After the holidays, Taylor Vallo (TV) saw a need in her hometown and decided to act. With her son, she filled a local church’s Blessing Box with essentials like canned goods, pasta, and peanut butter to help families facing food insecurity.
AC: What organization or local cause did you volunteer for?
TV: We live in a small area. Many churches in our area have what we call Blessing Boxes. The church I attended as a teen is called Union Church and they have the main one I know of in our town. They host meals every week for the community, have a warming center, and overall they give back in many ways. I no longer attend, but I still think it is so important to give back to those less fortunate in the area. I have always wanted to fill a blessing box, and what better time to hand out a blessing the right after the Holiday?
AC: Was this your first time volunteering for this organization or cause? Please elaborate.
TV: This was my first time filling a blessing box, but not my first time giving back to my community. I will say this one felt more rewarding than others as the last image I attached shows how much people needed in just 24 hours!
AC: Why did you choose to volunteer here for your Day of Giving?
TV: My kids’ school did a large food drive prior to Christmas break. That food drive was to send food boxes home to families in need. Knowing that a lot of kids really depend on the schools for 2 of the 3 meals a day is a very sad reality. I want to help limit that in any way I can.
AC: Can you tell us about your volunteer experience? What did you do? Did your time volunteering meet your expectations?
TV: My son and I drove by in the morning to see what all was needed. The Blessing box itself was fairly bare aside from empty boxes. We emptied all the empty boxes and headed to our local Aldi. From there, we bought pastas, sauces, soups, rice, canned meats, vegetables, applesauce, fruit cups, and a variety of other shelf-stable food options. We did add some bread, peanut butter, and jelly as well. We then took it all back and cleaned and organized it. We returned the morning after to see how many people we helped, and the food we added did not go to waste! This was really nice to see.
AC: What would you like to share to encourage others to volunteer their time and energy locally?
TV: If you have a local Aldi, and a blessing box near these boxes can be filled spending a pretty small amount of money. You never know whose life you are changing. Who needed just 2 more meals until payday. Who just lost their job. Who got their hours cut or laid off. We just don’t know all the situations, and it is good for your mental health to help when you can. Going back to see you helped is a great boost of serotonin.
Taylor’s experience is a beautiful example of how small acts of generosity can meet real needs. When we give what we can, we may be giving someone hope. To explore more stories like Taylor’s, visit the Inspiring Forward collection.