Started by a former ‘lunch lady,’ the organization honors the memory of Erin Maxwell
By Stefan Yablonski
Going from a lunch lady to the executive director of a nonprofit was certainly a big jump, Sheila Dion admits. “But I knew we had to do something,” she recalled recently.
She’s the founder and executive director of Erin’s Angels of CNY. They started in 2017.
According to its website, Erin’s Angels addresses childhood food insecurity in the memory of Erin Maxwell of Palermo “who suffered unimaginable abuse and was starved regularly.”
“We began with the goal of turning the tragic death of Erin Maxwell into a powerful way to create lasting change,” Dion said. “We first approached the Phoenix Central School District because Erin was a student at Maroun Elementary School.”
“We aren’t just addressing an immediate need. We’re also fostering a sense of empowerment and resilience within the student community,” she continued. “By providing resources and support, we are contributing to a foundation that enables students to overcome challenges and thrive in their academic journey.”
Dion said she was the “lunch lady” when she had the idea to start a nonprofit. “I was working in the schools, in the food service department; was a lunch lady for about five years, then a TA (also in the lunch room) for two more years. When I worked in the Phoenix Central School District, I saw the need — so many children were going hungry. I witnessed firsthand the significant number of students facing food insecurity.”
When the bell rang, kids got up, got their backpacks and everything and headed out to class.
“But a few of the same kids every time would come back and ask for another piece of fruit on their way out and put it in their backpack,” Dion said. “I went to the school social worker and asked her what was going on. She said, ‘we are the only school in Oswego County without a weekend backpack program.’”
That’s when Dion knew she had to act.
“I was inspired by their [students’] resilience, motivated to make a difference,” she said. “That’s why I started it — every student deserves the opportunity to focus on their education without the burden of hunger.”
She said she just started talking to people. It took several years to find an organization that would be their physical sponsor so they could start.
“I asked a lot, I just wasn’t getting anywhere,” she recalled. “Finally, I found this group called the Southern Oswego County Council of Churches. They agreed; so we were under their umbrella for about a year until we raised enough money to get an attorney and get our own 5 01 C3, which we got in 2019.
“We fundraise and get donations of food and apply for grants. We have a volunteer grant writer (an attorney). She helps write grants. We have a fundraising committee which plans some events all year round. Businesses and other community groups do food drives as well.”
In 2018, they received a $5,000 grant from Shineman Foundation.
“We’ve been very active with them. We got another $6,000 grant last year for a life cycles assessment, which paid a consultant to help us with our growth and sustainability plan.”
Erin’s Angels is a volunteer run, year-round business.
“Some programs focus solely on the school year,” Dion said. “We’re proud to be a year-round advocate for ending hunger in our community. When a teacher’s class goes to a different classroom, the teacher will take bags of food and put them in the kids’ backpacks — it’s discreet, there’s no stigma or anything like that.
“In the summer, we utilize DoorDash. Every Friday, they come to the office, pick up food and deliver it directly to the kids’ homes. Our commitment doesn’t stop when the school year ends. Hunger doesn’t take a break and neither do we!”
A lot of communities have programs at schools or churches, “which is wonderful,” she said. “But for people who are really desperate and in poverty, a lot of times they don’t have transportation. To have a free summer meals program at a certain site is kind of a moot point. That’s why we use DoorDash and deliver food directly to the kids’ homes in Phoenix.”
“We partnered with West Genny in 2023. This collaboration is built on the foundation of shared goals and mutual support, enabling us to maximize our impact,” she said.
West Genny’s program ran under a church as a fiscal sponsor.
“They didn’t have a donor management’s system, website or any infrastructure really. So, when they aligned with us, they got all of that and more,” she added. “For instance, we share our insurance with them. So, for all these reasons it is meaningful when weekend meal programs stop working in silos and join hands to create a larger impact.”
On a weekly basis in Phoenix and the West Genesee school districts it comes out to about 250 students a weekend; “so it’s over 40,000 meals a year just in the school year,” she said. “And then our summer meals program right now we’re serving about 36 kids in the Phoenix district.”
When people come together and share their talent, resources and their time good things can happen, she said, adding — “we’re proof of that!”
Last year, they partnered with the Upstate Foundation to create an endowment. Now, through the end of December, Upstate is doubling donations up to $5,000.
“The collaboration with Upstate aims to ensure the perpetuity of our mission. It’s opened doors to sustainable funding, expanded outreach and our ability to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve,” she said.
Dion has a marketing business outside of Erin’s Angels (and works at a business in Phoenix).
“My background is pretty much marketing, social media and website,” she said. “I do work outside of this, but honestly about 10 to 20 hours on my outside business and about 40 to 50 hours a week on Erin’s Angels. To run a nonprofit is a lot of work. But I can’t stop what I’m doing — it’s making such a positive impact! You have moments of ‘oh this is so worth it!’
“We started in Phoenix and we will always be there but our focus is Central New York and beyond. So we are not just limited; we want to help all communities in Oswego County as much as possible.”
For More Information
Erin’s Angels of CNY
219 County Route 57, Phoenix, NY 13135
315-934-0181
Website: https://erinsangels.com
https://erinsangels.com/legacy-giving
Info on upcoming fundraisers:
Locktoberfest (https://erinsangels.com)
Friendsgiving (https://erinsangels.com)