Cassville's new Helping Hands Pantry provides help without the stigma
December 25, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
Whether you're giving gifts, making a meal or volunteering at a local non-profit, the winter holiday season is all about caring for your fellow humans. Mill Street Church in Cassville is getting in the spirit by starting a new mission to help those in need without the stigma associated with asking for help.
Mill Street Church of Christ's congregation announced the official start of their new Helping Hands Pantry project, a 24/7 free outreach that provides non-perishable food as well as blankets, hygiene items and more for anyone who needs them. The pantry is located at the church outside with open access. Since the facility is not staffed, the congregation is hoping people who need help will be more likely to visit and take what they need.
The project is organized by church member Jason Cockrum, who got the idea after seeing them in other communities. He said, "I have lived in Springfield and Republic and in some larger areas, they have little pantries like this anywhere from a community-level to small neighborhoods. It seemed to work well and be really manageable on a smaller level."
When Cockrum presented the idea to his fellow church members, they accepted the mission with open arms. Cockrum and others have spent the last few weeks getting the pantry up and running and stocked with season-appropriate goods to help the community.
Despite no publicity up to this point, Cockrum said it's already been utilized, which is exciting. He said, "I went ahead with it, and we got everything ready last Thursday with the intention of having it start off slow in terms of publicizing it. We wanted to make sure we got everything organized and get the membership really aware of how it is going to operate before we publicized it.
"It has already been used, so people are finding it."
To begin, the pantry is stocked with some shelf-stable food, personal hygiene, feminine hygiene products, cleaning supplies as well as blankets, hats, gloves, baby bottles and more. Cockrum said that the pantry is open for donations of a variety of items, but there are a few rules regarding putting donations in.
He said, "We would like to stay away from carbonated beverages because of temperature changes. We ask people to use their own judgement depending on the season. In winter, we want to stay away from liquids and things that can freeze and be ruined. In summer, we want to stay away from things that could explode from pressure. If they have any questions, they can call or email us."
Cockrum also said there is a sign inside that lists what to consider when leaving donations, including no medications or harsh chemical cleaners. Cockrum said that because of the church's proximity to the school, they anticipate school-age children accessing it. They don't want to have those types of things available to children who may not understand what it is.
Part of the appeal and planning for the pantry was having it accessible at all hours as well as outside of the church. He said, "I've really seen people be able to accept help more readily because there isn't a stigma of having to ask a physical person at a food pantry for assistance. It takes away the judgment some people feel from needing to ask for assistance. It also empowers people who are donating if they are at the grocery store and pick up one extra can or something, they can drop it off to the pantry and feel that they are helping the community.
"A lot of people feel they have to have a lot of items to donate and stockpile until they have a considerable amount to give, where this makes it more friendly to individuals who don't have a big donation."
The project was also well-received because it doesn't have to be staffed to be operational. Cockrum said, "It's open as it can be to invite others to participate. It's something we really hope can encourage everyone to be receptive about helping on whatever level they can. Whether it's as small as a little pantry like this or a community-wide that a city hosts. It's really about community engagement and involvement."
Eventually, Cockrum hopes it's supported well enough that the church can coordinate with the school to let families know about it. He said, "Once we have this formalized and have more awareness amongst the community and parents, we are absolutely going to encourage the school to let families be aware that it's something they can utilize, as well."
Cockrum said anyone wanting to donate can just stop by and load items into the pantry. He said if someone has more donations or items too big to fit, contact the church and they will coordinate a way to accept the donation.
Mill Street Church of Christ and its pantry is located at 1104 Mill Street in Cassville. For more information or to coordinate a larger donation, call (417) 233-1211 or email [email protected].
Charlea Estes-Jones
Whether you're giving gifts, making a meal or volunteering at a local non-profit, the winter holiday season is all about caring for your fellow humans. Mill Street Church in Cassville is getting in the spirit by starting a new mission to help those in need without the stigma associated with asking for help.
Mill Street Church of Christ's congregation announced the official start of their new Helping Hands Pantry project, a 24/7 free outreach that provides non-perishable food as well as blankets, hygiene items and more for anyone who needs them. The pantry is located at the church outside with open access. Since the facility is not staffed, the congregation is hoping people who need help will be more likely to visit and take what they need.
The project is organized by church member Jason Cockrum, who got the idea after seeing them in other communities. He said, "I have lived in Springfield and Republic and in some larger areas, they have little pantries like this anywhere from a community-level to small neighborhoods. It seemed to work well and be really manageable on a smaller level."
When Cockrum presented the idea to his fellow church members, they accepted the mission with open arms. Cockrum and others have spent the last few weeks getting the pantry up and running and stocked with season-appropriate goods to help the community.
Despite no publicity up to this point, Cockrum said it's already been utilized, which is exciting. He said, "I went ahead with it, and we got everything ready last Thursday with the intention of having it start off slow in terms of publicizing it. We wanted to make sure we got everything organized and get the membership really aware of how it is going to operate before we publicized it.
"It has already been used, so people are finding it."
To begin, the pantry is stocked with some shelf-stable food, personal hygiene, feminine hygiene products, cleaning supplies as well as blankets, hats, gloves, baby bottles and more. Cockrum said that the pantry is open for donations of a variety of items, but there are a few rules regarding putting donations in.
He said, "We would like to stay away from carbonated beverages because of temperature changes. We ask people to use their own judgement depending on the season. In winter, we want to stay away from liquids and things that can freeze and be ruined. In summer, we want to stay away from things that could explode from pressure. If they have any questions, they can call or email us."
Cockrum also said there is a sign inside that lists what to consider when leaving donations, including no medications or harsh chemical cleaners. Cockrum said that because of the church's proximity to the school, they anticipate school-age children accessing it. They don't want to have those types of things available to children who may not understand what it is.
Part of the appeal and planning for the pantry was having it accessible at all hours as well as outside of the church. He said, "I've really seen people be able to accept help more readily because there isn't a stigma of having to ask a physical person at a food pantry for assistance. It takes away the judgment some people feel from needing to ask for assistance. It also empowers people who are donating if they are at the grocery store and pick up one extra can or something, they can drop it off to the pantry and feel that they are helping the community.
"A lot of people feel they have to have a lot of items to donate and stockpile until they have a considerable amount to give, where this makes it more friendly to individuals who don't have a big donation."
The project was also well-received because it doesn't have to be staffed to be operational. Cockrum said, "It's open as it can be to invite others to participate. It's something we really hope can encourage everyone to be receptive about helping on whatever level they can. Whether it's as small as a little pantry like this or a community-wide that a city hosts. It's really about community engagement and involvement."
Eventually, Cockrum hopes it's supported well enough that the church can coordinate with the school to let families know about it. He said, "Once we have this formalized and have more awareness amongst the community and parents, we are absolutely going to encourage the school to let families be aware that it's something they can utilize, as well."
Cockrum said anyone wanting to donate can just stop by and load items into the pantry. He said if someone has more donations or items too big to fit, contact the church and they will coordinate a way to accept the donation.
Mill Street Church of Christ and its pantry is located at 1104 Mill Street in Cassville. For more information or to coordinate a larger donation, call (417) 233-1211 or email [email protected].