Help Memphis places small, accessible cabinets and community pantries around Memphis so families can take what they need and neighbors can easily give food, baby essentials, school supplies, coats, seasonal items, and other practical necessities.
Jack's idea is simple and powerful: place small community pantries and cabinets in neighborhoods, schools, churches, businesses, and community spaces around Memphis. Anyone who needs food, baby essentials, school supplies, coats, seasonal items, or other practical necessities can take what they need — no questions asked. Anyone who wants to help can leave non-perishable items or approved essentials for others.
Because Jack loves to read, he was inspired by the Little Free Library model and thought a similar community-based approach could help families access everyday essentials in a simple, dignified, and neighborhood-friendly way. Over time, Help Memphis hopes to use these cabinets as a flexible mechanism for matching community generosity with real needs — from food and diapers to school supplies, coats, hygiene items, and other necessities.
Help Memphis is designed to be flexible. While many pantries begin with food and baby essentials, these cabinets are intended to support real community needs — including school supplies, coats, hygiene items, seasonal necessities, and more — as those needs arise.
Current pantry and cabinet locations are listed below. Help Memphis intends for these cabinets to serve as a flexible way to share more than canned goods and diapers — including school supplies, coats, seasonal items, hygiene products, and other practical essentials as needs are identified.
Between Danny Broadway Studios & Café Eclectic
603 N. McLean Blvd.
Memphis, TN (Midtown)
New community pantry cabinet — take what you need, leave what you can. Shelf-stable food and everyday essentials for Midtown neighbors.
Get Directions Read the press release
164 Washington Street
Collierville, TN 38017
First pantry—stocked with grab-and-go essentials for families who need a little extra help.
Get Directions
3400 Prescott Road
Memphis, TN 38118
This expansion builds on the pantry model to include critical baby care items, in partnership with Porter-Leath's early childhood support services.
Porter-Leath & University of Memphis Early Childhood Academy at Orange Mound
2869 Park Avenue
Memphis, TN
Orange Mound location stocked with diapers and baby wipes to support young families.
Karl & Gail Schledwitz Porter-Leath Early Childhood Academy
3060 Baskin Street
Memphis, TN
Frayser location providing diapers and wipes where families can access essentials more easily.
Patricia Taylor Porter-Leath Early Childhood Center
4207 American Way
Memphis, TN
American Way location helping meet urgent diaper and baby wipe needs for families with young children.
Help Memphis currently includes:
• Danny Broadway Studios / Café Eclectic Midtown (603 N. McLean Blvd.) — new September 2026
• The first pantry at The Mercantile Off Main (Collierville)
• Porter-Leath Pickler Center (Diaper & Baby Essentials Pantry)
• Orange Mound (Porter-Leath & University of Memphis Early Childhood Academy)
• Frayser (Karl & Gail Schledwitz Porter-Leath Early Childhood Academy)
• American Way (Patricia Taylor Porter-Leath Early Childhood Center)
Every donation and act of kindness counts. Help Memphis welcomes the idea of using community cabinets and pantries as a practical mechanism to provide more than canned goods and diapers, including school supplies, coats, seasonal items, hygiene products, and other everyday essentials as needs arise.
Have questions about donating or volunteering? Email us at info@helpmemphis.com.
Jack K. is an inspiring 12-year-old sixth grader at Memphis University School in the Memphis area. He started Help Memphis when he was 11. Kind-hearted and full of energy, Jack loves academics, sports, reading, theater, and even sloths.
After noticing classmates struggling with food access at school, and inspired by his family's long tradition of giving back to the Memphis community, Jack decided to act. Because Jack loves to read, he was inspired by the Little Free Library model and believed a similar neighborhood-based idea could help families access food, baby essentials, school supplies, coats, and other needed items more easily. He hopes to place community pantries across the city and eventually expand the idea further — starting right here in Memphis.
A curated press room of recent coverage, community milestones, interviews, and videos from Help Memphis. Select any story to expand and view more.
New MUS club brings classmates together for pantry support and community service — founding members Jack, Aryav, Drew, Isaiah, and Aiden are getting more students involved across Memphis.
The club is coordinating with Hutchison School and hopes Help Memphis clubs can grow at more schools across the metro area.
New MUS club brings classmates together for pantry support and community service
MEMPHIS, Tenn., September 7, 2026 — Jack Knight, founder of Help Memphis and a sixth grader at Memphis University School (MUS), launched the MUS Help Memphis Club on September 7, 2026. The new club brings together a group of young men eager to help their neighbors and get more students actively involved in community service.
Founding members of the club are Jack Knight (sixth grade), Aryav (sixth grade), Drew (sixth grade), Isaiah (eighth grade), and Aiden (sixth grade).
Jack and his classmates are excited to welcome other MUS students who want to serve. The club is also coordinating with Hutchison School as Help Memphis looks for more ways for young people across Memphis to take part. Jack hopes Help Memphis clubs can grow at more schools across the metro area so more students can stock pantries, organize collection drives, and support neighbors in need.
About Help Memphis
Founded by Jack Knight, Help Memphis is a youth-led community initiative that uses accessible pantries and cabinets to share food, diapers and other everyday essentials with individuals and families in need. Guided by the motto, “Take what you need. Leave what you can,” the initiative invites neighbors to give what they can and receive help with dignity.
To learn more, find a pantry or explore ways to contribute, visit HelpMemphis.com.
Media Contact: Help Memphis | info@helpmemphis.com
New cabinet between Danny Broadway Studios and Café Eclectic expands Help Memphis’ mission of making food and essential items easily accessible to neighbors in need
MEMPHIS, Tenn., September 5, 2026 — Help Memphis expanded its growing network of community pantries today with the installation of a new Help Memphis cabinet between Danny Broadway Studios and Café Eclectic on North McLean Boulevard in Midtown Memphis.
The new location gives Midtown residents another convenient place to both receive and contribute food and essential items. Like other Help Memphis locations, the cabinet operates on a simple principle:
“Take what you need. Leave what you can.”
Help Memphis’ new Midtown pantry cabinet is located between Danny Broadway Studios and Café Eclectic at 603 N. McLean Blvd.
104.5 The River (Ron & Karen) feel-good story highlighting Help Memphis and the new Midtown pantry near Café Eclectic on North McLean — the Danny Broadway Studios location.
Help Memphis was founded by Jack Knight at age 11 to create a simple, community-driven way to address food insecurity and help families facing difficult circumstances. The initiative places accessible pantry cabinets throughout the Memphis area where anyone in need can take available items with no application, appointment or other barrier to access. Community members are encouraged to help keep the pantries stocked with nonperishable food and other necessities.
“Help Memphis is really about neighbors helping neighbors, and we want to make that as easy as possible,” said Knight. “Danny Broadway Studios is a great location because it is already a place that represents creativity, learning and community. We hope people who need something will feel comfortable taking it, and people who are able to help will stop by and leave something.”
The new location also brings Help Memphis into one of Midtown’s established creative and community-oriented areas.
Danny Broadway is a Memphis-based interdisciplinary visual artist whose work explores color harmony, figurative expression, pattern and surface. Broadway Studios is not only a working creative space but also a place for arts education. Through Studio Hall, advanced visual-art students can participate in hands-on learning involving painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, digital art and art history, along with studio visits, museum and gallery tours, workshops and other creative experiences.
Placing a Help Memphis cabinet at the studio connects two ideas central to strong neighborhoods: creativity and community service.
The cabinet is located between Danny Broadway Studios and Café Eclectic’s Midtown location at 603 N. McLean Blvd., giving it visibility and accessibility in an active part of the neighborhood.
Residents who would like to support the pantry are encouraged to donate shelf-stable items such as canned fruits and vegetables, canned proteins, pasta, rice, peanut butter, cereal and oatmeal. Donations can be placed directly in the cabinet as space permits.
Help Memphis also welcomes businesses, schools, churches, community organizations and property owners interested in hosting or supporting future pantry locations.
About Help Memphis
Founded by Jack Knight, Help Memphis is a youth-led community initiative that uses accessible pantries and cabinets to share food, diapers and other everyday essentials with individuals and families in need. Guided by the motto, “Take what you need. Leave what you can,” the initiative invites neighbors to give what they can and receive help with dignity.
To learn more, find a pantry or explore ways to contribute, visit HelpMemphis.com.
Media Contact: Help Memphis | info@helpmemphis.com
For Memphians, 901 is more than an area code
MEMPHIS, Tenn., September 1, 2026 — For Memphians, 901 is more than an area code. It represents our neighborhoods, our people, and the community we all call home.
At Help Memphis, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate 901 Day than by doing exactly what our name says: helping Memphis.
Through our community pantries, neighbors can give what they can and take what they need — whether that’s food, diapers, personal-care items, or other everyday essentials.
As we celebrate everything that makes Memphis special, we hope 901 Day can also be a reminder that even a small act of kindness can make a real difference for someone right here in our community.
Take what you need. Leave what you can.
💛 Here’s to Memphis.
💛 Here’s to our neighbors.
💛 Here’s to 901 Day.
About Help Memphis
Founded by Jack Knight, Help Memphis is a youth-led community initiative that uses accessible pantries and cabinets to share food, diapers and other everyday essentials with individuals and families in need. Guided by the motto, “Take what you need. Leave what you can,” the initiative invites neighbors to give what they can and receive help with dignity.
To learn more, find a pantry or explore ways to contribute, visit HelpMemphis.com.
Media Contact: Help Memphis | info@helpmemphis.com
Young founder hopes to introduce a Help Memphis club and involve classmates in community service
MEMPHIS, Tenn., August 10, 2026 — Jack Knight, who founded Help Memphis at age 11, began sixth grade at Memphis University School (MUS) today after previously attending St. George’s Independent School. As he joins a new school community, Jack hopes to bring more students into Help Memphis’s work supporting neighbors in need.
Jack would like to introduce Help Memphis as a club at MUS, giving classmates a way to participate directly in local service. Potential activities could include organizing collection drives, restocking community pantries and raising awareness of needs in the Memphis area. His goal is to encourage other children to take an active role in helping their neighbors and see how their contributions can make a difference.
Jack Knight, founder of Help Memphis, began sixth grade at Memphis University School on August 10, 2026.
Founded in 1893, Memphis University School is an independent college-preparatory day school for boys in grades six through twelve. Its educational mission combines academic achievement with character development, service and leadership.
MUS’s philanthropic and community service efforts give students regular opportunities to put those values into practice. Through the school’s Civic Service Organization, students help distribute groceries with the Mid-South Food Bank, deliver meals through MIFA Meals on Wheels and tutor children at Balmoral-Ridgeway Elementary School. The organization also supports charitable projects involving Special Olympics and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program. An annual Day of Service connects students with volunteer opportunities across Memphis.
That emphasis on service aligns with Jack’s desire to involve his new classmates in Help Memphis. Through a proposed club, he hopes to give students an ongoing role in keeping pantries stocked and responding to needs in their community.
About Help Memphis
Founded by Jack Knight, Help Memphis is a youth-led community initiative that uses accessible pantries and cabinets to share food, diapers and other everyday essentials with individuals and families in need. Guided by the motto, “Take what you need. Leave what you can,” the initiative invites neighbors to give what they can and receive help with dignity.
To learn more, find a pantry or explore ways to contribute, visit HelpMemphis.com.
Media Contact: Help Memphis | info@helpmemphis.com
June 20 screening of Jaws features Help Memphis giveaways
MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 20, 2026 — Help Memphis sponsored the Orpheum Theatre Group’s Movies at the Orpheum: 70s Blockbusters summer series in downtown Memphis. Its in-person participation took place at the screening of Jaws on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre.
At the Jaws screening, Help Memphis provided moviegoers with branded stickers, koozies, temporary tattoos, buttons, stress balls and wristbands.
The summer lineup includes Close Encounters of the Third Kind on June 13, Jaws on June 20 and Cooley High on June 27, with each screening scheduled for 2 p.m.
The sponsorship reflects Help Memphis’s belief that communities grow stronger when people gather, connect and support one another. Experiencing classic films together in a historic theatre brings families and friends together, complementing the initiative’s work building community through neighborhood pantries and access to everyday essentials.
Help Memphis at the Orpheum Theatre lobby on June 20, 2026 — branded stickers, koozies, temporary tattoos, buttons, stress balls, and wristbands ready for the Jaws screening.
On-stage moment from the June 20, 2026 Jaws screening: Jack Knight introduces Help Memphis, mentions neighborhood pantries (including Porter-Leath and the Mercantile off Main), and invites guests to the lobby giveaway table.
About Help Memphis
Help Memphis is a youth-led community pantry initiative founded by Jack Knight at age 11. Built on the motto “Take what you need. Leave what you can,” Help Memphis helps families across Memphis access food, diapers, wipes, school supplies, coats, hygiene items, and other everyday needs through neighborhood pantries and community partnerships.
Media Contact: Help Memphis | info@helpmemphis.com
Help Memphis is sponsoring the Orpheum Theatre’s “70’s Summer Blockbusters” movie series this June in downtown Memphis.
There’s something special about experiencing classic films together in a historic theater — bringing families, friends, and the community together in the heart of Memphis. Supporting events like these aligns closely with the mission at Help Memphis: building stronger communities through connection, accessibility, and shared experiences.
Location: The Orpheum Theatre Memphis. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or directly through the Orpheum box office.
At Help Memphis, we believe communities grow stronger when people gather, connect, and support one another — whether that’s through neighborhood pantry initiatives or shared cultural experiences like these. We hope to see Memphis families there this summer. 💙
Choose901 shared a new social media feature about Help Memphis on May 6, 2026. The video was posted across multiple Choose901 platforms and highlighted Help Memphis as a youth-led community pantry initiative founded by Jack Knight.
Choose901 described the mission this way: “Memphis youth are making real impact 💙🙌🏾 Help Memphis — a youth-led community pantry initiative founded by Jack Knight — is helping make essential resources more accessible for families facing food insecurity and everyday hardship. Built on the idea of ‘Take what you need, leave what you can,’ this movement is all about Memphis showing up for Memphis 🥫✨ Head to choose901.com for more info on how to get involved! #choose901”
Video: Choose901 social media feature highlighting Help Memphis and the “Take what you need, leave what you can” mission.
Help Memphis was featured by @Choose901 in a guest blog published on April 30, 2026. Choose901 serves as a guide for people who choose Memphis as a place to invest, serve, and enjoy life, and it is a campaign of City Leadership, which exists to recruit, develop, and catalyze leaders for the benefit of the city of Memphis.
The feature describes Help Memphis as a youth-led community pantry initiative founded by Jack Knight, with a mission of making essential resources more accessible to families facing food insecurity and everyday hardship. The post highlights the guiding principle, “Take what you need, leave what you can,” and explains how the model removes barriers while encouraging neighbors to support one another with dignity.
The blog also covers Jack’s inspiration from the Little Free Library concept, the simple pantry cabinet model, the expansion into dedicated diaper pantries, and key Porter-Leath milestones.
Thank you, @Choose901, for helping share the Help Memphis story and for continuing to spotlight people and projects working to make Memphis stronger. #Choose901
A Special Live Stream Supporting Help Memphis
Streamed live: April 18, 2026
On Saturday, April 18, 2026, Gaines Family Farmstead streamed live on Whatnot for more than 13 hours. Jack and Alex Knight were invited to Birmingham, Alabama to participate in the show and share the mission of Help Memphis with the live audience.
Through the sale of Jack's Help Memphis bundles, Gaines Family Farmstead donated funds in support of Help Memphis, and the Whatnot community tipped Jack live during the show to show their support.
Career, Life Lessons, and the Mission Behind Help Memphis
Interviewed: March 5, 2026
Jack's dad, Alex Knight, was interviewed by Richard Gentry, Co-Director of the University of Mississippi Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In the interview excerpt, Alex discusses Help Memphis, the mission behind it, and how purpose-driven ideas can grow into scalable community-impact initiatives when they are built with both heart and startup discipline.
A Special Day for Help Memphis at Porter-Leath
Posted: March 12, 2026
Three new diaper pantries were installed at Porter-Leath locations serving families across Memphis, Frayser, and Orange Mound. New locations include 2869 Park Avenue, 3060 Baskin Road, and 4207 American Way. Each pantry was stocked with diapers and baby wipes.
Diapers are one of the most requested and least donated essentials for families. They are expensive, cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits, and running out creates an immediate challenge for parents and children.
New Community Pantry at Porter-Leath's Beth and David Pickler Early Childhood Support Center
Posted: February 17, 2026
Jack added a dedicated pantry stocked specifically with diapers and baby wipes. This addresses a real need for families relying on early childhood programs—providing accessible essentials to keep little ones comfortable and cared for throughout the day.
Help Collierville: Caring Enough to Start
Collierville Living (February 2026 issue)
Released: February 4, 2026
Highlights Jack's initiative tackling food insecurity in Shelby County — from concept research and the inspiration of a shareable neighborhood model to partnering with local businesses like The Mercantile Off Main.
This fifth grader is working to fight food insecurity in Memphis area
By Corey Davis, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Published: February 3, 2026, 5:02 AM CT
A feature story highlighting Jack K.'s effort to place community pantries around the Memphis area so families can take what they need — and neighbors can easily give.
Watch Jack K.'s first live TV interview on WMC TV5 (Action News 5) with Andrew Douglas on the Digital Desk, aired Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 7:30 AM.
'A big heart:' Fifth-grader starts food pantry
By John Klyce, Special to The Daily Memphian
Published: January 11, 2026
A profile of Jack Knight, his busy life as an athlete, actor, aspiring entrepreneur, and the launch of Help Memphis as a community pantry initiative with big plans.
Watch Jack K.'s interview with Shelia O'Connor on Fox13 Memphis, aired on January 5, 2026.
Watch Jack K.'s interview with Brayel Brown on WREG News Channel 3, aired on December 29, 2025.
Listen to Jack K.'s full radio interview with Ron & Karen on 104.5 The River, recorded on Friday, December 19, 2025 at 6:40 AM.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, helps low-income families buy the food they need for good health. In Tennessee it is administered by the Department of Human Services and benefits are loaded onto an EBT card each month.
To qualify for SNAP in Tennessee, households generally must have a gross income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, though limits are higher for households with elderly or disabled members. Many Memphis families rely on SNAP, yet food insecurity still affects a large portion of our community — especially children.
We would love to hear from you. Reach out anytime at info@helpmemphis.com.
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