Cans of vegetables, boxes of pasta and rolls of toilet paper had been neatly stacked and arranged inside the simple wooden dresser, waiting to help someone in need.
Michelle Waugh Dahl set up the mini-food pantry outside her home on the east side of Franklin. If people need help, they can come and get it any time.
“There’s always a time when someone needs things in their lives. If there’s anything I can do to help people, that’s what I want to do. If we’re not helping people, there’s really no purpose to life,” Dahl said.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThrough some different community-minded individuals, the needy now have another resource to lean on. Small self-serve food pantries are popping up in Johnson County neighborhoods, and more are planned to be installed later this spring.
The concept is simple: residents or organizations stuff non-perishable food inside the boxes, close the door and allow people struggling to feed themselves or their families take what they need.
The success of the boxes depends on the generosity of the community around them. The pantries are not stocked regularly, but people can stop by at any time to drop off food, toiletries or other items that can help.
As the motto on the boxes say, people are encouraged to take what they need, and bring back or give what they can.
“Food insecurity is still a big problem in Johnson County for a lot of people, and there are resources in place to help,” said Larry Noonan, part of one group constructing these boxes. “But there isn’t any emergency food provider right now. These Blessing Boxes are that.”
Johnson County agencies and churches have created a net of food pantries, free community meals and other resources to help the homeless and poverty stricken.
But sometimes their need is greater than the assistance available. Food pantries have limits on the number of days you can come by. Sometimes, people might be hungry late at night or early in the morning, when no other resources are open.
The free food pantry concept is one that has taken root with churches, community groups and neighborhoods throughout the U.S. In central Indiana, boxes have been set up at high-poverty areas such as at the Martin Luther King Service Center and Francis W. Parker Montessori School 56, both in Indianapolis.
The boxes have different names, such as Little Free Pantries and Blessing Boxes. But the idea is all the same, getting food to people to need it when they need it.
Noonan and a group of his fellow students in this year’s Leadership Johnson County class have been working for the past four months on installing these Blessing Boxes.
Calling themselves Food for Thought, the group is creating and installing the boxes throughout the county.
Leadership Johnson County is a nine-month training program aimed at creating new leaders in the community. The class meets once a month, focusing on a different aspect of leadership each time.
One of the requirements of the program is to break into small groups and pick a community project. Each group chose an issue they felt could impact the community.
Food for Thought’s project came together behind their shared concern about hunger issues.
“It’s been really neat to see the different groups come together and focus on solving different issues that they see in the county, a lot of different things, and getting to know other people who love the county and want to see it do well,” said Darren Habig, a member of Food for Thought.
The free pantry idea was presented by team member Amanda Martin, who saw the idea popping up in northern Indiana. After researching the program and discussing what it would require, the group determined that it would be a perfect project for them.
“It seems like there has been a lot of success in other places that have had these boxes,” Habig said.
The boxes will be 2 feet wide and 2 feet tall, mounted on a wooden post set in the ground. The structures are similar to the free lending libraries that have been set up in Franklin, Bargersville and Greenwood.
Supplies and the cost of stocking the boxes the first time were covered by $750 provided through Leadership Johnson County.
Food for Thought has partnered with the wood shop students at Franklin Community High School to build the boxes as part of a class project. Group members have also worked with organizations such as the homeless assistance group KIC-IT and Greenwood Christian Church to host the boxes. Those groups will help watch over the pantries and stock them when supplies are running low.
A placard listing the location of larger food pantries, the schedule of free meals and the United Way’s Help Line number will also be affixed to each box.
The hope is to have the pantries installed in late March or early April.
“Between now and then, we’re going to finalize these plans with some of the organizations to where exactly they’ll be,” Noonan said.
One such box has already up and running in Franklin. Dahl, who lives at 102 Weber Ct., wanted to put in a pantry after seeing information about the concept on Facebook.
As single mother, she had received help from family, friends and strangers. This was a chance to give back, she said. Also, with the divisive political nature that has seemed to permeate society over the past few years, the pantry could be a positive unifying force in the community.
“Everybody is so angry on Facebook and opinionated, we need to be doing things for each other. Maybe the rest of this will all work out,” she said.
The box is situated on her porch right now, and already people have dropped off enough food and supplies to fill it. Dahl plans to put one near the curb in the coming weeks.
“I know that it can be uncomfortable for people to walk up my driveway to get to the pantry, so I’m hoping the curbside will make it easier,” she said. “I’d love to see them sprouting up in neighborhoods around town.”
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Applications for the 2017-18 class of Leadership Johnson County are now available.
What: Leadership Johnson County is a community program composed of one-day forums designed to train and strengthen 21st-century leaders. With a focus on experiential learning, participants work together to help address community issues while furthering their personal leadership skills.
Who can sign up: Any resident of Johnson County may apply to participate. Non-residents may also apply, provided they have worked or have been active in the county at least two years immediately before the application time.
Cost: $1,250 for the 10-month program. Applications received by March 1 will receive a $50 discount on tuition. All applications are due electronically by March 15.
How to apply: Visit www.leadershipjohnsoncounty.org or contact Kate Taylor at [email protected] or by calling 317-738-8094.
Information session: A presentation to answer questions will be held at 8 a.m. Tuesday in the Henderson Conference Room, on the second floor of the Johnson Center for the Fine Arts at Franklin College. Please RSVP to Taylor.
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In addition to Food for Thought, other projects are being completed through this year’s Leadership Johnson County class. Here is a rundown of what members are working on:
Cantastic 7
Members: Kathleen Anderson, Tim Edsell, Bryan Epperson, Cindy Hiland-McNalley, Craig Koch, Lisa Lintner, Jerry Spindler
Purpose: Engaging Johnson County youth in activities that will equip them to solve tough problems, evaluate science and make sense of information.
Project: You Can Make a Difference, a Canstruction Jr. event, where teams of students create three-dimensional sculptures using unopened cans of food. The hope was to get teams from all private and public schools in the county to compete against each other, by choosing a nonprofit charity to represent and raise funds for. The event was held on Jan. 14.
Minors with Manners
Members: Emily Brodbeck, Caleb Drake, Davin Harpe, Regina Harvey, Andrea Martin, Amy Richardson, Dale Wright
Purpose: To ingrain a sense of basic professionalism within young people during a pivotal period of growth.
Project: Planning an etiquette dinner to be attended by two fourth-graders from each Johnson County elementary school. The participants will be exposed to the proper use of manners, dialogue and customs to use later in their professional lives.
Alert Johnson County
Members: Steve Barnett, Jeff Buck, Amanda Cottingham, Jessica Daugherty, Kim Henderson, Kim Lee, Katie Prine, Dan Todaro
Purpose: To prevent unnecessary injury or death as a result of being unaware of severe weather.
Project: The team has worked with 11 fire departments and the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency to compile a comprehensive county map of tornado siren locations, siren buffer areas, population densities and shelter locations. The map will be published through all of the fire department websites.
Senior Support Superstars
Members: Karen Brandon, Andy Brock, Michelle Hawkins, Tim Settles, Thelma Slisher, Kim Smith, John Spista, Daniel Stahl
Purpose: To build a platform that will connect the seniors most in need with resources currently available in Johnson County
Project: Developing a web-based resource for seniors, ExploreJoCoSeniorCare.com, where they can learn about financial support and fraud prevention, home help, transportation and mobility and food resources. A pamphlet containing this same information will be distributed to libraries, hospitals, churches and community centers.
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