project leader
Allison L
location
15605 Waterloo Rd
(East side Cleveland neighborhoods )
latest update rss
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the project

Give Box Cleveland consists of multiple always “open”, weatherproof, wood boxes filled with non-perishables, toiletries and notes of positivity that sit on a post in the lawns of generous stewards. Neighbors come and go anonymously - giving what they can and taking what they need without the barriers that come with food assistance programs. Give Box Cleveland brings the LFP concept to Cleveland neighborhoods, activating community engagement to fill an immediate and local need and increase charity and neighborliness. 

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank reports that one in six people in Northeast Ohio does not know where their next meal comes from. Many families in Cleveland neighborhoods struggle with providing basics like diapers and formula. The great diversity of our communities means that a block or so away, people are working living-wage jobs and can afford to buy an extra pair of socks or box of pasta knowing it will be put to good, anonymous use by a neighbor in need. And that same charitable contribution will be there in the case of a lay-off, sickness or other hard time so that the once giver can also be the receiver of the items in the pantries.

This project is about the power of collaboration and will be designed, built and installed with my leadership and the skills and labor from “Kids of the 2016”, a local non-profit started by a millennial for at-risk high school students. “Kids” works with Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU), a workforce development program that builds technical skills, confidence and independence in youth to reach their full potential. YOU provides the insurance, paycheck and OSHA training to these employees, aged 16-19, who receive above minimum wage for their work during summer months, including building these boxes. This labor is paid for through grants to YOU and “Kids”. Boxes will be installed in the neighborhoods where the youth employees and I live, adding to the positive effect of this community project.

 

the steps

The week of June 25th, youth employees will build the boxes with materials paid for by this crowd-sourced campaign and other potential grant funding. 

So within the month, we'll have these awesome boxes ready to get out into the community - but how will these Give Boxes be filled with all of this essential stuff? That’s where YOU come in!

On Saturday, July 7th, 2018 from 11am to 1pm at Waterloo Arts (15605 Waterloo Road - or the lawn across E.156th Street in good weather), members of the community are encouraged to drop off unused, unexpired supplies at the first ever GIVE day. From chapstick to toothpaste, dried pasta to canned beans, your contribution can make a difference.

And while you are donating goods and stopping by the Waterloo Arts District, why not get a little creative and grab a paint brush and join volunteers as we paint the hand-built Little Free Pantries before they are disseminated to the stewards? Brushes and paint will be provided.

At GIVE day, anyone can donate items, paint a box (we will have stencils for non-artists!) and jot down a few positive messages for inside the boxes. And please do come to meet the teenagers who are making an impact in their own communities through this collaboration with YOU and ‘Kids of the 216’. To learn more about this project, check out: https://www.facebook.com/giveboxcle/

​Later this summer, the same youth employees will install the boxes on treelawns of generous stewards throughout east-side neighborhoods in Cleveland.

 

why we're doing it

In 2016 an Arkansas woman saw a need in her community and recognized her own power to help address it. This woman began the Little Free Pantry project, which has spread to Akron and Berea, and thanks to an awesome collaboration, now Cleveland through ‘Give Box CLE’.

Hunger is pervasive in many Cleveland neighborhoods, including Collinwood, where the Community Give Day will occur on July 7th and where Give Box Cleveland founder Allison lives. Despite being in the footprint of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Salvation Army and multiple faith-based food pantries, one in five people in Northeast Ohio is food insecure, meaning they do not know where their next meal comes from.

Little Free Pantries including ‘Give Box CLE’ won’t fix this staggering statistic, but together we can positively impact the quality of life for our neighbors. Just like Little Free Libraries - which have popped up in Collinwood throughout the years - Give Box CLE is a sturdy wood box outfitted with shelves and a plexiglass door that sits on a post in the lawns of generous stewards. Neighbors can come and go from these boxes anonymously - giving what they can and taking what they need without the barriers that sometimes come with food assistance programs. 

In addition to non-perishable goods, Give Boxes contain personal care items, toiletries, information about government supported aide and notes of positivity and gratitude.

 

budget

Disbursed Budget 6.26.18

Raised = $340.00
less ioby Platform Fee waived
less ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $9.90
Total to Disburse = $330.10
Materials for 5 pilot give boxes which will be designed, built and installed in summer 2018 by Cleveland east-side neighborhood youth employees through “Kids of the 2016” and Youth Opportunities Unlimited. These materials include plywood, metal brackets, plexiglass, door hardware, nails, concrete and paint.

Original Budget

This is a low-cost, high-impact project. $500 grant will provide materials for 5 pilot give boxes which will be designed, built and installed in summer 2018 by Cleveland east-side neighborhood youth employees through “Kids of the 2016” and Youth Opportunities Unlimited. These materials include plywood, metal brackets, plexiglass, door hardware, nails, concrete and paint.

The $100 material cost of each give box is leveraged against separately grant-funded labor.

The public is helping to paint these boxes during a ‘Community Give Day’ on July 7, 2018.



Subtotal = $500
ioby Platform Fee  waived
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $15
Total to raise = $515

 

updates

Sorry, but this project doesn't have any updates yet.

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Rachel and Kyle Kresge
  • Michael Love
  • Gail Family
  • Steven Aviram
  • Woolner family
  • Linda B.
  • Mary Mastalski