We are not an organization, and we are not a nonprofit. We are neighbors. We don’t have a lot of time, and our budgets are nearly maxed out. But we see our neighbors’ daily struggles and feel called to do something in a way that reflects our shared values—compassion, generosity, and trust.

Darrell Newsom launched the grassroots emergency assistance program movement in May 2021 in Houston, TX, when he planted the assistance Pilot, a box on a post containing food, personal care, and paper items accessible to everyone all the time, no questions asked. He hoped his spin on the assistance concept would pique local awareness of food insecurity while creating a space for neighbors to help meet neighborhood food needs.