Lehigh Valley Press has joined efforts with the “Blessing Boxes” initiative to fight hunger and hygiene insecurities in the Easton area by refurbishing and donating unused newspaper vending boxes to the cause.

A “Blessing Box” is a box that is placed in a community, usually in an area with a lot of foot traffic. The box is filled with donations of nonperishable food items, toiletries and other necessities like toothpaste, warm hats and hand sanitizer. Anyone can donate, but more importantly, anyone can access the goods inside the box. They are placed and filled in many communities in our area including Slatington, Hellertown, Bethlehem, Lower Saucon Township and Easton just to name a few. Some homeless families rely on the donations provided in the boxes on a regular basis for their daily needs.

Local residents can volunteer to “adopt” a box to make sure the box is filled and not vandalized. So far, people are respectful and take only what they need.

The connection between the “Blessing Boxes” in the Easton area and the Lehigh Valley Press came when Jennifer DeLorenzo, owner of Plants + Coffee on Northampton Street in Easton posted a photo of newspapers boxes that had been upcycled on the Everything Easton social media page. She wanted to get more boxes out there in her community and encourage other area businesses to consent to have a box in front of their business.

Lehigh Valley Press circulation director Christine Campbell saw the post and thought, “Hey, we have some boxes we can donate!” After conferring with Lehigh Valley Press’s publisher Scott Masenheimer, off the boxes went to the Pencor garage for new life. The coin mechanisms were removed and the boxes were painted white and new plexiglass installed.

Campbell, accompanied by district Circulation Manager Robert Ardle and Marketing Director Abelina Barra, coordinated delivery to Northampton Street in Easton, where DeLorenzo and friends were waiting.

“We met up with Jennifer, Richann Hunsicker and Kathy Noonan and dropped the boxes off for their new life,” Barra explained.

Hunsicker and Noonan started the Facebook group page Blessing Boxes for the Easton area in order to promote the initiative and hope to sign on more businesses and sponsors of the boxes. To date, the Facebook group has 914 members since the page first appeared this past July.

“Kathy Ann Noonan and I decided to start a group we can share with the community,” said Hunsicker. “This group is designed to help those in need find Blessing Boxes throughout our communities – Easton, Wilson, and other locations in need.

“We will compound a list of locations and would like to assign (adopt) a box to individuals and drop off days so that one box does not get overwhelmed and hopefully we can evenly distribute.”

To date the Easton area has 15 Blessing Boxes including the ones the Lehigh Valley Press just donated.

Easton locations include:

Christ United Methodist Church – 400 West Berwick St.

Meuser Park – 2240 Northampton St.

Mary Meuser Library – 1803 Northampton St.

River of God Church – 813 Reynolds St.

Wilson Borough Fire Dept. – 2041 Butler St.

The Neighborhood Center – 901 Philadelphia Road

Wilson Municipal Building – 2040 Hay Terrace

First Presbyterian Church of Easton – 333 Spring Garden St.

Scott Park – 128 Larry Holmes Drive

ProJect of Easton – 320 Ferry St.

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church – 330 Ferry St. and

Lot Spot Pocket Park – 647 Northampton St.

The Lehigh Valley Press will continue to partner with the Blessing Box initiative and is planning to donate more newspaper vending boxes as needed.

If you are in need or would like adopt a box, send a message through the Blessing Boxes Facebook group page or email Richann Hunsicker directly at cromans818@yahoo.com.