GREENFIELD — They were on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina, when Otterbein United Methodist Church pastor Dave Wise and his wife stumbled upon a courtyard of another church and saw something that changed their view as a way to help others.
Sitting back, away from the pedestrian traffic at the church, was a 6-by-4-foot structure called a “Blessing Box” with a sign posted near it that said, “Give what you can, take what you need.”
The structure was filled with nonperishable items such as toiletries, along with canned and boxed food. After seeing what church officials had done to set up a care box for homeless people in Charleston, Wise thought it would be a great idea to bring the project to Hancock County.
“It’s not just going to be for the homeless, but also the working poor, and it will be different than places where folks go for major food supplies like a food pantry,” Wise said.
When Wise got home from his vacation, he started talking to people at his church, other community church members and officials with the Greenfield Police Department to see if they might be interested in supporting the program. They were.
Eleven other churches in addition to Otterbein United Methodist jumped on board offering to take turns to fill the blessing box with non-perishable food items each month. Officials from Faith Baptist, Park Chapel, Trinity Park United Methodist, Calvary Baptist, Greenfield Christian, Brandywine Community, God’s Open Arms, Amity United Methodist, St. James Lutheran, First Presbyterian and St. Michael Catholic churches are all partners in the venture.
“This is not something that will feed a family of four for a week,” Wise said. “This is something that will get a person or family through a day or two or give them a meal for the night.”
Jeff Rasche, chief of the Greenfield Police Department, also supported the idea and thought the best place to put a Blessing Box in the community to serve others would be right in the lobby of the police department. That will give officials a chance to keep an eye on the box to make sure it isn’t abused.
“I say it far too often, but we have a very giving community where everyone is always willing to give help, but we also have people in need,” Rasche said.
While the Blessing Box at GPD won’t be as big as the original one Wise saw in Charleston, it will be large enough, 3 feet by 4 feet, to hold items for the homeless or people who find themselves in a real need.
Having the Blessing Box inside the police lobby will allow it to be open 24/7 and out of the elements. Plus, a camera there will help ensure people don’t abuse the privilege or vandalize the box.
“It’s going to be a good place for someone who might be a transient in the middle of the night looking to pick up a few necessities, or for some of our local people who need something,” Rasche said.
City officials have said they’ll also help, providing toiletries to help fill the Blessing Box each month, while church groups will work on donating the nonperishable small food items.
Wise said it’s been great to see so many churches and city officials come together to work on one project designed to help others.
Officials will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the Blessing Box at the Greenfield Police Department at 9 a.m. Saturday. The community is invited to take part. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the cause can contact officials with one of the participating churches or reach out to Wise, who is spearheading the project.
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The pantry, which will be dedicated a ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Greenfield Police Department, will be a place where people can go to pick up items for a meal or other personal needs. It’s designed more as a short-term solution for those who temporarily have unmet needs.
Organizers will accept donations of non-perishable food items.
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