(Courtesy/Columbus Blessing Boxes Project)
The next time your family or you visit the grocery store, think about purchasing a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap for the Blessing Boxes sponsored by CA Service Board (SB). Even one item per US student will help because people are already using our school’s Blessing Boxes, located of the SB Blessing Boxes has been posted on the Columbus Blessing Boxes Project website and the box on Hamilton Road will be installed soon.
US Math teacher Ms. Gorsuch shared some insights about the benefits of Blessing Boxes.
Where have you seen Blessing Boxes in action?
I was sharing the idea with Ms. Bening after seeing how the Kids for Kids Food Drive works. Often, we get food that is close to the expiration date for the event, and we wanted to make sure it got to people quickly. I started taking boxes of this food to the Blessing Boxes (also known as Little Free Pantries) around Bexley. There are 5 that I regularly check on with other community members. These boxes always amaze me because they are totally taken care of by community members. While an assigned person checks on them several times a week, it’s mostly the people of Bexley, Eastmoor, and Berwick who maintain these small pantries. The need is great. I would drop off a large box of food to the pantry in the morning before school and would check on the pantry on my way home from school. It would be empty, and we’d fill it again.
What do you want the readers of Academy Life to know about Blessing Boxes?
I’m really looking forward to helping with this project at Academy. I want people to know that these Blessing Boxes will help people more than you’ll ever realize. They benefit everyone from working families who had a major spike in their electric bill and aren’t sure how to cover everything this month to a homeless person who sees the box and gets off the bus to grab a couple things to take with the, to a college student who has to make a decision between paying tuition and paying for food. As someone who has both received and given to Food Pantries, I understand the stigma with needing to admit you need help to feed your family. I hope that these Blessing Boxes can help anyone in their time of need without them feeling that people are watching and forming opinions. It’s our job as citizens to find ways to reach out and help people where they are.
After reaching out to buy that extra item for the Blessing Box, place it in your backpack to deposit at the donation bin in the SHACK next door to Dr. Losambe’s office. Your help will bless someone.
If you would like to help replenish the Blessing Box by the UDF nearest to CA, complete the google form using the link below or contact Mae Thomas ‘23 with questions.
Let’s share our blessings with others.
“It’s our job as citizens to find ways to reach out and help people where they are.” Rachael Gorsuch
