Tanorria Askew and Christina Huffines are couponing for a cause.

"I am the vice president of the Board of Directors for Dotted Line Divas, which is a faith-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit extreme couponing organization where items are purchased at a significant discount and then given to families in need," Ms. Askew explained.

"Christina and I are friends. We go to the same church in Carmel, which is kind of what fostered and incubated this whole concept. Christina is a single mom who was struggling and taking care of her two kids and using coupons to obtain items from food pantries, but she couldn't get personal care items from there. She started to buy items in bulk to get discounts and began doing this for families in need and started it at Mercy Road Church. She was helping families in need for three years. Two years ago, we got a 501 (c) (3) designation which was initially kind of three- to five-year goal for us, but it grew quickly to where we achieved it in a year and a half," she noted.

Ms. Askew is also a culinary connoisseur. "I actually own my personal chef business, Tanorria's Table. I have an entrepreneurial background. I've been a personal chef for four years and competed on MasterChef (seventh season) with Gordon Ramsey. I left my job in corporate America after 15 years to pursue my business full-time. Every meal I create is customized. My clients are in central Indiana and surrounding countries."

Ms. Askew and Ms. Huffines saw the need to move their non-profit pantry space to a nearby area. "We were in the Home Place area for one year, which is on the cusp of Nora and Carmel. We moved the personal care pantry temporarily into Mercy Road Church (mercyroad.cc) which allowed us to use the place. We wanted [the permanent pantry] to be the in same area, but be more accessible off I-465 for families who travel from Anderson and Brownsburg. [Union Chapel United Methodist Church] is just ideal."

She described the eligibility requirements for the personal care pantry. "People just have to come with a photo ID and proof of address. We want to get to know them and their families. We consider ourselves to be a choice pantry where people can select what they need. It's a better experience for them. They can choose things to meet their family's needs. We will be open on the third Saturday of every month. Our first pantry day will be Saturday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Union Chapel United Methodist Church, located at 2720 E. 86th Street, off Keystone Avenue and I-465. People can visit our web site (www.dottedlinedivas.com) and learn more about how to volunteer, donate and get involved."

Dotted Line Divas Founder Christina Huffines said, "I just started out by couponing on my own. People at Mercy Road Church discovered what I was doing and encouraged me. They suggested that I start a non-profit. A friend suggested calling it Dotted Line Divas since coupons have lines around them." She emphasized, "We're not a food pantry. We are a personal care pantry that provides a lot of the things that food pantries don't provide and that food stamps don't purchase."

Ms. Askew added, "Another unique component is that we have people that are shoppers who purchase items at a significant discount at stores and make a suggested donation to the pantry. We take that donation they give us and purchase more items for anybody in need. The most rewarding thing for me is coming out of corporate America and using those skill sets in being able to serve the community." Inquiries can be answered at: info@dottedlinedivas.com

By reaching out to the local community through their personal care pantry at Union Chapel Union Methodist Church, Dotted Line Divas Tanorria Askew and Christina Huffines are making a difference in the lives of Central Indiana families.