By Kim McDarison

Influenced in part by Whitewater’s Community Space concept, third generation Fort Atkinson native Kristen Czech said she opened her “little personal hygiene supplies pantry” in January and has since noticed that people in the community are using her free service.

People arrive on foot and by car, she said, and take from the little pantry what they need.

Czech said supplies of diapers and diaper wipes are the commodities that deplete the fastest, followed by toilet paper, toothpaste, shavers and deodorant.

Supplies leave the pantry at an average estimated cost of $100 a day, she said, making her all the more glad that she, with aid from an online community, is able to provide the service.

Czech, who described herself as having a “social work background,” said she has been made aware through her social work experiences, and first hand, what it’s like to fall between the programming cracks. As a former Jefferson County employee, she said, she knows the county programs are important and do good work for a lot of residents, but there are gaps in services. People who are working find it hard to meet all of their family’s needs, a situation, she says, that has been exacerbated by inflation.

“My kids are 10 years apart. When I became a mom, I could get two packs of wipes for $2, and now they are two packs for $6.

Wages, too, add to the stress, she said, noting that they also have not kept up with inflation.

Czech said she began her social work experience as an intern with the Jefferson County Wraparound program, which, according to the county’s website, works to “empower and strengthen families.” Czech described the program as a step before protective services engages with families.

“I was seeing that a little bit of help and compassion can really launch families in a positive way,” she said.

She also worked with the Jefferson County Children’s Long-Term Support Program, she said, which focuses on disabled children.

While there, she said, she saw that there was a large need for services within vulnerable communities.

“There are people who will be in diapers their whole life,” she said, adding: “those programs do an incredible job, but they are not always able to meet all the needs.”

With two autistic children, she said, “I know there are families like ours, who don’t qualify for social security, and parents need to be accessible to the family, so they cannot get full-time jobs.”

For those families, the little pantry is helpful, she said.

Further, she said, other aids found within the community, such as the food pantry and a church-run thrift store, while also providing important services, have limited hours. The pantry is available anytime someone finds themself in need.

As a mother of two neurodiverse sons, she recalled a time in her life when she knew she was more valuable to her family by staying at home to meet their needs, and yet, the decision left the family sometimes without enough funds to purchase everything they required.

“I had a COVID baby, and I wasn’t working at the time, and my business, like other businesses, was not doing its best, so money became tight,” she said.

Personal experiences, work experiences and her observation that there were people within the community who were struggling led her to tap an online group she calls “her community,” seeking supplies and monetary donations for use to fill the little pantry.

Even the structure itself was donated, she said.

Czech has been running a home-based resale business in Fort Atkinson, for about 13 years, she said. Prior to starting her own business, she worked in consignment, and was familiar with online “moms” groups. Her Facebook community, about 400 strong, formed around her consignment and popup store concept, she noted.

Said Czech: “I’ve struggled to buy diapers and wipes. The idea popped into my head and I threw it out to my group.”

She described the group as “passionate about the community,” adding that people quickly adopted the idea because it helped community members and embraced a recycling concept as well.

Group members are “mostly local,” she said, further describing them as within Jefferson County, making them able to drop items off for the small pantry.

The idea brings people together, Czech said.

Inside the pantry, which looks similar to the “little libraries” that are found around many communities, visitors will find a bevy of personal care items. Everything is free for the taking, Czech said. One does not need to fall within any definition of poverty or low income, she added.

She also provides her business cards and some literature about suicide awareness, she said.

“If you need something, and it’s in the pantry, take it,” she said.

“I want more people to know that this is available, so if they need something as simple as a toothbrush, they can get it here. Save yourself some money if you can,” she said.

Since January, Czech said, her online community has not let her down. When she is low on stock, she reaches out, and stockpiles of items arrive.

Czech said if people want to arrive at the pantry and add or replace items, that’s ok, too, but, she added, she would not want anybody to think they were obligated to replace items. Her first priority, she said, is to make items available.

“We want to give people help when it seems impossible. It is the little things that help in a big way,” she said.

She likened the concept to the old fashioned idea of going next door to borrow a cup of sugar or some eggs. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” she said. 

Czech said she checks the pantry every day and adds stock as needed.

As a person who strives to be welcoming and inclusive, Czech said, she wants people to see her pantry as a “safe space.”

“The community I’ve curated, me and my members, is a safe community,” Czech said, noting that while people sometimes leave messages of thanks, she said, for her, “I find it rewarding to see it being used.”

The pantry is located at 223 Shirley St., at the corner of Janette and Shirley streets, near Barrie Elementary School in Fort Atkinson.