Across Levelland and Hockley County, Blessing Boxes are making a big impact, offering food, hygiene products and other necessities to anyone in need while giving community members a simple way to lend a helping hand.
The Levelland Emerging Active Professionals (LEAP) is an outreach group of the Levelland Chamber of Commerce with the goal of developing the next generation of community and business leaders.
In 2019, LEAP recognized a growing need for readily accessible food and hygiene assistance in the Levelland community. The group decided to create a project that would provide immediate help to anyone facing difficult circumstances or food insecurity, while also giving community members a simple way to give back. Blessing Box was the result.
Originally, there were four blessing boxes in Hockley County located at Cactus Drive Church of Christ, First Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church and Whitharral Baptist Church.
Levelland Chamber of Commerce president Mary Siders said the Blessing Boxes were designed to provide a dignified, anonymous way for individuals and families to receive assistance without paperwork, appointments or qualifications.
“What began as a LEAP service project quickly became a true community effort. Businesses, churches, civic organizations, schools, and residents embraced the concept by donating non-perishable food, hygiene products and other essentials,” said Siders. “Volunteers routinely checked the boxes, ensuring they remained clean, stocked and available to those in need.”
The Blessing Boxes were generously constructed and donated by the Zachry Group at Reese Center in Lubbock because a member of LEAP had a spouse who worked there and was able to get the boxes donated.
Each host church is committed to maintaining and restocking its box with the support of volunteers and community donations. Additional Blessing Boxes have been added including First Christian Church, Second Baptist Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church Tina Hill, secretary for the Second Baptist Church, said the church agreed that if they had a Blessing Box it would be used.
“We knew that there is definitely a need to help those that are less fortunate, so we all just agreed that a blessing box would definitely be used if placed here,” said Hill.
Each LEAP box carries a simple but powerful message; “Take what you need. Leave what you can.”
According to Hill, the box is often used, saying, “It is used constantly, in fact we can hardly keep it filled. There is definitely a need in the community.”
Primary items needed are non-perishable food items as well as hygiene items Hill said the goal of the blessing box for the church is to keep providing for those who need it and to remind people of what the Bible called upon them to do.
“We want the blessing box to show an example of Jesus and how it is our responsibility to help the poor,” Hill said. “Our goal is to continue to be able to provide for our community as long as we can, and people have been very generous in keeping it stocked.”
Today, the Blessing Box initiative continues to represent the caring spirit of the Levelland community and serves as a reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a lasting difference.