Grove City Area United Way celebrates community service at luncheon

Apr. 16—GROVE CITY — The leader of the local Salvation Army was honored with the Grove City Area United Way's Community Service Award as the United Way celebrated volunteers and reviewed its accomplishments during its annual luncheon.

During the luncheon, held April 11 at Grove City College, Amy Foley, the local United Way's executive director, highlighted four specific groups and their accomplishments.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library gives free books to kids under the age of five. To date, this program has given 26,923 books to kids throughout Grove City.

Two other projects also are designed for school kids. Stuff the Bus aims to give kids any school supplies they may need. In 2023, the project helped 112 kids and to date it have filled 1,492 backpacks with school supplies. The other group is the Food 4 Kids. which gives families easy ways to make meals and snacks for kids who rely on free lunches at school. On days they don't have school, they would not be able to eat without the program. The program has served 71 kids this year.

The last group is the 2-1-1 line. This phone line is a 24-hour service for non-emergencies. It serves people who need money for bills, help with a sick relative or even someone to watch their kids if they lack access to child care. The person on the line will help you get in contact with someone who can help.

"I get calls from people who are really doing their best," Foley said. "It's never people just wanting free things. These are people that work two to three jobs. It's hard for people to admit that they need help."

This year's United Way Community Service Award was presented to Pastor Pam Schnelzer.

Schnelzer is the head of the Salvation Army Service Unit in Grove City, which looks out for people asking for assistance. These can be people who might need a little extra financial help, or people who have other needs they can't accomplish on their own.

In Schnelzer's 14 years in her position she has created several events for the Salvation Army. These include back-to-school day, where volunteers can buy school supplies for students in need; Women's Day Out, where mothers who are struggling are given a pampering treatment and a chance to feel heard; and senior outreaches, where members of the community go to senior centers and give them blankets and gift cards among other things.

"Pam really does have an eye and a heart for the people in this community that others forget about," Foley said.

Schnelzer learned she was receiving the award when her bosses in the Salvation Army asked for a meeting

"I was a little nervous. I was wondering if maybe something had happened," Schnelzer said.

Foley then walked in the meeting with two dozen roses to tell Schnelzer she was being honored.

"I was absolutely speechless and humbled," Schnelzer said. "I didn't know how to respond. To this day I still feel like I can't process it. At the luncheon I couldn't pay attention to what was being said about me."

Schnelzer was given the award in front of her bosses, as well as her five children and grandchild at the luncheon.

"I've always had that heart to help whoever I can when I can. I wanted to find that heartbeat in Grove City that was struggling when I took this position," Schnelzer said. "I can't do this without my team though, we all work together to make these goals happen."

Anyone in need of the services mentioned can reach out to Grove City Area United Way or the Salvation Army to ask for help.

Ty Kohler can be contacted at tkohler@alliednews.com.