Join Us on Our Bulk Food Expansion Journey
By the time you read this, we will be en route to Rogers, Arkansas, on a mission: to secure more than 80 high-quality bulk food bins that will dramatically expand what we’re able to offer at Full Circle.
The trip itself is a little last-minute; we finalized the plan just Friday night. But Justine has spent years searching for affordable, secondhand bulk bins, and last week, we finally found the right deal: an extensive, well-priced set, within driving distance. Having just received a $1,100 donation from the Giving Tree last week, the discovery seemed serendipitous. We reached out to the seller, did our research, and decided to take the leap.
For months, we’ve been growing our pantry section little by little, adding new products as resources allow. We had hoped to fund a major expansion through a grant we applied for last winter. Although we weren’t selected, that hasn’t slowed us down. We know what we’re building: a one-stop sustainability shop where you can find essential pantry staples (and some fun extras) in one place. Scaling up our product selection is critical to realizing that vision.
And the best, most cost-effective way to scale up? Acquire all the bulk bins at once. Doing so puts us far ahead of schedule, enabling us to broaden our selection right away. The sooner we can provide a real alternative to package-heavy grocery shopping, the greater our impact—and the more we can empower busy people to live sustainably every day.
The path forward is clear: we need to invest in growth. Grant funding is scarce, and while we operate mean and lean on a shoestring budget, our next step requires community investment—from people like you, who believe in what we’re building.
The donation from the Giving Tree will cover about a third of the cost of the bulk bins. With that as a starting place, we are coming to you, our community, to ask for your help raising the rest. We have a goal of raising $2,500 to purchase the remaining infrastructure and accelerate our plans.
Would you consider "sponsoring" a bulk bin—or two or three? One hundred of our supporters giving just $25 each would get us to our goal of buying these bins.
Acquiring bulk bins is the first step, though not the only expense associated with our pantry expansion. We are investing in more refrigeration and space to hold the inventory. We’re planning to rent another room at Stout, which will double as a space for processing, gathering, and hosting workshops as we expand our local food and recycling programs. Every dollar you contribute moves us closer to that bigger, bolder vision.
At Full Circle, we stretch every dollar as far as it will go. Every purchase, every donation directly fuels the services you see. And since we're a 501(c)(3), your donation is tax-deductible.
If you want to see a future where you can buy package-free pantry staples right here in Topeka—without driving to Lawrence or Kansas City—now’s the time to help make it happen. Your contribution isn’t just an investment in Full Circle; it’s a vote for the kind of sustainable, resilient community we’re building together.
You can find a link to donate under "How to Help" on our website. Any amount helps move us forward and is deeply appreciated. And regardless of whether you're able to donate, thank you for coming with us on our journey to create the sustainable systems we want to see in our community.
-Justine & Robert
