The “official” Little Free Pantry movement began in 2016 as a pilot project in Arkansas. A year later, the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project started its own movement with four free blessing box pantries.
Who would have thought that within a few years there would be literally hundreds of little free pantries around the Lowcountry?
Congratulations, and thank you, to all who have made this movement possible!
From our friends at Lowcountry Blessing Box Project…
LOWCOUNTRY BLESSING BOX PROJECT INSTALLS 200TH FREE PANTRY
Blessing Boxes are anonymous donation sites for non-perishable foods and toiletry items. There is one guideline: Leave what you can, take what you need.
In April 2017, the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project repurposed four cabinets into Free Pantries as a way to help food insecure families anonymously receive donated food. This month the group’s 200th location was installed. The Lowcountry Blessing Box network also includes five refrigerators where perishable goods such as produce and dairy products may be donated. The boxes span the coast of South Carolina from Hilton Head to Pawleys Island.
Studies show that adults with food insecurity will skip meals or reduce their portions to provide for children in their homes as they wait for payday. Many food insecure families do not qualify for the assistance of food banks, or are hesitant to turn to food banks due to the stigma. One “bad month” can be enough to plunge a household into food insecurity. The Lowcountry Blessing Box Project bridges this gap.
Because their work is anonymous, there is no data on how many people are helped. A conservative estimate – if you assume each Blessing Box aids 5 people per week – would be 52,000 people a year. The refrigerated units are located in North Charleston, West Ashley, the East Side of downtown Charleston, and Hollywood, SC.
To learn more, visit www.chsblessingbox.org or follow @chsblessingbox on social media.
Contact: Katie Dahlheim, chsblessingbox@gmail.com
