State championship football, oilfields, Main Street statues, and amazing support of the young people of the city are just a few of the answers one would get if they asked, “What’s the first thing you think of when you say ‘Artesia, New Mexico?’”
It would be a safe bet that unless SuAnn Greenwood or one of the volunteers with Packs of Love were asked, “childhood hunger” would not be one of the answers. That is why Western Bank has chosen to combine its annual Open House with a drive to support the Packs of Love program.
Packs of Love is a local, nonprofit organization that provides backpacks filled with food for children in kindergarten through seventh grade to take home on the weekends and over holiday breaks. Packs are filled on Thursdays and provided to the students, who then return the backpacks each Monday.
Currently, Packs of Love is providing backpacks for 165 Artesia students and 22 Lake Arthur students.
“My mother worked for 30 years for Children and Youth Services, and some of my earliest impressions are my memories of going with them and delivering food and gifts to people who were not only in need but had no idea they were getting either one,” said Ken Clayton, president of Western Bank. “I have been so impressed by the work of Packs of Love, and everyone at Western Bank thought it would be a great fit to use our Open House to raise awareness as well as help provide some much-needed supplies for this coming semester.
“‘Childhood hunger is real and doesn’t just occur somewhere else’ is a humbling thought that each of us at Western Bank is driven by to make this project a success. We would like to thank all of those that have helped already and those that will help in this drive, because as a bank, we can raise awareness but it takes a town to solve the problem.”
Western Bank will hold its Open House Friday, Dec. 9, and will continue to collect items for Packs of Love through Dec. 16. A list of most-needed food items is available at Western Bank and is also posted on the Packs of Love Facebook page.
