Hard times have hit us all in one form or another.
We’ve received assistance from family, and friends. However, sometimes that isn’t enough and we have to turn to the community.
In Champaign, a group of volunteers have created an initiative to support community members. The food pantry, Hittin Homeboy, was started by Justin Micheal Hendrix, to help combat hunger in the community. These Take What You Need and Leave What You Can boxes are designed and built by Marshall Lawston and a team of volunteers.
Aside from the food and clothes that you expect to find, the boxes also hold personal protection equipment, such as masks and gloves. This initiative is something to be supported because other organizations often require displaced people to go through an authentication process, which might require information they don’t know or have.
Other times, people are just looking for a meal to get them to their next paycheck. These boxes provide a quicker solution.
Often what those needing these services seek the most are items we take for granted. When you’re donating to the boxes, think about what you’d give to your own family. What the food pantries often need are:
- Bread
- Boxed/evaporated milk
- Pop-top canned goods
- Pasta sauce and noodles
- Oil
- Cake mix and frosting (for birthday cakes)
- Canned tuna/chicken
- Crackers
- Spices
- Tea/coffee
- Cereal
- Oatmeal (old fashioned/quick oats)
- Dishwashing liquid
- Toilet paper
Other things that can be donated to the boxes are clothes. A pack of socks can go a long way for someone. These are also items that we take for granted because some of us have never gone without them.
Clothing that you’d normally send to Goodwill, where it’d be sold for a profit, can be donated to these boxes.
Items that can be donated to the clothing closets:
- Feminine hygiene products
- New packages of socks
- New packages of underwear for girls/women, boys/men in varying sizes.
- Slightly worn but still usable jackets and coats
- Slightly worn but usable shoes (ex. Boots, sneakers etc)
- Winter gear (Hats, gloves, scarves)
The food pantries and clothing closets can be found at these locations
- Bethel AME Church 401 E Park St
- Champaign City Hall
- In Partnership with First Followers 408 Louisiana St
- Community Closet 202 South Broadway
