Shawn Biggs, President
Shawn Biggs has an extensive background in the nonprofit sector, having served in various capacities on several boards, spanning more than a decade. A life-long resident of Spokane he has dedicated much of his life to giving back to the community he grew up in. Being part of a team that created an amazing corporate stewardship program that earned the Agora Award for Community Service, he decided to use that experience as a jumping off point to expand into working directly with nonprofits whose missions really spoke to him. Having several close friends and family who have experienced food insecurity and homelessness, the mission of Giving Back Packs instantly resonated with him. He hopes to bring his experience and leadership to Giving Back Packs to help propel the organization through it's next stage of growth.
Sarah Grant Welliver, Vice President
Owner, Spokane Party Bus, BoxFit Boxing Gym, Lem’s Pops
Promoter at Beat Boxing Promotions
Sarah Grant Welliver saw the original Facebook post in 2015, when Rick first asked for donations to fill a backpack for a homeless man in need, and her interest was sparked.
Sarah has the gift of being there for the moments that count most—from seeing and sharing the very first Giving Back Packs post, to volunteering at Spokane’s winter warming shelters and giving out conversation and hugs to the people who stay there, to owning a party bus business that lets her be a supportive part of people’s “best days.” She is excited to bring her heart for service and her joy in moments of pure human connection to her work as a board member for Giving Back Packs.
With her husband, Sarah owns Spokane Party Bus; BoxFit, a boxing gym in North Spokane; and Lem’s Pops, an ice cream truck business. She has four adult children and a 5-year-old daughter, Lemyn, who is the namesake of Lem’s Pops.
April Anderson, Treasurer
Business Intelligence Site Lead – Umpqua Bank, Co-Executive Director NW Unity (Unity in the Community) and Leadership Spokane Class of 2022.
Born and raised in Los Angeles California, April moved to Washington State in her senior year of high school. In October 1991 she began her career in with Sterling Bank (now Umpqua Bank) and is currently in her dream job in the Data Management office.
After a divorce April was a single mom raising 2 daughters at age 1 and 3 without a car, job and barely a place to stay. April remembers standing in the cheese line and receiving donations from the food bank at the Salvation Army and how the grocery stores treated you for using food stamps and WIC. The struggle lasted many years but as her life stabilized the desire to give back was a driver in being involved in the community and Giving Back Packs/Spokane Quaranteam lines up with her core values and mission.
April serves as Finance Manager of Umpqua Bank’s Women’s Resource Group and Board Member of a 52-unit section 8 apartment complex she has also held numerous boards of director positions. April has also held numerous leadership roles within her church, Bethel AME. Currently she is Co-Executive director of NW Unity a non-profit that puts on an annual event, Unity in the Community, the region’s largest multi-cultural celebration of diversity.
In 2019 April received Umpqua’s Community Leadership Award for community involvement and the Spokane Chapter of Links Incorporated honored her with their Community Service Award.
She loves her role at the bank, but especially appreciates the opportunities given with her work in the community specifically, underrepresented communities.
Dustin Fedak, Secretary
Dustin Fedak has a big history of giving back to the Spokane community, and he aims to continue that work through being a board member for Giving Back Packs.
Dustin serves as an admin of a large community service group on Facebook and helps his members get involved in causes as diverse as raising money to pay for school lunch debts, volunteering for events for kids who have lost a parent, supporting locally owned businesses, and volunteering for suicide prevention.
When he went out to hand out backpacks the first time, he was touched. “As a human being who has encountered hard times, I know how difficult it can be to move forward if no one is willing to grab your hand,” Dustin says. “I saw that the people we were meeting needed to understand that they are still wanted and needed in our community.”
Outside of work and volunteering, Dustin is busy being a good husband and father. He has a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old.
