LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - If you’re traveling down De Porres Avenue in Lexington, you may see a little red box next to a side walk.
Community members say to not be fooled by its size; that the box has a pretty large impact.
“Like it says here, ‘take what you need, leave what you can, made with God’s blessing,’ and that is so true,” said the box’s owner, Cynthia Buckner.
This is the second Little Red Blessing Food Box Buckner has set up across Lexington.
She said God led her to creating her first one during the height of COVID when a lot of folks were falling on hard times and the mission grew from there.
“A lot of people want to say in Andover, or Hartland, or other big neighborhoods, there isn’t a need, but there is a need everywhere,” she said.
Buckner said what brings people back to the blessing box is that the boxes don’t have income or food limitations like some assistance programs do.
With federal SNAP cuts looming, Buckner predicts more people will be using these boxes in the future, and its something she’s preparing for.
“I know box number one, because its in front of my house, I could fill it up six times a day if I had time to do it because its such a need,” Buckner said. “Our plan is to build at least six to eight boxes around Lexington. I do have one that’s going to be going to Georgetown, so we’re looking to do all the surrounding counties.”
She said the food that goes into these boxes is donated by her and other community members, and with folks like Darryl Bond, who has his own connection to this mission, she’s confident these efforts will continue.
“At one time, I was down and out on my luck, didn’t have a place to live, and it was hard to get food and stuff, so now that I’m successful and working good and everything, I would like to give back,” Bond said.
“My motto is just showing God’s love in a practical way with no strings attached,” Buckner added.
Buckner said her goal is to have a Little Red Blessing Food Box in every Kentucky county.
Buckner said she also plans to build a large food pantry where she can store food to distribute to the boxes.
If you’re looking to get involved in this mission, you can donate non-perishable food items during St. Martin’s Village Day.
Folks with the food boxes will be set up at Whitney Young Park, July 26, from noon to 9:00 p.m.