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Feed 183 families each week at Open Hands Pantry in Knoxville

Piper runs a volunteer pantry feeding 183 families; this fund restocks shelves for the rainy season.

🇺🇸 United States1,149 views
Piper R. Wheeler
Email verified
Knoxville
Since 2023, our volunteer team has run Open Hands Pantry every Wednesday from the back of the parish hall. We started with 18 families, and now we feed 183 each week. Donations have dropped by about 58% this rainy season, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 10 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Knoxville market and keep every receipt. Each $60 feeds a family of four for a week. I'll post the weekly shopping receipts and a photo of the shelves each Sunday. Where the $2,550 goes: • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $850 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $1,000 • Baby formula and diapers: $270 • Refrigeration and electricity: $430 I hope life is good to you. - Piper
#food-pantry#hunger#volunteer-led#food

Updates from Piper

  1. Good news. Because of your gifts ($463 in total) the first invoice got paid this week. Still a way to go but it feels less lonely.

  2. Wanted to say thank you properly. 16% funded and I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts.

  3. Thank you all. We're at 5% now ($120). I'm honestly stunned. I met with the wholesaler and confirmed the amounts.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Yolanda López 🇨🇴 · $730

    “Keep your head up. - Cali”

  • Sarah Charlotte Meier 🇩🇪 · $200
  • Anonymous 🇪🇹 · $100
  • Wagner Edson Pinto 🇧🇷 · $68
  • Kunal H. Agarwal 🇮🇳 · $56.50

    “This is from my last paycheck, glad to do it. - Amritsar”

  • Vikas N. Kumar 🇮🇳 · $50
  • Radhika Chowdary 🇮🇳 · $50

    “Thought of Piper all day after reading this. - Mumbai”

  • Yolanda N. Rangel 🇺🇸 · $50

    “Hope you get the rest soon. - Lansing”

  • Lydia Cruz 🇨🇦 · $30

    “Hope this covers a bit of it. - Laval”

  • Ishrat Barua 🇮🇳 · $25
  • Clémence Sarah Martin 🇫🇷 · $20
  • Siddharth K. Gandhi 🇮🇳 · $10

    “God bless! - Aurangabad”

Reviews

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Questions & comments

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  • Jung-ho Eun-woo KuQuestionPhoto verified

    Is there a list of costs somewhere? Just curious how it adds up for Piper.

    • Piper R. WheelerOwnerAnswer

      The list at the bottom is the whole picture. rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale) is the biggest at $850.

  • Frank F. Adams

    projects like this are what make a place worth living in. This is the second need I've supported on here and the first that made me cry

    • Wafula KiptooQuestion

      Any update on how things are going in Knoxville?

      • Dominique Dominique Poirier

        Thinking of you and your family, Piper. I hope things turn around soon. All the best.

        • Martijn Martijn Van der Veen

          Wishing you the best, Piper. Hope this works out for you. God bless

          • Sachiko Fumiko Hasegawa

            Thinking of you, Piper. It takes guts to ask. Well done. Blessings.

            • Olivier Florian Morel

              Thinking of you, Piper. More neighborhoods should do this. Love from Auckland.

              • Nuria S. Medina

                Thinking of you and your family. I hope things turn around soon. Take care.

                • Óscar H. Herrera

                  Looking forward to the next update. After 8 years in retail I know how hard it's to ask for anything

                  • Bola Uzor

                    It takes guts to ask. Well done. Our whole street has been following this since the weekend. Take care.

                    $1,389.50 raised of $2,550

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