Panem Origin Story
Hi! My name is Joseph Adorno, and I'm the founder and CEO of Panem Store alongside my beautiful wife Natalia Sepulveda. The story of our business started in the summer of 2016. That summer Natalia and I went on our first short term mission trip together to Santo Domingo, D.R.
As we prepared and traveled to Santo Domingo, I imagined the people we would meet, the work we would do, and the impact we might have. By the end of the trip, however, I realized that a large part of the impact occurred in me and my team. Ministering to others, in turn ministered us. The experience changed my life, and I realized my calling was in evangelism and teaching the Word of God - in missions somehow.
That calling lead me to become a Youth Pastor at my local church and to the development of Panem Store. Originally, the idea was to help people in need through direct charitable donations. However, during our missionary preparation, we learned about the negative effects charitable donations may have in the economy of a foreign nation. Although we love helping people in need by providing items they may be lacking, we also believe in the idea of "teaching a man to fish."
In Santo Domingo, it also became clear to me that many missionaries around the world are in need themselves. While in Santo Domingo, there was one day in particular where there wasn't enough food for everyone to eat a warm meal. The organizations many missionaries are a part of typically do not provide them with income, and in order to continue the work of the Lord, they must spend part of their time in fund raising.
The focus and mission of Panem Store is to alleviate the financial stress of missionaries by contributing financially to their ministry, allowing them to focus on what truly matters - loving God and loving people, teaching and preaching the Word of God, meeting the spiritual and physical needs of people, serving in their communities. We believe the worker worthy of a salary.
We currently strive to fulfill this mission through the creation of Christian shirts, jackets, hoodies, hats & more. When you purchase Panem gear, you are helping us achieve the mission because 10% of profits and 100% of donations go to helping missionaries and people in need. I hope you’ll like what you see and be inspired to help us make a difference in the world! Please partner with us and shop at the official Panem online store for our full range of apparel and accessories.