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For nearly four years, area Blessing Boxes have become a widely used resource for families in need to supplement their pantries with nonperishable items. And as the season for giving is upon us, the opportunity to make a difference is ever-present as the necessity for donated items to keep the boxes stocked continues to grow.

Since the blessing boxes made their debut on June 9, 2020, their impact has been immeasurable.

“They are utilized a lot,” says Whitney Budd, founder of the Students’ Fund of Hope. “The maintenance of the blessing box, because they are used so much, has been more than we expected.”

The boxes, which are located outside the Hope Moravian Church, 202 Main St. in Hope, and outside the Hartsville Town Square, just off State Road 46 in Hartsville, respectively, help support area families with nonperishable items, including food, hygiene and laundry items.

“We tend to gear the Hartsville box towards pop-top cans of canned pastas and meats because it is kids grabbing it,” Budd explains. “So, snacks for kids, easy mac cups, Ramen noodles, things like that.”

Additionally, the Hartsville box also utilizes a lot of hygiene products, Budd says, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and toilet paper.

The blessing box in Hope receives a lot of adult traffic, so the concentration there is meal kits in addition to hygiene and cleaning staples. Bread, which was initially not on the list of acceptable donation items, is now an accepted item that when offered doesn’t stick around long.

Initially, bread wasn’t considered for donation due to its susceptibility to staleness; however, bread is one of the most sought-after items as once it is placed in the box, it is taken the same day, Budd says.

Since it was established in 2018, the Students’ Fund of Hope has demonstrated time and again how it truly does take a village and the Blessin Boxes further exemplify that adage. Budd says without the boxes, food scarcity in the Hope area would be an even bigger issue.

“I worry a lot about the kids in Hartsville,” Budd says. “There are a lot of kiddos from single parent homes there that throughout the day get hungry. Or maybe older siblings are taking care of younger ones, so the older kids go down there and grab a couple of boxes of mac-n-cheese so that they can make lunch for them.”

Anyone can make donations to the boxes, Budd says. And if individuals would rather make a monetary donation to be used to buy Blessing Box items, they are encouraged to make a donation through the SFOH web site, Budd says.

“It is a large task and something we really depend on the community to help us with,” Budd says. “There’s no way that we can keep up with these things without the community.”