Basi Family Concert Funds Free Pantry
A family concert in Columbia raised about $2,500 to stock a free pantry at St. John Henry Newman Center.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The Basi family performed a concert at St. John Henry Newman Center in Columbia on Sunday, raising approximately $2,500 for a free pantry being created at the center. The pantry will sit outside for public use and be stocked with non-perishable food and household necessities.
Why it matters
The project turns a family's concert into lasting, practical support for residents of Columbia who need food and household items. The pantry is also expected to serve college students given its on-campus location.
The concert raised approximately $2,500 for the pantry, part of a family effort that has raised over $65,000 across eight years of community causes. The source does not detail how the pantry's stock will be replenished after the initial donations are used.
The players
Nicholas Basi
A Hickman High School senior who is creating the free pantry as his Eagle Scout service project.
St. John Henry Newman Center
A Catholic campus ministry center in Columbia that hosts the concert and will house the free pantry.
The details
Nicholas Basi, a Hickman High School senior, is building the pantry as his Eagle Scout service project after seeing a similar pantry in Michigan. The structure is modeled on a little free library placed outside homes, and it will be stocked with non-perishable food and household necessities.
Timeline
Sunday: Basi family concert held at St. John Henry Newman Center.
December: Free pantry expected to become available.
2027: The Basi family's final family concert is planned.
Philanthropy Lens
The pantry extends the little free library model, which places shared book boxes outside homes, into food and household goods. Its on-campus placement echoes community food-access projects that are sited where students and residents already gather.
Students and residents in Columbia can access non-perishable food and household necessities from the pantry outside St. John Henry Newman Center once it opens. The pantry's stock depends on ongoing donations, so the availability of items may change over time.
The takeaway
Community-run pantries can start small, with a single concert or service project providing the first stock. Residents who want to help can look for similar local efforts to donate non-perishable food and household items.
What happens next
The free pantry is expected to become available by December, and the Basi family's final family concert is planned for 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Philanthropy stories from across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOMU 8.
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