GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — A simple metal box along Highway 90 in Anderson is making a big difference for people facing tough times. The blessing box operates on a straightforward principle: "Take what you need, leave what you can."
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Unlike traditional food pantries, these community resources require no paperwork and have no limited hours. People in need can access free food and other necessities any time of day or night.
"There are more people that need help in our area than we realize. So, the blessing box gives an opportunity to be anonymous," said Skyler Landers, blessing box organizer.
The boxes have spread throughout the rural area, appearing in front of local churches and community buildings from Anderson to Plantersville. Local resident Jessie Miles explained why they're particularly valuable in the region.
"We're out here, it's rural. We have a lot of people that don't have a lot of money," Miles said.
The blessing boxes contain a wide variety of items beyond just food. Landers described the typical contents during a recent visit.
"Children's clothes, teen clothes, hats, hygiene care, dental care, laundry soaps. Then you'll go down here to more of the medicines and all your food, baby diapers, baby milk, and toiletries," Landers said.
Community members say starting a blessing box is surprisingly simple for anyone interested in helping their neighbors.
"I wouldn't complicate it. It's so simple. You can put any kind of shelf out, pick a location that's easily accessible," Landers said.
Miles offered additional practical advice for those considering setting up their own blessing box.
"I would say clearly labeled, easy access and protected from wildlife and the elements, weather," Miles said.
At "A Place of Grace" church in Plantersville, a group of siblings took on building their own blessing box as a community project.
Braelynn Splawn explained how they divided the work.
"With the boys worked on how to build it, and then I worked on kind of marketing and what we should do, what we put in it," Splawn said.
The key to stocking these community resources is thinking about basic human needs, according to volunteers.
"You're only limited by your imagination. Think about what it is that you would need if you were living on the streets or if you didn't have a job and you didn't have electricity," Miles said.
The young organizers hope their efforts will inspire similar projects in other communities.
"We just think it's a beautiful idea and hope it can carry on and eventually spread out to other areas," Splawn said.
For more information or help starting a blessing box, you can reach out to Grimes County Blessing Boxes on Facebook.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
