The Jewish Family Services food pantry is seeking help during its summer WipeOut campaign to keep the shelves of its two locations stocked. Each month, the pantry provides clients with more than 2,700 rolls of toilet paper.
Now is the perfect time to host a COVID-19-safe drive at your workplace, neighborhood, camp, swim team or club — JFS has all the tools to help you make your summer WipeOut drive safe and successful. JFS will drop off and pick up barrels or totes for your collection as well as provide materials, including downloadable fliers and posters and online resources to help promote your drive at www.jfskc.org.
“We are looking for organizations and individuals to get creative this year and help other families in Kansas City with this essential item. It has been amazing to see the difference the community has made in response to the increased need for assistance and demand hasn’t stopped,” said Jo Hickey, JFS food pantry director.
Toilet paper is one of those bare necessities SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) does not cover. With the pantry serving more than 900 families each month, keeping toilet paper in stock is a challenge. The pandemic increased demand, so JFS is asking for the public’s help.
Ideas for hosting a toilet paper drive include:
Place a food pantry barrel or bin on the organizer’s front porch or community pool.
Host a summer WipeOut drive in conjunction with camp, ballgame or special event.
Host a lemonade stand, offering a cup as a thank you to everyone who brings toilet paper or provides a monetary donation to purchase.
Drop off a bag with a note on neighbors’ doorsteps explaining the drive and indicating a date when you or other volunteers will return to pick up donations.
Host a virtual summer WipeOut drive by connecting employees or members of your group to JFS’s food pantry wish list through AmazonSmile.
If you are interested in hosting a WipeOut toilet paper drive, email or call Hickey at (913) 327-8257.
Toilet paper donations can also be dropped off in designated JFS food pantry barrels in the lobby of the Jewish Community Campus during business hours or delivered to the circle drive of the building from 10 a.m. to noon, June 20. Donations can be delivered to the Brookside location, 425 E. 63rd St. by appointment by calling (816) 333-1172.
