Pando News – June 2023

Great Food, Great Cause!

Cooking For A Cause, one of Wichita’s premiere food tasting experiences, is an annual event to benefit The Pando Initiative. Each year 500 guests, Chefs, and volunteers come together for an evening of delicious bites for a great cause. Over 50 Chefs compete for Top Chef honors by collecting tips for Pando programs and guests enjoy unlimited tastings, cocktails, and more. The event also includes a dynamic silent and live auction with unique trips and experiences.

Sponsor The Event

With six levels of sponsorship, there is a way for everyone to support Cooking For A Cause, and you will receive great benefits with any level. From being featured in promotional materials, event program advertising, or having your logo displayed at the event bar or in the tasting gallery; your support will be front and center. And each sponsorship comes with unlimited tasting!

To learn more about sponsorships, click here.

Be A Chef

Share your culinary expertise or even just your favorite family recipe with Cooking guests! You will serve bite-sized samples of your dish at the event, and compete for Top Chef status by collecting tips and decorating your Chef Station. chefs also enjoy benefits including; free unlimited tastings and drinks, hospitality, branded Chef apron, and invitations to exclusive Chef gatherings before the event.

To learn more about participating as a Chef, contact Daniel Morford at dmorford@pandokids.org

Attend The Event

Be on the lookout for individual ticket sales beginning in August

Questions about Cooking For A Cause? Contact Angela Kessler at akessler@pandokids.org

Pando Volunteers Took The Initiative
At the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, we launched our “Take The Initiative” volunteer recruitment campaign. The goal: increase volunteerism and mentorship in our Pando schools. The Pando community heard our call and stepped up. 180 volunteers spent 1,200 hours mentoring PandoKids! Volunteers participated in lunch groups, special projects, guest speaking, and one-to-one mentoring. We even had several new “initiatives” started at Pando schools by volunteers and local companies.

Interested in volunteering, mentoring, or starting your own initiative for the upcoming school year?

Contact Daniel at dmorford@pandokids.org
We ended the year with a slightly challenging book and I was so proud to see the student push through and do an amazing job! We had great discussions about the content of the book that we wouldn’t have had earlier in the year. And it felt great to have a relationship where she could freely share her thoughts and reflections!

-Pando Literacy Group Volunteer

Meet Our Staff

Angela Kessler

Director of Development

Angela Kessler, Director of Development, joined the Pando team in July 2022. She comes with over 20 years’ experience in nonprofit management, special event coordination and partnership development.

Angela and her husband Brandon have two children, Noah and Nevelyn.  In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, painting and spending time with her family at baseball games.

Angela received her Bachelor’s Degree from Wichita State University and holds a certification in leadership studies from Fort Hays State University.  She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Wichita Chapter.

“Lives change every day because of the dedicated work of Pando staff.  I love working with donors and community partners to help find ways for them to engage with Pando’s mission.”

-Angela Kessler, Director of Development

Upcoming Events

Now scheduling Reality U™ sessions for the 2023-24 school year

If your school or organization is interested in having Reality U™ bring financial literacy to your middle or high school youth, please contact Jacob Bentley at jbentley@pandokids.org.

Posted in News on June 28, 2023.

Help Our Children Succeed

Gifts to Pando support the 1,800 students on our caseload and the 25,000 students we serve annually through our PandoKids™ and RealityU™ programs.

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