The core of Cocoa Packs mission is to ensure that all children are food secure every day of the year. Each of our weekly Packs contain 27-30 items. Each week, a distribution of milk and eggs accompany packs. Cocoa Packs has also partnered with Blessings of Hope to intentionally get more fresh fruits & vegetables in the hands of all children enrolled in Cocoa Packs.
What we’ve realized, however, is that food is not the only barrier for children, it’s just one of them. As Cocoa Packs has grown, the weekly Packs have become the gateway to a number of wraparound services offered to each child enrolled, addressing their overall wellness.
Cocoa Packs Leadership
Board of Directors
Christine Drexler
President & Founder
Deb Appleby
Retired Teacher's Aide
Church Preschool
Kathy Cerullo-Frick
Director of Operations
Living Well Institute
Jacob Clemens
Recruiter, Clemens Food Group
Jim Gainer
CEO/Executive Director
Livin Life My Way
Brian Roadarmel
President
Four Leaf Capital Partners
Mark Totaro
Former CEO
Catholic Charities
Hilary Peery Vesell, Esq.
Vesell Law, LLC
Leading with love and care for the whole child.
All children actively enrolled in Cocoa Packs will be invited to participate in our extension services.
Quarterly Events
On a quarterly basis, we engage with community partners to provide interactive stations to promote overall wellness, teach skills and engage children in positive ways to learn.
Advocacy & Love
Helping children wherever they are in life by championing for them in a variety of arenas so they succeed in all areas of life.
Enhance Overall Learning
Committed to providing educational opportunities for children to experience something new that enhances their overall learning, we offer a learning space which includes a lending library, computers, desks/printers, creative coloring station & homework help.
Cocoa Packs Clothing Closet
The Cocoa Packs Clothing Closet provides an interactive way for children to hand pick clothing that helps to boost their emotional wellness.
Cocoa Packs Presents
Cocoa Packs Presents spreads holiday joy by providing a unique shopping experience for the children we assist. It is made entirely possible by the collective teamwork of our generous community and local businesses.
For children, food insecurity is particularly devastating. Not having enough healthy food can have serious implications for a child's physical and mental health, academic achievement, and future economic prosperity. Research shows an association between food insecurity and delayed development in young children; risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia; and behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression in school-age children."
*Source: Feeding America
Cocoa Packs is assisting children in school districts across five counties.
Dauphin County
- Central Dauphin
- Derry Township
- Harrisburg City
- Lower Dauphin
- Middletown Area
- Steelton-Highspire
- St. Joan of Arc
- Susquehanna Township
- Vista School of Hershey
Cumberland County
- Camp Hill
- Cumberland Valley
- East Pennsboro
- Mechanicsburg
- West Shore
Lancaster County
- Donegal
- Elizabethtown
Lebanon County
- Annville-Cleona
- Cedar Crest
- Cornwall - Lebanon
- ELCO
- Lebanon
- Northern Lebanon
- Palmyra
York County
- Northern York