History

What began as three moms talking about our community
ignited a larger mission and a call to action was set in motion! 

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In 2011 moms Lisa Knudsen, Stephanie Short and Lexi Cire were concerned about unmet needs they had witnessed in the Erie community. In particular, Lexi's son was taking extra food to school to share with classmates who had run out of lunch money. This sparked the formation of Erie UpLink, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with the hope to be a "link" between those in need and folks wanting to help.

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It began with the flagship Tiger Packs program, serving 11 students, and it grew quickly to feeding over 100 children monthly for nearly a decade. With fundraising and community support, assistance grew to include seasonal clothing and personal items, yearly Christmas stockings, sponsorships for college planning, summer camps, lunch in the park and more. Always with the goal to connect Erie families with resources to fulfill their basic life needs and the desire to provide hope and demonstrate care for one another.

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Today, Erie UpLink serves 150 students from 60 families at eight Erie partner schools with the assistance and dedication of individual community members, partner organizations, local businesses and the town of Erie. Want to learn more about how we got to where we are now? Check out these local news stories.

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