Food Bank opens gift shop for patrons to showcase their crafts

food bank opens gift shop for crafts created by patrons
food bank opens gift shop for crafts created by patrons
[image credit: Billings Food Bank]

Hungry community members have skills, but limited income

Most food bank patrons aren’t hungry because of a lack of skills. Many are talented cooks, artists, or crafters who simply need an opportunity to showcase their abilities.

Solution: open a gift shop to generate some side income for patrons

The Billings Food Bank opened a gift shop to sell original works of art, homemade gifts, jewelry, clothing, and other items created by its patrons. Not only does this create side income and potential exposure for unemployed and underemployed residents of the community, but it also provides valuable training in the possibilities of entrepreneurship. This idea has been successfully tried in many types of nonprofits, from food banks and women’s shelters, to AIDS clinics in West Africa.

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