Davenport Community Food Pantry

Sarah McGlynn is a Nationally Board Certified Special Education teacher, teaching students in kindergarten and first grade special education at Monroe Elementary school in Davenport.   Her thirteen year career has spanned general and special education positions, grades kindergarten to seventh grade, with an emphasis on children with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities.  She is passionate about bringing Trauma-Informed Care to her students, including bringing her certified Therapy Dog, Ziggy, to school for the students.  She is active in her local education association, elected as an Executive Board member for eleven years, and worked on several initiatives to further the association's connection with the community.  She began the planning and preparation phase of the Davenport Community Food Pantry (DCFP) two years ago, and worked to generate the partnerships between the Davenport Education Association, the Madison Market, and River Bend Food Bank.  She has been the Coordinator of the DCFP for the past year, running the daily functioning of the pantry, in addition to her teaching career. The pantry serves an average of 1,120 families a month, feeding 4-5,000 people.  The Iowa State Education Association has supported both efforts with grant funding, including awarding the Community Action grant the past three years.