Becky Shuler believes, “There are some very giving people out there.” She should know. As the Food Pantry Coordinator for Pekin HOPE Chest, she sees the impact of giving on the lives of area residents every day. The HOPE Cupboard is just one of the ways the nonprofit Pekin HOPE Chest has been spreading HOPE (Helping Other People Excel) since 2012.

Since its founding by longtime Pekin pastor, Dave Craig, and his wife, Alice, Pekin HOPE Chest has grown from the original thrift store on Derby Street into a faith-based force for good across a four-county region. The organization relies entirely on donations from the community — gently used clothing, furniture, houseware, food, and other items — to keep its shelves stocked and its mission moving forward. Revenue from the thrift store supports the food pantry and other programs.

“If you’re in need, we find a way to help,” said Chris Boerma, president of the HOPE Chest Board of Directors. “We don’t shut off or say, ‘I’m sorry, you have to go somewhere else.’ We will help in any way we can.” Following that commitment, the HOPE Chest serves clients in Tazewell, Woodford, Peoria, and Fulton Counties.

Alice Craig said HOPE Chest was inspired when her husband led a mission trip to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. There he encountered a thrift store helping people with a variety of community services. 

“That’s where God planted the seed of the idea,” Alice said. It took nearly a year for the seed to take root and grow into the organization it is today. Bridgeway Church, where Dave was on staff at the time, and a letter sent to many friends requesting support, provided funding to get the endeavor started. Since then, many other area churches, organizations, and individuals have become involved. Alice was one of the Pekin store’s original volunteers and has been on the staff in different capacities since 2013.

Alice said, “If churches want to come on board and help us financially, we welcome that. If they want to send people to help volunteer, we welcome that. If they want to participate and help with some of our programs, we welcome that. We also welcome any donation of goods that they can help us with.”

The original HOPE Chest thrift store has grown into one of Tazewell County’s largest used clothing and furniture stores. In addition to furniture and appliances, shoppers can browse racks of gently used clothing for adults and children, housewares, tools, games, bicycles, and a wide range of other items, all at “family-friendly” prices.

“If you could find it at Walmart, we probably have it in stock,” said Thrift Store Manager, Jennifer O’Neil. Some items are used, others are in original packaging or carry their original tags. All must meet the HOPE Chest’s quality standards.

O’Neil said most kids’ clothing is priced at $0.99 per piece, and adult clothing starts at $1.29 per piece. Newer or brand-name adult items might be $3.99. Coats start at $5.99 and shoes at $3.99 a pair.

Shoppers range from families in need of clothes for school or a winter coat, to seniors living on a fixed income and people of all ages and backgrounds being frugal with their money. She said they often see individuals searching for antiques and artwork for a new home. One customer comes in every week and buys two books for $0.99 each. The next week, she donates those two books back to the store and purchases two more. Pricing is the same regardless of the motivation or frequency of store visits.

Every Wednesday is Senior’s Day at the thrift store. On that day, seniors can save 20% on the store’s already low prices. Veterans also save 15% on Tuesdays, and first responders and veterans receive a discount on Thursdays.

HOPE Cupboard and Paws of HOPE were established in 2016. The HOPE Cupboard is a client-choice food pantry that allows clients to shop for the food items they want, rather than being given a predetermined bag or box of items that they may not want or need. Clients can visit the cupboard once a month and take home meat, canned goods, pantry staples, fresh vegetables, and other items for nutritious meals. What is on the shelves depends on what is donated by Midwest Food Bank and Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Champaign, as well as from local businesses and organizations holding food drives.

Paws of HOPE addresses food insecurity for pets, because “the last thing you want when you are going through a hard time is to say goodbye to your pets because you can’t afford to feed them. For some people, that’s their family,” Alice said. More than 3,300 pets have been served so far in 2025.

Seeds of HOPE is a unique program that provides basic furniture, kitchen items, clothing, and household goods for individuals and families experiencing a devastating loss of property due to fire, natural disaster, domestic violence, homelessness, and other reasons. In collaboration with government agencies and other nonprofits, the program is designed to enable recipients to regain stability and move forward on their journey to recovery.

Similarly, the Blessings program addresses the immediate need for such items as emergency food, tents for homeless individuals, blankets, clothing, personal hygiene products, and Narcan, the lifesaving medication that reverses an opioid overdose. Free CityLink bus passes are also available for qualified individuals.

The HOPE Chest Work-to-Earn initiative allows individuals seeking items for their household beyond the bare necessities the opportunity to engage in meaningful work in the thrift store or pantry. For their efforts, they earn credits at the minimum wage rate. Those credits can then be used to purchase “extras” that may not qualify under the Seeds of HOPE program. Work-to-Earn participants are empowered to contribute to their community while addressing their own needs.

O’Neil said these programs are not meant to enable those who would take a handout from anyone and do nothing to improve their situation. “We want to give a hand up, not a handout,” she explained.

Year to date, HOPE Cupboard has served 4,152 households, including 11,314 individuals and 4,469 children. Seeds of HOPE has provided $29,875 in HOPE Chest-priced merchandise to families and individuals in crisis. Five hundred fifty backpacks and sets of school supplies were given to K-12 kids in July.

Asked what the role of the HOPE Chest is in the community, Alice said, “We just try to make sure everyone is uplifted when they walk in those doors. We have several people who just come in to talk or need someone to pray with. So not only are we fulfilling a huge gap in the community for those physical needs, but hopefully a little bit for the emotional needs as well.”

“You’re part of the family when you walk in,” she added. 

“From the beginning, we have called this ‘God’s Store’, and God is ultimately our provider,” said Alice. But she said a long list of businesses, agencies, organizations, and individuals help keep the doors open, including local partnerships with agencies like the Salvation Army, OSF St. Francis, Goodwill, Phoenix Community Development, and the Center for Prevention of Abuse.

HOPE Chest normal business hours are Mon – Sat 9am to 6pm. The donation center is open Mon – Sat 9am to 4pm. Learn more about the organization and its programs, including food pantry hours, at www.thehopechestil.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/TheHopeChestPekin.