$10,750 donation from Atmos Energy will help feed kids at Maverick Club

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
·4 min read

Atmos Energy donated more than $10,000 to the Maverick Boys & Girls Club of Amarillo to combat food insecurity during a recent check presentation at the Maverick Club.

During the check presentation Thursday afternoon, the Maverick Club Shining Stars accepted the award totaling to $10,750 on behalf of the organization, donated from Atmos Energy.

"It was such a blessing to see how excited these kids were today, and honestly I am blessed to work for a company, and corporate company, that focuses on local communities. ... Kids are important. They are our future, and we are fueling the bright minds of these kiddos to become the future of the Amarillo community," Michael Gonzales, public affairs manager for Atmos Energy, said.

Maverick Boys and Girls Club of Amarillo Shining Stars hold the check representing the $10,750 donation from Atmos Energy, presented to the organization Thursday afternoon at the club's location, 1923 S Lincoln St.
Maverick Boys and Girls Club of Amarillo Shining Stars hold the check representing the $10,750 donation from Atmos Energy, presented to the organization Thursday afternoon at the club's location, 1923 S Lincoln St.
Maverick Boys and Girls Club of Amarillo Shining Stars hold the check representing the $10,750 donation from Atmos Energy, presented to the organization Thursday afternoon at the club's location, 1923 S Lincoln St.
Maverick Boys and Girls Club of Amarillo Shining Stars hold the check representing the $10,750 donation from Atmos Energy, presented to the organization Thursday afternoon at the club's location, 1923 S Lincoln St.

According to the Maverick, among the 650 children the Maverick of Amarillo serves across its six locations, almost 90% of its members face food insecurity. Donna Soria, CEO and Executive Director of Maverick Boys & Girls Club of Amarillo, said that it is through community partnerships like this that allows the Maverick to ensure each child receives a nourishing meal upon their arrival at its after-school program every day, and provides dinner and snacks for the children who stay with the organization until 1 a.m. while their parents work the night shift at Tyson.

"Sometimes it's not about what you have; its about what you have done. And Atmos saw that there was a need and a want here to provide more food for the kids, and they said they want to support the kids having the chance to eat what they want to eat and whether we go out to eat or order in or go shopping," Soria said.

The Maverick said that with the "no strings attached" food donation, they will be able to go above and beyond for the children in being able to offer some "normalcy" with the occasional change in their meals and snacks.

According to Soria, when the organization first found out they would be receiving the donation form Atmos Energy, they went to the children and asked them what they wanted to eat, and the children described items like chicken nuggets along with fast food options like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Wing Stop and Wienerschnitzel, to name a few.

Soria said that with this donation, she will be able to provide the children with those special occasion and "just because" meals that the children want and often hear about from their friends in school.

"Most of the time kids that are in poverty don't have the same opportunities that every kid has, which is why we sometimes hear poverty prevents opportunities, and we work to give these kids a chance to be what they call 'normal,'" Soria said.

"When you ask these kids what is normal, normal is what everybody else is doing. So, if everyone else is getting to school on time, they say they just want to get to school on time. If they see everyone else wearing new tennis shoes, they just want to be like everyone else, and it is the same with the food. They hear their friends talk about going out to eat or eating fast food, and they want to be normal and have that nice treat once in a while, and with this donation, we can give them that," Soria added.

Maverick Boys and Girls Club of Amarillo Shining Stars hold the check representing the $10,750 donation from Atmos Energy. It was presented to the organization Thursday afternoon at the club's location, 1923 S Lincoln St.
Maverick Boys and Girls Club of Amarillo Shining Stars hold the check representing the $10,750 donation from Atmos Energy. It was presented to the organization Thursday afternoon at the club's location, 1923 S Lincoln St.

Atmos Energy said this donation came from their Fueling Safe and Thriving Communities Initiative that allows the organization to allocate funds specifically designated to alleviate and combat food insecurities throughout the Texas Panhandle.

"We are just so excited to partner with them, because (of) the ability to be able to fuel our kiddos, because the last thing we want is kids not getting enough to eat or quality food. This donation will ensure that they have enough food to fuel their body and have enough energy to focus on school, and continue to thrive in our community," Gonzales said.

The Maverick said it strives to be a home away from home for the children and wants to give them food and items and snacks that they want and enjoy, such as fresh fruit, chips, cereal, drinks, beef jerky, cheese crackers, pickles and more. With the funds, each of the children will be able to create their own "grocery list," which Maverick officials will shop for and provide for the children.

For more information about the Maverick and their mission, visit them online at https://maverickclub.org/ .

To learn more about Atmos Energy and how they benefit the community, visit them online at https://www.atmosenergy.com/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Atmos Energy gives $10,750 to Maverick Club for children's food