PEPC Fund

Goal: $25,000.00

Specific Need

Funds raised through Match Day will be used for general operating funds and for major repairs to the restrooms at Lincoln Center.  In 2025, PEPC had contact with 350 households (896 people) via walk-in: completing an intake, providing a basic assessment of the families' needs, and referring families to programs or organizations within the community that could best serve their most pressing needs.  In addition to those 350 households, PEPC served 33 homeless families with children in 2025 through our Family Support Program.  This program provides long-term rental assistance on a step-down scale over the course of 12 months while PEPC also provides intensive in-home case management services to help families maintain safe and stable housing moving forward. 

PEPC also maintains resources for families in need including a pantry for diapers, household items, and toiletries; a Kitchen ReStore for items families may need to prepare and serve meals; a clothing closet with clothing for birth -adult; and help to obtain appliances and furniture for families as needed.

In 2022, we filled a community need by opening PEPC Bright Beginnings, a 12 slot child care facility on the Lincoln Center campus.  Our facility accepts DCF child care assistance, making it an option for all families, despite income level.  

This past year has been tough with the increase in utility costs.  Our building is big and beautiful, but she is old and not the most efficient.  We are struggling with managing rising utility costs, like many others. Lincoln Center is in desperate need of repairs, especially in our restrooms.  This big old school house has two restroom areas, a women's and a men's.  The women's restroom has 6 stalls and currently 4 of those stalls are completely out of order, with the remain 2 barely haning on. The men's restroom has 4 stalls and 3 urinals and currently 1 stall and 1 urinal are barely working. It is our hope to get these restroom facilities back in proper working order, soon. These repairs would mean being able to open the building to the public for rental usage again for birthday parties, baby showers, educational fairs, trainings, etc.  These are things we have limited in recent years due to the state of our bathrooms and multi-purpose space.  We love offering our space to families at minimal to no cost to make having a venue for such events an affordable option for all families, regardless of income!  We hope funds raised this year can be directed to our bathroom repair/remodel.  Thank you so much for considering PEPC as you generously donate today!  They say it takes a village... we're so glad you're part of ours!

Mission

Pony Express Partnership for Children focuses on the betterment of children and families' lives through a collaborative effort of multiple agencies.  Through education, support, resource and referral, and health education, partnering agencies work together to best serve families' needs from birth throughout adulthood.  

Profile

PEPC was established in 2014 and has since served more than 6000 people in Marshall County and the surrounding areas.  In September 2018 through grants, we expanded west to include Washington County in our immediate service area. Our organization is located in the old Lincoln School, now known as Lincoln Center.  Other service agencies within our building include Parents as Teachers, Marshall County Lifelong Learning (GED Program), Pony Express Infant Toddler Services (Tiny K), KVC, NEK-CAP, Inc. Early Head Start and Community Services, and Salvation Army. Also located on our campus are the Department for Children and Families (formerly SRS), Pawnee Mental Health Services, PEPC Bright Beginnings Child Care, and the Marshall County Helping Hands Food Pantry.  

The largest program operated by PEPC is the Family Support Program.  This program serves families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness by providing rental assistance on a step-down scale and case management over a 12-month period.  This program has helped provide safe and stable housing for 213 families in Marshall and Washington Counties over the past nine years, including 448 children and 264 adults.  Within case management, all areas are touched upon that may be barriers to the family's ability to maintain stable housing: employment, education, transportation, health, social-emotional wellbeing, finances, parenting, etc.  In addition, all children ages 0-5 are screened using common measure tools provided by the Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund for early intervention.  Any concerns are noted and referred to partner agencies for further evaluation and services.  PEPC is able to utilize the other resouces in our building and on our campus to help families in the Family Support Program to be successful.  Sometimes, people just need to have someone in their corner who believes in them.

Additional services provided by PEPC include:

• PEPC Household/Toiletry Pantry (hygiene items, diapers, cleaning items, etc)
• Kitchen ReStore (kitchen and cooking items to help families prepare healthy meals)
• GED Program
• Salvation Army (Red Kettle Campaign and distribution of those funds for emergency assistance)
• School Supplies (in 2024, PEPC provided supplies to more than 350 students in MS and WS Counties!
• Ground Beef - Through a partnership with Marshall County Farm Bureau
• Clothing Closet

Most of these additional programs run strictly on donations and your donation is so appreciated in an effort to continue providing these services to families in need!