A triage of food, a micro pantry, a food first aid kit – these are the narratives Jason West and Maiharriese McDonald use to describe the blessing box, coming soon to Summit Academy Community School for Alternative Learners – Canton.
West, the school’s community resource coordinator, and McDonald, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Stark Blessing Box Initiative, are working together to provide nonperishable foods, personal care items and even pet food to school families and others in need. The blessing box, which will be installed just outside of the school’s front entrance at 1620 Market Avenue South, will serve that purpose.
“What this comes down to is building community. Many times, these boxes become a protected asset because they are helping so many people,” explains McDonald, who says she began the nonprofit initiative six years ago in response to a call from God.
Summit Academy’s blessing box will be the 39th one installed in Northeast Ohio. West says he envisions the box being both used and stocked by school families and neighboring community members.
“It will always be accessible to our families and any other persons in the community,” he says. “No matter your station or situation, you can be a blessing to someone and/or be blessed via the blessing box.”
As a single mother who once faced food insecurity, McDonald knows the fear and embarrassment often associated with seeking assistance. She says the Stark Blessing Box Initiative affords people their anonymity. They can grab a can of tuna to combine with other items at home to make a casserole, or whatever they may need, no questions asked.
“You don’t have to do anything to get something. You are worthy of being helped,” she says. “I want people to always see they are not alone. We were meant to do life together.”
West adds that the school’s new addition will break down barriers to getting aid for students. “Some families are in need but will never say anything,” he says.
Describing the box as a small oasis amid a food desert, West adds that it is even more. “It is also a learning opportunity for our students,” he says. “We can have conversations about poverty, giving, service and being good citizens.”