About Us
Our Mission
Parkland CARES strives to feed and serve every member of our community affected by and suffering from hunger.
Our Story
Parkland CARES Food Pantry was established in 2018 by a dedicated group of individuals with a collective goal to fight hunger in their community. Determined to aid the nearly 27% of children and their families in the Parkland community suffering from hunger, the idea and plan for Parkland CARES was put in place.
In June of 2019, the Pantry opened its doors for the first time to just 12 families. Two times a month, families were invited in to the Pantry to shop for the items that best suited their needs. They were welcomed to the aromas of fresh brewed coffee and pastries along with friendly smiles. They then shopped the Pantry shelves and refrigerators for non-perishable goods, milk, cheese, meats and fresh fruits and vegetables. By December of 2019, the Pantry had fed over 100 households.
Then in March of 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, everything changed. Parkland CARES rapidly switched from a Choice Pantry model to a Contactless Drive Thru Distribution once monthly at Kernsville Elementary. While attending the distribution, families receive non-perishable food, fresh produce, eggs, meat and other donated items. Parkland CARES, along with Second Harvest Food Bank, Orchard Hills Church, Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, The Nesting Box Farm Market and Creamery, Life Church, West Allentown Rotary, and many more community partners, continues to fulfill its mission even in the most difficult of times.
Parkland CARES is proud to serve its community alongside its dedicated board, volunteers and all the businesses and organizations that continue to ensure that no child, family or individual should ever go hungry, no matter the circumstance.
Message from the Executive Director
Click on the button below to see a message from the Executive Director of Parkland CARES Food Pantry.
Meet the Parkland CARES Food Pantry Team
Our Board Member and Volunteer Staff are the heart and soul of Parkland CARES Food Pantry
Katrina Sundstrom
Executive Director
Parkland CARES Food Pantry - Executive Director
Katrina is the Executive Director of the Parkland CARES Food Pantry. Her desire to help those in need goes back to her early days spent working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Rich, and has two children who attend schools in the Parkland School District. She is a member of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and a Paul Harris Fellow Award recipient through her work with the Rotary Club of Allentown West. Katrina is proud to be the Co-Founder of Parkland CARES and is dedicated to fighting hunger in her community.
Candace Young
President
New Leaf Consulting, LLC - Founder, Owner
Candace Young has worked for over 20 years in program development and evaluation in nonprofit, government, philanthropic and academic sectors. As the Founder & Owner of New Leaf Consulting, she advises organizations in determining key indicators of success, measuring impacts, and grant writing. Prior to launching New Leaf Consulting in 2019, Candace held leadership positions with The Food Trust, a Philadelphia non-profit (2008-2019) and the New York City Department of Health (2001-2007). She has a Master’s Degree in Community Nutrition and Program Evaluation from Cornell University and a Bachelor's Degree from Moravian College. She lives in South Whitehall Township with her husband and two children.
Al Haddad, CIMA®
Vice President
Morgan Stanley - Wealth Advisor, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager
Al has worked at Morgan Stanley his entire career, now spanning 37 years. Married to Jeanne for 39 years, he has three children and three grandchildren. Besides work, Al has played and coached in the Parkland Community for over 31 years. Currently the head coach of the Parkland HS Girls Soccer, Al has used his charitable nature to foster the team's amazing charitable giving over the past 12 years.
Richard Sundstrom
Treasurer
State Farm Insurance - Sales Leader
Richard is the Sales Leader for State Farm Insurance in the Lehigh Valley. Rich and his wife Katrina have two children who attend school in the Parkland School District. Rich is passionate about the mission of Parkland CARES Food Pantry because he believes that no parent should have to worry about not having enough food to feed their family.
Dr. Michelle Minotti
Secretary
Parkland School District - Assistant Superintendent
Michelle is the Assistant Superintendent in the Parkland School District. Prior to that, she was the Principal at Springhouse Middle School and an assistant principal at SMS and PHS. She is married to her husband, Bob, and has three daughters. Michelle is an EPFP Fellow and an adjunct professor at Delaware Valley University and CLIU, where she teaches School and Community Relations and Leadership for Continuous Improvement. Michelle is a Challenge 5 United Way committee Member, working with the Parent Engagement Action Group. Michelle published her doctoral research on family engagement and community connections. She has established and supported programs such as Parent University and SMS CARES to create a positive school culture. Michelle has been a leader in the Parkland School District and is passionate about continuing to do what is best for students and their families in our community.
Amy Dobil Barnett
Board Member
Josh Early Candies - Owner/Manager
Amy is a fifth-generation owner/manager at Josh Early Candies, a family owned and operated business that is proud to call the Lehigh Valley its home. She and her husband, Jason, have three sons attending school in the Parkland School District. Amy has a background in social work and is driven to make a difference in the lives of others with her involvement in non-profit organizations and charitable initiatives throughout our community. She is passionate about fulfilling the Parkland CARES Food Pantry's mission of helping to feed families affected by hunger.
David Hein
Board Member
Fidelis Care – Sr. Manager – Financial Planning
David’s background in Financial Planning and Analysis spans over 30 years, with a focus on the health insurance industry. He has lived in South Whitehall Township for the past 25 years and is married to his wife Mara and has a daughter Amanda. David is currently an elected member of the Parkland School Board and also serves on the boards of the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (LCTI), the Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC), the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and the School Safety and Security Committee (a committee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency). Volunteering with Parkland CARES since almost the beginning and knowing the changing demographics in our community, David has a passion for serving the community.
Christina "Tori" Morgan
Board Member
Entech Engineering - Director of Funding, Regulatory Relations & Compliance
Tori graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1990 with a B.S. in a self-designed major of Biology and Psychology. After graduation, Tori chose the Lehigh Valley as her home. She resides in South Whitehall Township with her husband Jeff, and Parkland High School graduate, twins, Jillian and Sam. Tori currently and has worked for the last 30 plus years in the Environmental Field as an Operator, Lab Manager, Chemist and Compliance Coordinator and Senior Project Manager and currently is employed at Entech Engineering as the Director of Funding, Regulatory Relations, and Compliance. With a love for her home and community, Tori served on the South Whitehall Planning Commission for 4 years and later in 2008, pursued an elected position as a South Whitehall Township Commissioner where she served for 14 years, with 9 of them as the Board President. Tori also serves and has since 2011 as Board member on the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission as well as Board member of the Western Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, Parkland Education Foundation (current President), Allentown West Rotary Board Member and member of the Parkland School District Business Advisory Council. Tori is most proud of the opportunity to be a Mom and with her husband watch her children grow and prosper in their community. “Be a part of something that makes a difference” is a motto that she lives by.
Lauren Gallagher
Director of Pantry Operations
Sue Park
Volunteer Director
Gary DeSieno
Pantry Director
Jamie Walker
Director of Logistics and Digital Marketing
Karen McMichael
Pantry Programs Manager
Megan Finke
Snack Pack Coordinator
Camille Chase
Snack Pack Coordinator
Debbie Meckes
Data Coordinator
Ellen Legg
Data Coordinator
Lauren Creamer
HS CARES Team Coordinator
Susan Halpin
HS CARES Team Coordinator
Reva Gandhi
HS Intern
Chloe Chase
HS Intern