Hope Chest Charitable Partnerships

The Hope Chest partners with local charities such as Salvation Army, Carol House of Hope, the Pekin Housing Authority, the Bridgeway Impact Team and many more organizations to help the needy. These organizations and many others aid people who find themselves in need. We save flip flops and scrubs for the shelters, as well as personal grooming items for the residents. Often, men and women arrive at the shelter with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The staff at the shelters will call us and send their residents to the HOPE Chest. We often outfit them and their children with new clothes, shoes and outerwear at no cost to the recipient. In addition, the HOPE Chest often collects paper and cleaning products for the Pekin Housing Authority residents.
The HOPE Chest also has Homeless Kits prepared thru our HOPE for the Homeless Program we provide.

Food Donations help our HOPE Cupboard

The HOPE Chest donates available food items to our needy guests. Local retailers and food establishments often provide canned goods, fresh produce and bakery products. Midwest Food Bank also provides bread to the HOPE Chest and a load-out of food once a month. We also partner with the Peoria Area Food Bank.  In addition to our Bread of HOPE Program, once a week we receive 200-300 packages of bread, muffins, bagels and buns to distribute to our hungry guests. Along with the bread, we often have commodities of various food items to share. We have opened full-running, food pantry called the HOPE Cupboard which operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m from our Pekin facility and on Thursdays from 1-4 pm at our Havana facility. Currently we are serving 125-200 families a week thru the HOPE Cupboard.

Donate financially now to the Food Pantry Project called the HOPE Cupboard by clicking on the DONATE button or you can bring by canned food items to restock our shelves as we serve needy families.

You may also contact Rhonda Greene - our HOPE Cupboard Food Pantry Director.

Become a Church or Business Partner

     Although The HOPE Chest is a Christian organization, it is not supported by any one church or denomination. Our goal is to reach out to those who are in need and to partner with other churches, businesses, and charitable organizations to bring the mission of God’s love to the Tazewell County area. Working alongside local churches, businesses and civic organizations, we are able to expand our mission field and increase the number of homeless, impoverished and hungry people that we are able to reach. The HOPE Chest has many requests for emergency financial assistance each week. We are not funded to help in that way, but instead of turning our guests away, we make an effort to get help for them by contacting other local agencies.
     Recently, an unemployed man came in looking for  help for his family. We were able to give him some personal items, winter clothing for his child, and referrals for a job and shelter.
     We helped a young mother who is leaving the shelter and entering housing, by blessing her with clothes for her children and household items for their new apartment. 
     Our Outreach Team visits local food pantries and hot food kitchens in local churches. By doing so, we are made aware of each organization's rules, qualifications, and processes. We can refer our guests to the help that is available locally. As we develop valuable relationships with churches in the Pekin area, we can get residents the help that they need when they need it.