Hallie Gallinet | The Republic The Kingdom Ministry’s new Blessing Box, where people are welcome to take whatever food and supplies they need, or leave food and supplies for someone else, is located at 933 13th St. in Columbus.
Mandy Moore recalls a motto she read online: “Take what you need or leave what you can.”
That is the thought process behind The Kingdom Ministry’s new Blessing Box, where people are welcome to take whatever food and supplies they need, or leave food and supplies for someone else.
The Blessing Box is located at 933 13th St. in Columbus.
Moore, who works as the ministry overseer with The Kingdom, said the idea came from her mother and pastor Michelle Miracle. She said Miracle had mentioned over a month ago that they had the perfect spot for a Blessing Box outside their church in an old sign.
From there, Moore brought this idea to a Women of Worth meeting, which is an outreach group with the ministry who go out and bless those in need in the community through service such as feeding the homeless. They then worked to transform the former sign that once displayed church times and Bible studies into shelves that people can take items from or leave items for others.
“We 100% (saw a need). I see it on Facebook a lot, people are asking for help. They don’t have food, things like that we’ve seen and there’s a lot of homeless around the area and times are really hard for people,” Moore said. “So our idea with it is in hopes that our community comes together to keep it filled but not just for food, but we want to be able to provide toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, hygiene products…”
Moore said that the box is not just for homeless people, but for anyone struggling. In the winter, Moore said they want to fill it with warm items such as blankets, hats and gloves.
“The box is open to anyone who needs it, whether you need to be able to get something to feed your family or yourself or you want to bless somebody else,” Moore said. “Anyone is welcome to come through, put things in the box or anyone can come through and take what they need. There’s no questions asked.”
The vision behind the Blessing Box, Moore said, is to show the love of Jesus, to be His hands and feet, in a practical way and to bless people in areas that they need it. From the box, she hopes that people know that there are those in the community who are there if they need them, and she also hopes to expand on the Blessing Box in the future, such as with another box specifically for hygiene products or diapers.
“Right now, we’re going to focus on this box and see how well it goes, but we don’t know what the future holds with it, we’re very, very hopeful,” Moore said. “I just want our ministry to be a blessing to our entire community.”
