SHS JAG students present the newest Blessing Box in Salem

Washington County has recently gained a new Blessing Box! One of many in the county, this new box is located in the Salem Community Park on Parkview Drive near East Hackberry Street. Blessing Boxes provide a great way to help individuals and families in need. The boxes contain non-perishable food items provided by members of the community, and the idea is that those in need can come and collect food items for themselves and their families from the box.

(Left to right) Mayor Justin Green, Logan Kelly, Raelyn Reynolds, Tara Kritzer, Allyson Layow, Tom Fultz.

Tara Kritzer, who teaches the JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) course at Salem High School, helped organize the construction of the new box after her students decided that this was what they wished to accomplish when discussing their service learning project.

“It took a very long time to get to this point, but I think it is pretty awesome that my class chose to do this as their service learning project,” said Kritzer. “I think it was a really neat idea, and I’m hoping this really is a blessing to our community. That’s the hope.”

“Seriously, good job,” Mayor Justin Green said to the group. “Your mind and heart are in the right place, and I know you have a very well-intended leader. Good job to all of you, really. Don’t stop here. If you need something else from the city, let us know. Don’t hesitate.”

“This is for anyone in need,” Kritzer said. “The sign says ‘take what you need, leave what you can.’ So, if anybody needs something, I hope they take it. If somebody has a little bit extra, I hope they give it. The hope is that it will be sustained by the community. Our JAG program started in January of 2024, and that class decided we were going to build a blessing box. So, we built it, and then everything kind of stopped. It sat all last school year, and I didn’t have the supplies to finish it up. So, John Calhoun’s advanced manufacturing class had the siding and stained the wood, so they finished it up for us… These kids here and their families have really done such a great job of helping to bring a bunch of food to fill the box up. I’ve got some amazing students, and I’m really sad that the program is going to end. I’m planning on approaching the student council sponsors at the [Salem] high school to see if they would like to take this over as maybe a community project they would do for years to come… I’ve been in places in my life where I’ve needed something like this, so I really hope it blesses people.”

The new Blessing Box stands as a testament to how much good a small group of people can accomplish. Thanks to the dedication of Salem High School’s JAG students, families in need now have another resource they can rely on. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, the Blessing Box in Salem Community Park is there to help that need.