The Pineywoods Beyond Foundation, a newly established nonprofit, is making significant strides to uplift and empower the citizens in the southern region of Angelina County, specifically the Zavalla community. Their mission centers on fostering positive change and providing crucial support to a historically underserved area.
At the heart of this impactful local initiative is President Katie Jackson, a dedicated Zavalla native who felt compelled to address the pressing issues of poverty and rampant drug use plaguing her hometown. Jackson articulated that the region has long suffered from a dearth of job and educational opportunities, leading to its perception as a “forgotten area” within Angelina County.
Demonstrating immediate engagement, Pineywoods Beyond launched its operations in March with the opening of a food pantry on Main Street. This vital resource quickly garnered widespread appreciation and utilization, highlighting the critical need for such services within the Zavalla community and underscoring the foundation’s commitment to tangible community development.
Further solidifying its commitment to the Angelina County non-profit landscape, the foundation recently hosted a highly successful drive-thru chicken spaghetti dinner at Zavalla City Hall. This event saw volunteers prepare 12 industrial-sized pans of food, serving approximately 200 individuals, and received a $1,000 grant from Sam’s Club to ensure more such vital community dinners can be offered monthly or bimonthly.
Beyond direct food assistance, Pineywoods Beyond has also invested in educational support, successfully completing a program that supplied backpacks and essential school supplies to students enrolled in Zavalla ISD. This crucial initiative was inclusive, ensuring all students in need received assistance, irrespective of their family’s income, a testament to the foundation’s broad social impact.
Looking ahead, the foundation is gearing up for its significant upcoming event, the Bayou Bash, scheduled for September 6. This major gathering will be co-hosted with another vital local non-profit, Zavalla Prairie Community Connections, further demonstrating collaborative efforts for robust community development.
The Pineywoods Beyond Foundation harbors even grander ambitions for the Zavalla community, including a comprehensive renovation of the city’s park. Ashley Goodwin highlighted the park’s current dilapidated state, noting its lack of updates for at least two decades. The foundation aims to collaborate with the city and seek grant funding to transform the park into a safe and modern recreational space for local children, a significant local initiative.
Another pivotal long-term objective is the establishment of a multi-purpose community center. This envisioned hub would facilitate essential services such as GED classes, WIC programs, Angelina College courses, and a public library, alongside hosting various community events. The primary hurdle for this ambitious social impact project, as noted by Jackson, remains securing adequate financing.
Driven by the fundamental question, “What can we bring to Zavalla?”, the Pineywoods Beyond Foundation is dedicated to providing much-needed direction and opportunity within the Zavalla community. Despite its nascent existence, the organization has already received overwhelming positive feedback, with its Facebook presence rapidly growing, showcasing the immediate positive social impact of these local initiatives on the Angelina County non-profit landscape.
