First Lutheran Church youth program stocks items for those in need
Youth at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg who participated in the 30-hour famine painted, decorated and filled the new blessing boxes containing items for those in need in the community. (Photo Provided)
Belpre City Schools Board of Education members Cathy O’Donnell, left, and Brenda Church listen to public comments during Monday’s school board meeting. (Photo by Wayne Towner)
Noah Umpleby, Hannah Rice, Kevin Howard, Delainey Parks, Madi Parks and Abby Herring place items into a Blessing Box at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
An assortment of items were placed in the blessing boxes at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg. Youth at the church decorated the boxes. (Photo Provided)
First Lutheran Church youth place items in the box. (Photo Provided)
Youth at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg who participated in the 30-hour famine painted, decorated and filled the new blessing boxes containing items for those in need in the community. (Photo Provided)
Mackenzie Rice and Delainey Parks pose with the blessing box where they helped decorate it with the slogan “Take what you need; Leave what you can.” (Photo Provided)
Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi, left, and Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings, right, play the parts of justice and plaintiff attorney in The Castle’s History on Trial program at the Washington County Courthouse Monday. (Photo by Janelle Patterson)
Attorney Robin Bozian acts as plaintiff witness Willard Greene in The Castle’s History on Trial program at the Washington County Courthouse Monday. (Photo by Janelle Patterson)
Delegate Mark Zatezalo, R-Hancock, is a co-sponsor of a bill to increase the state’s corporation net income tax credit for some investments to rehabilitate historic buildings. (Photo by Janet Metzner)
PARKERSBURG — A youth program at the First Lutheran Church has immediately seen the fruits of its labors.
More than 20 participants in the program on Friday began a world famine observance by not eating for 30 hours, during which time they decorated and converted two old newspaper boxes from The Parkersburg News and Sentinel into blessing boxes to help the less fortunate of the community, said Becca Reid, youth facilitator at First Lutheran and the wife of Pastor Ian Reid.
The boxes were stocked with hats and gloves, socks, diapers and wipes, trash bags, tissue, toothpaste and other related items and placed near the community garden on 19th Street near the church, Reid said.
“That’s what we started with,” she said.
But despite the blessing boxes only out for a few days, residents have been putting supplies into them, too, Reid said.
Mackenzie Rice and Delainey Parks pose with the blessing box where they helped decorate it with the slogan “Take what you need; Leave what you can.” (Photo Provided)
“Every time we go to them, there’s something we didn’t put in there,” she said.
The first use of the box was about six hours after they were installed, said Tom Curry, who worked on the project with Reid. A person was seen removing an item from the blessing box, he said.
“I know they’re being used already,” he said. “That’s what they are there for.”
The motto for the boxes is “take what you need, leave what you can,” Reid said. The boxes were placed at the garden because the site also is used where fresh vegetables are available at no cost to the community, she said.
Reid hopes residents become so involved that the blessing boxes become self-sustaining. Their initial usage was encouraging, according to Reid.
Noah Umpleby, Hannah Rice, Kevin Howard, Delainey Parks, Madi Parks and Abby Herring place items into a Blessing Box at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
“Which is pretty awesome for just a day and a half,” she said.
The boxes were decorated, cleaned and painted by the kids, Reid said.
“One of the boxes had a newspaper in the bottom from 2001,” Reid said.
First Lutheran Church youth place items in the box. (Photo Provided)
An assortment of items were placed in the blessing boxes at the First Lutheran Church in Parkersburg. Youth at the church decorated the boxes. (Photo Provided)