Cheryl Taylor, who had the idea for the Blessing Boxes recently installed in Algonac, received a Nice Neighbor Award at the Algonac City Council’s June 1 meeting.
The award was presented by council member Rocky Gillis.
“Cheryl Taylor has not been … an Algonac resident for long, but she certainly has made an impact to last a lifetime,” he said.
In October 2020, Taylor started tending the closest Blessing Box, which was in Marine City, and realized that many residents could use a box in Algonac. She coordinated with local nonprofit group Henry’s Club, which constructed two boxes that are now located outside of the Algonac Chiropractic office at 624 Michigan St. and outside of Amiels Enterprises at 421 Michigan St.
“She continues to work with community members to help her neighbors with food and pantry items that are available 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” Gillis said. “The purpose of the Blessing Box is to provide 24-hour access for free, nonperishable food items, basic toiletries, baby supplies and anything else that would be considered a blessing to someone in need. The idea is take what you need and leave what you can.”
Taylor also registered the Algonac Blessing Boxes with the Michigan Blessing Boxes Facebook group, which lists all the registered Blessing Boxes in Michigan, and littlefreepantry.org, which provides a map of Blessing Boxes and pantries throughout Michigan.
“The Algonac Blessing Boxes can provide assistance to those in need for years to come,” Gillis said.
He presented Taylor with a certificate.
“The city of Algonac presents this certificate as a token of our appreciation to Cheryl Taylor for taking initiative and getting not one, but two Blessing Boxes to the city of Algonac to support the needs of our residents,” he said. “The impact that she has made to the community through her kindness is a wonderful example to others. Cheryl represents the true meaning of nice neighbor. We are so pleased and grateful and very proud to have you in our city.”
Attendees of the meeting applauded.
“In April, we went through 700 pounds of food through our two boxes,” Taylor said. “And I’m talking baby food on up to soup. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it.”
She mentioned that “boxes and boxes and boxes” of donations from a can drive were gone within three weeks.
“It is amazing who’s utilizing these,” she said. “I had the benefit of meeting some of the people as I’m stocking them and tending them. I used one. If you’re a mother with four kids and you don’t want to run in Kroger, please stop, grab the SpaghettiOs. If you need diapers for your kid at midnight, where are you going? The Blessing Box might have something for you. They’re for everybody, not just somebody who is challenged every day but somebody who wakes up and finds they have a food challenge that day.”
“I don’t care what you make, I don’t care where you live, use them,” she continued. “That’s really why they’re there. And if this community hadn’t been so accepting to me, I wouldn’t have found something to want to give back and this is … a pure reflection of how you guys have made me feel welcome and I get great pleasure out of doing this for our community.”
Emily Pauling is a staff writer for The Voice. She can be contacted at 586-273-6200 or epauling@medianewsgroup.com.
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