

So, when Bingo games start in May on Edisto Beach, and the Giving Tree goes up in November, don’t forget that these “little things” are what really matter.

Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures that make the biggest difference in a child’s life.