GNY EP.183 | Feeding Kids, Breaking Cycles & Building Community feat. Jack Pflanz from Erin’s Angels
In this heartfelt episode of Good News York, host Noah Chrysler sits down with Jack Pflanz, Director of Fund Development and Communications for Erin’s Angels of CNY — a nonprofit food pantry dedicated to fighting child food insecurity in Central New York. Jack shares a deeply personal story of growing up in poverty and hunger, and how that experience drove him to devote his career to making sure no child goes through what he did.
Erin’s Angels operates a weekend backpack meal program in the Phoenix, New York School District, packing 500 meal bags every month and delivering them discreetly through teachers so that kids and families maintain their dignity. The program was founded nine years ago by Sheila Dion after she noticed children asking for food to bring home on weekends — and it has grown into a multi-faceted organization with two offices, an endowment, a scholarship program, a community outreach initiative, and now a summer meals delivery program.
Jack walks us through the staggering reality of food insecurity in the region — in Oswego County alone, one in five children goes to bed hungry on any given night. Feeding America has cited Oswego, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties among the top 10 most food-insecure counties in New York State. But rather than just highlighting the problem, Jack shares how Erin’s Angels is doing something about it — from partnering with the Food Bank of Central New York (just $5 feeds a kid for an entire weekend) to maintaining an Amazon wish list where anyone can purchase directly-needed items like cereal cups, fruit snacks, and mac and cheese cups.
We also discuss several upcoming events: a June 13th Bed Build in partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a Meet & Greet with former NFL and SU players on June 14th, the NFL Alumni Charity Golf Classic, and a summer fundraising campaign to keep meal bags going to kids even when school is out. Jack also shares the inspiring story of Douglas — a former program recipient turned scholarship winner now studying web design — as a living example of what Erin’s Angels is really about: breaking the cycle.
Whether you want to volunteer, donate, or simply share on social media, every bit of support helps ensure that the children of Central New York have the nourishment they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
🌐 Learn more & get involved: www.erinsangels.com
📱 Follow Erin’s Angels on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn
📦 Shop the Amazon Wish List at erinsangels.com
📞 Contact Jack directly: jack@erinsangels.com | 315-374-0693
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Chapters:
0:00 – Cold open: Jack on growing up hungry
0:31 – Welcome & guest intro
0:40 – Jack introduces himself
0:49 – What is Erin’s Angels?
1:09 – How the program works (backpack meal bags)
2:09 – The need: food insecurity stats in CNY
3:49 – Origin story of Erin’s Angels
6:14 – How many kids are being fed?
6:36 – Most popular food items in the bags
7:58 – Upcoming events overview
11:55 – Meet & Greet with NFL & SU players
14:58 – Summer Meals Program
17:56 – Why Jack does this work (personal story)
20:17 – Impact on volunteers & the community
20:17 – Closing thoughts & final call to action
