“Take what you need, and leave what you can.” That is the motto of the Blessing Box, a charitable joint venture launched Monday by Mercy Family Care Perry and the Dallas County Hospital.
The Blessing Box stands near the southern entrance to the hospital and is stocked with food free for the taking and for the giving.
It was stocked for the first time Monday with a variety of foods and a few personal-care items, all donated by the staff of Mercy Family Care, with help from friends at the DCH.
“We’ll make sure there’s something in here all the time,” said Perry Family Care Clinical Nurse Robin Burke, who helped make the Blessing Box a reality. Burke said the idea for the Blessing Box was not original to Perry, but a team effort went into bringing it about here.
The idea was born among the clinical nursing staff, but it took some “manpower” to give form to the idea. Prompted by his paddling pal Dr. Steve Sohn, master woodworker Joe Warnock of rural Perry built the Blessing Box with wood donated by Monty Button of Bear Creek Hardwoods in Earlham.
DCH Maintenance Manager Myles Hegstrom of Perry sunk the posts that support the Blessing Box, which has yet to receive its final blessing: Andy Schirmann of Signs of Devotion is designing and making a sign to be mounted on top of the Blessing Box.
“So many people helped make this happen,” Burke said. “It’s really a testament to the community spirit here and to all these great people.”
The Blessing Box project comes on the heels of Mercy Family Care volunteers’ second annual Secret Scarf project, which leaves scarves here and there around town for anyone who might be in need of warmth against the winter winds.
Perry Family Care Lead Clinical Nurse Lora Lyons, one of the Secret Scarf elves, said 42 scarves were given away so far this year, doubling the 2015 number, and a few hats were thrown in for good measure.
“Some were bought. Some were made. Some were knitted. Some were crocheted,” Lyons said.
Nutritional outreach to the community does not end with the Blessing Box. The DCH will also host one of its regular mobile food pantries Dec. 28 from 4-6 p.m.
