Local ministry puts Blessing Boxes throughout Darlington County
Photo Contributed
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
The Bible talks a lot about taking care of others. The Gospel of Luke, chapter three verse eleven says, “If you have two shirts, share with someone who does not have one. If you have food, share that too.”
The Family Mission Center, an outreach of Great Commission Ministries in Darlington, is doing just that with a series of Blessing Boxes, full of food and toiletries for those who may need them.
“I had originally seen it on Facebook and it was a ministry that was started from a little womens church in Oklahoma,” said Tammy Robinson, Director of the Family Mission Center. “I contacted the original group and got permission to do it. I have served our community since 2009 with different non-profit organizations and one of the biggest things I’ve seen is that we have a lot of families that are food poor. What I mean by that is that they are working families but, after they pay their bills, they don’t have money to budget in for food.”
Robinson said that children are affected the most during times when school is out.
“We were getting a lot of phone calls, especially on summer break and Christmas break when the kids were out of school and couldn’t get those free breakfasts and lunches,” Robinson said. “Most of the families that we were helping were working families who make too much to get help from the government, even if it is eleven or fourteen dollars over the limit.”
The Mission Center volunteers saw a big need and decided to fill the void in a discrete way.
“We didn’t want people to feel like they were begging; we wanted to be able to help them in a way that they can come and go as they need,” Robinson said. “Before we knew it, we had people asking us for other boxes, so we now have eight boxes up in the area and we are in the process of building 12 more. American Home Place donated the supplies for 12 more boxes and we are trying to have them in place by December 22 so we can make sure that they are there for the remainder of Christmas break It has been a wonderful ministry for our area.”
The eight boxes are located throughout the Pee Dee, including Darlington, Lamar, Society Hill and Hartsville.
“We picked areas that are easy to be seen, out of traffic way,” Robinson said. “We have some that are by school bus stops that will have a breakfast bar or a snack for the afternoon for kids. We have some that are close to apartment complexes. We want the boxes, wherever they are, to serve the people in that area.”
The boxes have remained filled thanks to members of the community, Robinson said.
“The awesome thing that is happening is that our community is taking care of our community,” Robinson said. “People who do have extra are driving by and they are filling them up. It hasn’t been a burden to one ministry because the community is stepping up and taking care of it; it has been a big blessing to a lot of people. I’m not sure who is being more blessed though, the giver or the receiver; it has been amazing to watch.”
Anyone interested in making a donation can contact Tammy Robinson at 843-307-8876.
Blessing Box locations:
Darlington
757 Wire Road
Darlington, SC
(by the entrance off of Billy Farrow)
Lamar
304 West Jackson Street Lamar
3316 Oats Highway Lamar
Cheraw
His Hands and Feet Shelter
34 Foundry Hill Road, Cheraw
Fitness World Gym
253 2nd Street
Cheraw
Hartsville
1342 Old East Camden Road
Hartsville
Society Hill
Society Hill Church of God
378 Pressley Ave, Society Hill
