First Baptist Church is introducing a new program to assist low income families in Jacksonville on a daily basis.
For the past four years, the Personal Needs Pantry has helped families obtain basic personal hygiene and household cleaning items.
Kim Runkle, a Personal Needs Pantry volunteer, believes the program helps struggling individuals maintain a sense of dignity and a healthy home environment.
“We discovered there are a lot of food programs in Jacksonville. That is very important, but not a single program was solely focused on personal and household hygiene. We provide soap, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper and cleaning products,” says Runkle.
Runkle notes the community has been very generous in its support of the Personal Needs Pantry.
“We have been lucky enough to get sponsorship from the Sunrise Rotary Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Illinois College and some other churches have done product drives for us,” says Runkle.
Visits are limited to every 60 days or six times a year. Referrals from Salvation Army, The Food Center, local churches and various social service agencies will be accepted.
The church office is open 8:30-11:30 on Monday-Friday.