Community food distribution box to serve Quincy’s east side

QUINCY — A community food distribution box now stands in front of the Maine Pointe East mobile home park at 3600 Maine thanks to Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences students, faculty and staff; three Quincy businesses; and the Blessing Hospital Construction Department.

A pandemic-related project conducted by Blessing-Rieman’s Community Health Nursing class identified a lack of food assistance to those in need on Quincy’s east side. The students brought their findings to faculty and staff, and together they developed the idea for the “Blessing Box.”

Anyone facing hunger is welcome to take non-perishable food items that have been donated and placed in the Blessing Box. Since it was installed in June, college officials say the Blessing Box has been popular. Anyone is welcome to place non-perishable food items in the Blessing Box, and anonymous donors have been contributing. Blessing-Rieman’s Community Health Nursing class owns the responsibility ultimately to ensure the Blessing Box is filled.

Asked what the Blessing Box teaches nursing students, Dr. Brenda Beshears, college president and chief executive officer, said in a press release, “Compassion. We learn compassion through experiencing and participating in different activities. Blessing-Rieman wants to give back in more ways that just education. We want to be a contributing member of our community.”

Helping bring the Blessing Box to life with construction-related skills were Plant Creative Wood Design, owned by Blessing-Rieman graduate and Blessing Hospital nurse Tyler Plant; Michelmann Steel; Quincy Industrial Painting; and Blessing Hospital’s construction department.