ST. PETERSBURG and TAMPA BAY – St. Petersburg native Sapheria Emani Samuels is the force behind Packs of Love Foundation, Inc. (POL), a nonprofit she founded in 2022.
She formed the nonprofit in response to witnessing the struggles faced by displaced foster care children in the system while serving as a dependency case manager in Hillsborough County.
Holding a BS degree in Psychology from Bethune-Cookman University and a Master’s from Georgia Southern University in Higher Education Administration, Samuels also teaches at Boca Ciega High School and is the owner of the motivational stationary brand, “Inspired Growth.”
“There simply was not enough resources or manpower to handle the influx of children who entered the foster care system,” Samuels recalls of realities that prodded her to start Packs of Love…