Hailey Williams, a senior at Franklin Community High School, crafted a Blessing Box stocked with food, hygiene items and other necessities for local residents in need. The box is located at Christ’s Church in Whiteland.
RYAN TRARES | DAILY JOURNAL
The bright blue box outside Christ’s Church is hard to miss driving through Whiteland.
That was all part of Hailey Williams’ plan. As the Franklin Community High School senior was planning a project to address hunger in her hometown, she wanted something that would catch people’s attention.
So she and her grandfather built a massive wooden chest, with plans to stock it with boxed meals, canned goods, hygiene care and other items.
“There wasn’t anything else like this in Whiteland,” she said. “There are library boxes and food boxes like this in Franklin, but not really in Whiteland.”
For the past three months, Williams’ Blessing Box has served as a beacon for people who have been struggling. The box is located outside of Christ’s Church, which has also committed to helping her ensure it remains stocked and ready whenever people need it.
“It’s been a real blessing. Hailey had a great idea, and we’re just thankful to be the location to serve the community,” said Kendall Faull, pastor at Christ’s Church. “We’ve had a lot of people utilizing it, so it’s been really awesome to see. Times are tough right now, so we’re happy to do it.”
Swinging open the door of the Blessing Box reveals a bin packed full of aid. Boxes of instant potatoes and cornbread mix sit next to a jar of grape jelly and peach preserves. Canned meat and portions of Chef Boyardee pasta is stacked up in the cupboard. Hand soap, toothpaste and other hygiene items are arranged in a corner of the box.
The idea is that if someone in the community needs food, or finds themselves without basics such as a toothbrush, they can come to the box for help at any time of day.
“We wanted nonperishables. There have been gloves in here, hats in here in the winter,” Williams said.
Every senior at Franklin has to complete a senior project —a final large-scale community service assignment that is a requirement to graduate.
Williams thought about the lack of a 24-hour way to get assistance in Whiteland, and decided to focus on that.
“We need something like this,” she said.
Christ’s Church is located in the former Whiteland Carpet Factory Outlet in Whiteland, right off U.S. 31. Williams’ grandparents own the building, and are members of the church. Meeting with church leaders, Williams asked if they would place the box in front of the building. The church had been discussing creating a similar Blessing Box themselves, and they agreed to work together, keeping it stocked with food.
“We are constantly involved in the community, getting school supplies for kids in the schools, helping with the crisis ministry center, making meals for the homeless in Indianapolis,” Faull said. “This was right up our alley.”
Over the course of a few days in the fall, Williams and her grandfather constructed the box, which stands nearly 6 feet tall. They painted it a bright blue to stand out, and stenciled “Blessing Box” across the top in black. They also added simple instructions at the bottom: “Take what you need, leave what you can.”
By November, the Blessing Box was in place.
Since that time, Williams has seen the impact it has had. Often when she comes to inspect it, the items are almost entirely gone, indicating the need that exists in the community.
According to Feeding America, a national organization addressing hunger, 15,200 people in Johnson County were food insecure in 2019 — representing 10% of the population. In New Whiteland, 32% of households are categorized as ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. The distinction is applied to households that earn more than the federal poverty level, but less than the basic cost of living for the area.
“The number of people who are hungry (is) surprisingly higher than I would have figured,” Williams said.
With the project complete, Williams had to give a presentation at school about the box and why she approached the issue of hunger. She also had to write a paper discussing her reasoning.
Seeing the Blessing Box set up every time she drives through town is a rewarding feeling, she said. So is the fact that she knows her work will continue to provide assistance to people at times when they need it the most.
“I’m glad to be able to help,” Williams said. “It’s like a legacy here in the community.”
