Turpin Cares, Beverly/Morgan Park-based a not-for-profit organization that collects and distributes food, comfort items and hygiene products for local families in need, hosts a holiday collection through Dec. 24 at Starbucks, 103rd and Longwood Drive. People can stop into the Starbucks and choose an ornament that includes specific pantry or personal hygiene items from a wish list. Purchased items may be dropped off at Starbucks for later distribution through the multiple channels managed by Turpin Cares. People can also scan the QR code while at Starbucks to order items that can be directly delivered to Turpin Cares.
Turpin Cares operates a Toiletry Free Store, distributing personal hygiene items, first-aid, and household cleaning supplies on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Morgan Park Presbyterian Church, 110th Place and Longwood Drive, and maintains an emergency food box at the Edna White Garden. Items are also given to people experiencing homelessness and to people transitioning into long-term housing.
Turpin Cares was founded in 2015 and is sponsored in small part by Turpin Communication, a neighborhood-based business and further supported by very generous locals.
“Turpin Cares was an unofficial entity when we started, and when I looked around at ways we could make our corner of the world a little better, working harder to help the less fortunate seemed like the right thing to do,” said Turpin Communication’s vice president Greg Owen-Boger.
When the COVID-19 pandemic enforced lockdowns and job losses, Turpin Cares joined other local not-for-profits and individuals in the 19th Ward Mutual Aid group to open free stores to distribute emergency food and toiletry items to area residents. The Toiletry Free Store, as of the writing of this article, has given away over 43,000 items since it opened in May 2020.
“We started this non-profit with the hopes of helping a few, and, with generous donations from this community and the help of dedicated volunteers, we’ve been able to support countless individuals and families,” said Dale Ludwig, Turpin Communications president.
“People in Beverly are incredibly generous,” Owen-Boger added.
The need for help continues. People can support the Turpin Cares collection by participating in the Starbucks drive by claiming ornaments and dropping back at the shop or using the QR code at Starbucks to donate items from the online shopping list at turpincares.org. Learn more about the work of Turpin Cares at www.turpincares.org.
