Pantex Community Investment Fund benefits local foster children
Amarillo Foster In Texas received a backpack and school supplies from the Pantex grant.
Three siblings between the ages of four and seven were living in a trailer with no running water. The oldest sibling served as the primary caretaker for his two younger siblings. After joining a stable home through foster care, they are able to recover from the trauma and thrive.
Through the $7,500 grant given to Upbring from the Pantex Community Investment Fund, these siblings, and other children served by Amarillo Foster In Texas, received backpacks and school supplies to help them gain confidence and succeed.
Upbring is a leading Texas-based, faith-inspired nonprofit organization working to break the cycle of child abuse by empowering children, families, and communities. They work to benefit families with life-changing programs—including foster care, adoption, education, children’s centers, and community services.
“Pantex’s support of children in foster care and their families is making an impact when our community needs it the most,” said Mary Kathrine Matalon, with Upbring. “The gift from Pantex has made an impact in Amarillo that will be felt for generations to come,” Matalon said. “We thank them for joining with Upbring to create a world where every child is loved, protected, and cherished.”
In addition to backpack and school supplies, foster families received swaddling blankets, baby bed sheets, and other necessities so they could provide a loving home for infants and toddlers in foster care, and two kinship families received funding to cover home inspection costs and a gap in subsidized day care.
A member of the Pantex Community Investment Fund Employee Advisory Committee, Brian Jones, is grateful for the partnerships that allow Pantex to impact the lives of those in the Panhandle.
“As a former foster parent myself, I know how important community support is. This grant, and the joy that it provides, has impacts on our community for years to come,” he said.
Amarillo Foster In Texas hosted a Back to School party where foster families enjoyed two hours of bowling, pizza, and soft drinks. The event closed with the distribution of school supplies and backpacks.
Pantex’s grant will also be used to make dreams come true this Christmas by fulfilling the wishes of foster children. A celebration for foster families will also be held if it is safe to do so.
Consolidated Nuclear Security established the Pantex Community Investment Fund and has been helping local organizations since its inception in 2016. The Pantex Fund is a partnership with the Amarillo Area Foundation, which assists in the distribution of funds. In 2020, 16 nonprofits in the Texas Panhandle received grants equaling over $121,000 from the fund during a virtual ceremony.
From the beginning, Pantex created an employee advisory committee to determine distribution of the grants that target charities and non‑profit organizations that offer assistance with basic needs, children, youth, families, community development, education, financial literacy, as well as health and wellness.
Amarillo Foster In Texas received a backpack and school supplies from the Pantex grant."
Amarillo Foster In Texas hosted a Back to School party where foster families enjoyed two hours of bowling, pizza, and soft drinks."