Blessing box removed from Southwood Park
Parkersburg Mayor Joyce cited health concern
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PARKERSBURG -- A box where people were encouraged to leave food for those in need has been removed from Southwood Park over health and safety concerns.
Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce said it was brought to his attention Monday that expired items were in the blessing box installed several years ago at the park by the South Parkersburg Woman's Club. He said he checked and found baby food containers with popped lids, likely due to the recent extreme heat, and three items of canned food with expiration dates of May 2023, November 2021 and August 2018.
The mayor said he removed the problem items and asked the club to remove the box.
"I think it's a safety issue," Joyce said Tuesday. "Botulism doesn't care if you're hungry, homeless or down on your luck, and I felt it better to address quickly given the circumstance."
The family of a club member whose father built the box removed it, club President Karen Dent said. Members were disappointed with the mayor's decision.
"We've had our blessing box there for quite some time," Dent said. "Our big thing is, why were we not given an opportunity to address this?"
Dent said a club member checked the box two or three times a week to make sure there are no problems with the items, but they can't control what other people do.
"We would never intentionally hurt anybody or give them bad food," she said.
Dent said one club member shared a story with her about meeting a homeless couple at the blessing box and getting to know them.
"She provided them with food and hooked them up with ... resources in the area they could use," Dent said.
Eventually, they made a connection with a club member who had a house for rent. The couple moved in and helped fix it up and eventually contributed to the blessing box themselves.
"I think the positive far outweighs the negative," Dent said.
The club may look for a new location for the blessing box, Dent said. Joyce said there is no prohibition against having such boxes on private property; he just did not want a potential health issue to arise on municipal property.
Joyce said there are nearly two dozen food banks in Wood County and he encourages people in need or who want to donate to contact one of them. He suggested using the local 211 service run by the United Way of the Mid-Ohio Valley.