If you have driven around town, you may have caught a glimpse of these boxes placed on corners, buildings, or churches. These boxes are called Blessing Boxes, and they are used as mini food pantries.
Blessing Boxes are placed in open areas containing nonperishable foods and hygiene products for those in need. These boxes are completely free and are available for anybody to use. The Blessing Boxes are open all hours of the day, so you can get items whenever you need them.
“We have one in Fayetteville outside of Fayetteville Elementary, one outside of the Walgreens in Ansted, one outside of the town hall in Gauley Bridge, one outside of the Gateway Center in Smithers, and one outside of the Lewis Center in Oak Hill,” said Aleah Denny, who oversees the boxes in Fayette County.
These Blessing Boxes are open 24/7 and are accessible to everyone and anyone who is in need. Blessing Boxes work as a middleman when food pantries are not opened or available. It is so crucial to have these boxes stocked and available. So many people rely on these boxes to stay fed and/or clean. Everyone deserves to have these items accessible to them, and these boxes help to make sure they are.
Denny said, “Food pantries are only open during certain hours, so they have a limited number of things that people can take. They make sure that everybody gets something, but the Blessing Boxes kind of act like a filler. And they are never locked, so anybody can take whatever they want at any time.”
Blessing Boxes run completely on donations, so it is important to keep these boxes stocked and with food and hygiene products.
“When we first put them up, the hype was big, and there was a lot of food in them. People were stocking them like crazy. And I am like, Oh my gosh, how are we going to get the word out to the people in need?” Denny stated.
Unfortunately, over time the hype for the boxes died down. After a while, people stopped putting food in the boxes to the point where they are consistently empty. There are many people in town who rely on these boxes for food and are disappointed when they go to check the boxes, but they are empty.
If you are interested in donating, all you need to do is go to the box and put the items in. No middleman, it is as simple as that. No contact with anyone, just open box, and place items inside.
“Anybody can put whatever they want whenever they want,” said Denny.
There are many things that you can donate such as the basics water, canned goods, and sanitation products. Some other needed items include:
- Canned soups and sauces
- Canned meats (tuna, chicken, etc.)
- Peanut butter, jelly, condiments, and syrup
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Boxes of pasta and diced tomatoes, tomatoes sauce, and tomato paste
- Baking and pancake mixes
- Cereal and oatmeal powdered milk
- Rice (brown or white)
- Crackers and granola
- Spices such as salt, pepper, garlic, etc.
- Package protein drinks
- Powered drink mixes
- Baby formula, baby food, and baby items
- Can openers
- Shampoo, conditioner, combs, and brushes
- Toilet paper, deodorant, razors, sunscreen, toothpaste, and toothbrushes
- Pads and tampons
- Hand soap, dish soap, bath soap, laundry detergent, etc.
- Gloves, hats, scarves
With winter approaching, scarves, hats, and gloves will be appreciated to accommodate the weather.
Something things that are not needed are literature such as books or pamphlets, old items, broken or opened items, perishable items, etc. These boxes are strictly for food items and hygiene products, so please keep this in mind as well. If for some reason these items are found in one of the boxes, they will be taken out and discarded.
“Now if there is a specific organization that wants to sponsor a box and consistently look after the box to make sure they are not vandalized, please contact me,” said Denny. (All of Aleah Denny’s contact information will be a bottom of post if you are interested, please email her.)
Denny is also looking for a sponsor to help run a can drive, so if you are a business or company interested, please contact her as well.
The boxes were originally put together by the 4-H Outdoor Adventure Club and 4-H Fayette County Teen Leaders. Diane & Montana Callison and Aleah Denny along with their club members joined forces to put these amazing boxes together. These Blessing Boxes are so important to those who use them. As a community, we can all come together and donate to help those in need. (Links to the 4-H Fayette County Blessing Box will be down below.)
Kyle Heeter who oversees the Ansted box said, “I always do canned food and make sure they have the pull tabs because not everybody has access to can openers. I like to leave food that children like also such as apple juice and apple sauce. I try not to leave food that needs pots and pans and a stove because, once again, not everybody has access to those things. The other stuff I like to buy is seasonal. In the summer, I add sunscreen and ChapStick. In the winter, I buy warm socks and hats. Other items include tampons, deodorant, diapers, small children’s toys, granola bars, toothpaste, toothbrushes, individually wrapped soap, and fingernail clippers. I try to think of anything that people need on a regular basis. Every little bit helps… even a can or two occasionally is helpful.”
Some products that seem to be the best to keep in stock are hygiene products.
“Surprisingly, hygiene items are great to keep stocked. People take toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, dish soap, laundry detergent, and bacterial wipes. I was surprised that those were taken a whole lot. I will not say quicker than food, but sometimes they are the first to be taken out.” says Mona Goodall, who is charge of the box outside of the Oak Hill Baptist Church.
The Blessing Box at the Oak Hill Baptist Church has been doing well according to Goodall.
“Well, it was slow at first for people to find out there were the box here. It took a few weeks for people to realize there was something here. And now people that are in the homeless population, elderly people have stopped by the box, I have seen them myself stop at the box. And often, in the summertime, kids will ride their bikes here and will stop for snacks or drinks in the box. So lately, as soon as it is filled up, it is empty. We have even started to put winter items like hats or gloves, or socks or blankets in the box as well for winter.”
The Blessing Boxes are also helpful for the elderly, who may not have the money for certain necessities such as hygiene products. Not only are flip-top cans good for those that may not have a can opener, but they are also good for those elderly people who may have a tough time opening can.
Blessing Boxes are particularly important to helping the community we live in. There are many people who do not have access to these necessities and rely on pantries like these to help them. Any donation, no matter how small or how big, really helps.
If you are looking for a way to help our community with a little effort, donating to these Blessing Boxes is a great start. There are many people in need who need these boxes stocked and filled. All donations are appreciated.
For more information or updates check out their Facebook page.
Aleah Denny: aleah.denny@nrhawv.org
Kyle Heeter: 304-573-4775
Facebook: 4-H Fayette County Blessing Box
