Bringing Justice Home Inc

Bringing Justice Home is a remarkable nonprofit which two women, one a librarian, the other a recognized poet and a social worker (who is legally blind) built to serve people who are food insecure in Louisville, KY. They did this without any backing but their own faith and desire to both give and change the way food charities too often treat food-insecure people in ways that diminish their self-respect. What is different about this non-profit is its consideration of and respect for the housebound and low income people it serves, whom they call not clients but neighbors, and, it is, to my knowledge, all but unique in its attention to individual preferences for food (unlike most food banks), and its assumption of equality--the underlying sense that "there but for the grace of God..." In short, that we are all one illness or accident or loss from age away from isolation and food insecurity. It is not only food but also friendship that BJH offers --concern, conversation, choices--a human exchange. And I have read testimonials from those neighbors whom BJH serves about just how profoundly this has changed their lives.
In a short few years, BJH has gone from concept to a well-structured non-profit, all volunteer delivery of food and other needs to 40+ medically vulnerable Louisville residents with food insecurity, creating procedures to find and screen these individuals, while setting up systems for food acquisition and delivery, building a Board to support their work, raising funds from mostly small donors, and attracting and managing a growing number of volunteers. They hope to continue to grow BJH to serve more people, while also believing that small scale and high value go together.
I am a donor to BJH who has known its co-founder, Constance Merritt, for many years, and can think of no person whom I admire more, nor who has built a more original and accomplished life. She is a person of many gifts who walked away from a career as a prize-winning writer to follow her calling of service to others; after getting a social work degree, she went on to build Bringing Justice Home, a nonprofit that responds to our most basic needs and answers them with the kind of fellow feeling, generosity and humane intelligence that distinguishes her as a person.

Bringing Justice Home is the committed, nimble, innovative nonprofit Louisville needs to address a critical gap in our response to food insecurity. The leadership team thoughtfully approaches problems facing our community and puts donations to immediate good use that make a daily difference in our neighborhoods.

BJH is engaging in excellent work for the Louisville community and I am proud to volunteer with them. The neighbors served are grateful for BJH's gratitude and continuous support. Food insecurity is a challenge that often goes overlooked and this organization ensures justice is served. I would encourage anyone willing to join and offer support in any capacity they can.

What a blessing it is to have these people in our community! The need for food security among the medically vulnerable is so great in our city Bringing Justice Home fills a real void

I have no direct experience with BJH serving me. I live far away and enjoy reading their newsletters and listening to the Neighbors who record a message. I know how expensive food and supplies have become and I applaud Constance and Maria for their opening this agency. I am glad when I read BJH gets mentioned, or they win an award or something. I hope BJH can continue their work for many years to come.

I have donated to Bringing Justice Home and I support their commitment to the community. I dont know if any other nonprofit that provides such personalized support for those experiencing food insecurity. After being homebound a few times myself, I can appreciate their contribution to people that cannot get food the traditional way.

I believe that Bringing Justice Home is very vital to our communities with there being so many uncertainties in the world. The volunteers are dedicated to providing food for the homebound, less fortunate and underprivileged.

A retired social worker, I donate regularly to Bringing Justice Home as I am convinced that this nonprofit intervenes consistently and reliably to address food insecurity in the Louisville area. Their solid research and open channels of communication allow solid services to those most in need.

I believe that BJH is a terrific non-profit group because it's local. I work with some of the founders and I live near some of the food suppliers. Our society often hears about supporting small, local businesses (e.g. the Shop Local Saturday after the Black Friday sales), but we very rarely hear about the need for and the good that can be done by non-profits that function for and by our local friends and neighbors. That's one of the things that makes BJH such a great organization--they're focused on the "local" good--bringing justice home. That's my JAM, and I'm sticking to it (no sticky jam puns intended :)

I have gotten to meet many new people and helped them to be food secure by bringing them groceries.

I really loved how I was able to be apart of helping this organization to help families. It was super easy and straightforward.

I am a proud co-founder of Bringing Justice Home. We seek to build just relationships with the neighbors we serve in order to normalize our interdependence and eliminate the stigma of needing help. We seek to provide a more personal encounter than is sometimes experienced at traditional food pantries. This is why we use the term "neighbor" when referring to those we serve; we affirm the common humanity we all share. We're doing something different and special here here at Bringing Justice Home.

This is the first time in my life that I have needed food assistance and I found Constance and Maria welcoming & ready to help. Constance was helpful & patient while she got me enrolled.
I have had wonderful volunteers bring
my deliveries . I also am grateful for the
beautiful quarterly newsletter BJH
publishes with helpful news and great
recipe ideas. I am very grateful and
blessed for the Kindness and Respect
that Constance, Maria, & the Bringing
Justice Home volunteers have shown
me. Geraldine Gauer in Louisville

I don't know what I'd do without BJH! I live in a food desert, and the grocery store closest to me doesn't have a good choice or variety of healthy foods. Being type 1 diabetic and no income at the moment is extremely hard but with BJH has been truly a blessing to me. Thank you to BJH and all the donors, volunteers and neighbors!

I was referred to Bringing Justice Home at a time in my life when my husband and I didn't know where we were going to get our next meal. My husband was out of work and I am unable to work but had disability and that was just enough to pay rent and bills. BJH helped us get nutritious food and household items that we needed to maintain a normal lifestyle. I would recommend BJH to anyone struggling with a well balanced lifestyle. They also make you feel welcome in a community with activities, gatherings and just a very close neighborhood community. I appreciate them all and the wonderful volunteers. Thank you BJH! Leila and Curtis Frey

As a donor, it is so very meaningful to me that the services of BJH address the food needs of those who are medically vulnerable and they do so with love and care always assuring these individuals are treated with dignity. Those involved in this endeavor are giving and kind people who work together to make life better for others.

I just got back from a great visit with 2 of our neighbors, we shared recipes and some good laughs. I've been a bringer for over a year, it's the highlight of me week. My experience has been positive, from printing out the grocery list, picking up at Kroger, checking the order and making my way to my neighbors home. I've learned a lot about our city and gained new friends.

I have volunteered with Bringing Justice Home for a couple of years and can truly say it has been a blessing to me as well as the clients that we serve. I love the fact that I am able to help them serve others and ensure that these people are able to have food on their tables without worrying where their next meal is coming from. I have met some of the nicest people and I look forward to seeing them when I deliver their groceries. The leaders are so helpful and so easy to work with. I love being a part of this organization.

I was a founding board member of this nonprofit and have continued to support their work financially since the beginning. As a retired social worker in community mental health, I can see that they are doing a wonderful job addressing food insecurity and the many problems that are associated with this injustice in our society. Being a neighbor to others is an ideal that Bringing Justice Home achieves many times over in their daily work.

As a supporter of Bringing Justice Home, I have been satisfied with updates about this nonprofit organization. They tell their donors about how funds are being distributed to make the biggest impact. They are great communicators. Most importantly, I think they live their values with the work that they do for their community. I can and do recommend this nonprofit organization to friends and family looking to make an impact with their donations.

I've been connected with this organization for several years and as another person said it truly is an inspiration. It puts the people it serves at the center thru continued contact ensuring they are well taken care of. If problems arise, there is someone to pitch in almost immediately to help solve.; ready to change or adapt as needed. I've never been involved in a volunteer
organization that goes as far as BJH has in all facets to follow its mission.

I have been privileged to volunteer with this group for a couple of years. Their vision and energy given to making it a reality is an inspiration.

Really enjoyed volunteering with BJH! They are doing great work in our community!