Teaching your kids the value of serving others, and the virtue of kindness, is now a little easier. Thanks to the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project, you and your children can do good deeds together right in your neighborhood. The simple concept of “Leave What You Can – Take What You Need,” applies to the weatherproof, glass-front Blessing Boxes. The purpose of each box is to allow you to donate nonperishable food and toiletry items so that those who are in need can pick them up anonymously. The project was started by Katie Dahlheim, a mom and lawyer from James Island. Katie saw the need for people to access food while keeping their dignity. The Blessing Box Project is spreading kindness, not placing a value on another person’s struggles. These boxes are intended to help folks who are food insecure, like the family who had an unexpected medical bill or the young person working two jobs and experiencing a major car problem.
Some of the boxes were built by scout troops, youth organizations and religious groups. Many were set up by good neighbors who saw a need where they live. All are placed in public areas with easy access for folks to pull a car over and place (or take) a few items. Some of the helpful things found in Blessing Boxes include canned soups and fruits, peanut butter, pasta, rice, or other items that can help a family get through “’til payday.” Baby wipes, diapers, pet food, and sample size shampoos and toothpaste are also useful.
Getting the kids involved is as easy as taking them to the grocery store and letting them pick out a few items to donate, then driving them to a box near you. You may want to encourage older kids to earn the money to buy their donations, and make it a monthly project. There are eighty-seven Blessing Boxes up and running throughout the Lowcountry, with five more in the works.
The Blessing Box Project believes that people are inherently kind and want to help others, but sometimes it’s difficult to find tangible ways to put that desire into action. This is a local, direct way of helping people in our community. Whether it’s a bag of rice, a picture colored by a child, or a pack of diapers, the recipient’s day will be brighter because of the generosity of a stranger.
To learn more, visit the Lowcountry Blessing Box Project on Facebook or @chsblessingbox on Instagram and Twitter.
Current Locations:
📍NORTH CHARLESTON
- 1916 Bolton St (N Chas Rec Center)
- 1125 E Montague Ave (N Chas UMC)
- The Bend, 3775 Azalea Drive
- 2704 Saratoga Rd (Dorchester Waylyn)
- 7647 Dorchester Rd (Kevin’s North Area Transmission)
- 1517 Greenbay Drive (Charleston Farms)
- 1633 Sumner Ave (Charleston Farms Community Center)
- 4852 Foxwood Drive (Forest Hills)
- 5300 Dorchester Rd (Adams AME Church)
- 2504 Spruill Ave (Ms Carolyn’s Box)
- S Antler Drive (Northwoods Baptist Church)
- 8600 S Antler Dr / Rivers Ave ((T-Mobile Call Center)
- 1059 Crawford Street (Cooper River Baptist Church)
- 1087 E Montague (North Charleston High School located within the teachers’ parking lot and accessed via Jenkins or Hyde Ave.)
- 3921 St Johns Ave (St Johns Catholic School)
- 7272 Cross County Rd (North Charleston Fire Station)
- 3401 Rivers Ave (North Charleston Police South Bureau at the rear of parking lot facing Lenape St)
- 5341 Park Forest Parkway (River Oaks Community Church)
- 4542 Simms St (Hursey Montessori School)
- Trident Technical College Grocery Vault (on campus, for students & TTC staff only)
📍LADSON/ HANAHAN
- 3357 Fairview Drive, Ladson
- 306 Old Fort Rd, Ladson (Oakbrook Elementary)
- 1202 Dickson Ave, Hanahan
📍MONCKS CORNER/ GOOSE CREEK
- 1389 N Highway 52, Moncks Corner (Living Tees)
- 1616 S. Live Oak Dr, Moncks Corner (Ebenezer UMC)
-212 Cooper Street, Moncks Corner (Community Hope Impact Center)
- 227 Abiding Way, Moncks Corner (Abiding Word Church)
- 102 Marilyn St, Goose Creek (Law Offices of DeLuca Maucher)
- 1127 Dorothy Street, Devon Forest Elementary school, Goose Creek
- 302 Adeline Dr., Goose Creek (Boulder Bluff)
- 142 Red Bank Rd (GC UMC)
📍JAMES/ JOHNS / WADMALW ISLANDS
- 5605 Katy Hill Rd, Wadmalaw Island (Community /Senior Center)
- 828 Folly Rd, James Island (Hair duJour)
- Martello Drive, James Island (Martin Luther Lutheran Church by Firestone off of Harborview Rd.)
- 413 Fort Johnson Rd (by the manatee mailbox)
- 2812 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island (Southern Brews Coffee)
- 3226 Maybank Highway (Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic)
- 3531 Maybank Highway (Johns Island Library)
📍WEST ASHLEY
- 1551 Mulberry St (the PINK House)
— There’s also a Blessing Box across the street from the Pink House at the James Chapel AME Church
- 1601 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. (Grace UMC)
- 1336 Fifth Avenue, West Ashley
- 2014 Bees Ferry Rd (Grace on the Ashley)
- 1900 Old Parsonage Road (St Timothy's Anglican Church)
- 516 Arlington Drive
- 1108 Wappo Rd. (Graham A.M.E. Church)
- 1102 Northbridge Dr. (at Somerset Circle)
📍Mt. PLEASANT/ AWENDAW/ McCLELLANVILLE
- 690 Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant (Hibben UMC)
- 822 Pinckney St, McClellanville (MCVL Realty)
📍DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON
- 302 Ashley Ave
- Laundry Matters, 51 Reid Street, Eastside
- 273 Meeting Street (Trinity UMC)
- Trident Technical College Grocery Vault (on campus, for students & TTC staff only)
- Cougar Pantry (in the Theodore S. Stern Student Center at CofC - any CofC student can access the pantry by presenting his/her Cougar Card)
📍FOLLY BEACH
Bert's Market, 202 E. Ashley Ave.
📍SUMMERVILLE
- 888 Central Ave. (Cornerstone Baptist Church)
- 417 Central Ave (Summerville Baptist Church)
- 206 Central Ave (St Luke’s Church)
- Sangaree Library, 595 Sangaree Parkway
- 102 Sangaree Park Ct
- 209 Mikel Drive (Quail Arbor)
- 183 Apache Drive (Indian Springs)
- 10 King Charles Circle (Newington Elementary)
- 610 Cedar Street
- 1001 Beech Hill Road (Beech Hill Elementary)
- 438 Marketplace Drive (Church at Cane Bay)
- 9800 Delemar Highway (near Ashley Ridge High School)
- 303 Central Ave (Bethany United Methodist Church)
- 111 Waring Street (St. Paul's Church / Skardon Hall)
- 100 Limehouse Dr. (Stallsville United Methodist Church)
- 801 Boone Hill Rd. (Boone Hill UMC)
- 305 Old Trolley Road
- 301 Chandler Creek Road (Sires Elementary)
📍LINCOLNVILLE
141 W Broad St. - Charles Ross Municipal Complex (Lincolnville Town Hall)
📍WANDO/ DANIEL ISLAND/ HUGER
- 1615 Charity Church Rd, Huger (Merritt's Blessing Box)
- 1527 Clements Ferry Rd.
- Philip Simmons Elementary, 2095 Seven Sticks Road, Wando
📍BONNEAU
- 1120 Mail Route Road (Victory Baptist Church)
📍RAVENEL / HOLLYWOOD
- Muddy Creek Farmer's Market (by Hardee’s at 165)
-8096 Hwy 162, Hollywood
📍RIDGEVILLE
- 2589 Old Gilliard Road (Spring Hill Church)
- 285 Temple Road (Brookhaven)
- 1475 Highway 61 (Dorchester County Fire Station in Givhan)
📍PINEVILLE
2085 Hwy 45 (Pineville Fire Department)
📍ST STEPHEN
183 Hood Street (St Stephen UMC)
📍COTTAGEVILLE
-648 Peirce Rd (Cottageville Elementary)
