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.
164 Washington Street
Collierville, TN 38017
First pantry—stocked with grab-and-go essentials for families who need a little extra help.
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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:
• 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 11-year-old fifth grader at a local private school in the Memphis area. 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.
Help Memphis is excited to sponsor the Orpheum Theatre’s “70’s Summer Blockbusters” movie series this June in downtown Memphis. There is 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 Help Memphis mission: building stronger communities through connection, accessibility, and shared experiences.
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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