Blessing box opens by Fairmont's iconic Yann's Hot Dogs
Feb. 8—FAIRMONT — A new blessing box sits next to Yann's Hot Dog Stand on Washington Street, across from the former headquarters of the Marion County Family Resource Network.
"We have been working in partnership with UniCare and Yann's Hot Dogs and launching a blessing box in this area of town," Shannon Hogue, CEO of the Marion County Family Resource and Support Network, said. "It's something we thought was needed in Marion County. Food insecurity is a big thing all around the state, specifically, Marion County. So wherever there's a need we can help fulfill, we obviously want to."
According to the global nonprofit Food for the World, between 2019 and 2021, food insecurity averaged 14% in West Virginia.
"That makes West Virginia the 4th hungriest state with a food insecurity rate 34% higher than the national average of 10.4%," states the Food for the World website..
The FRN is in the midst of a brand change.
Unicare Community Relations Representative Darlene Stuckey said the blessing box helps fill gaps in service that the resource network and UniCare have trouble covering. For example, the box might provide a hungry family something to eat in the middle of the night when all the grocery stores have already shut down. It can also be stocked with hygiene products and items for children. Not just food goes inside a blessing box.
"FRN will maintain it," Stuckey said. "UniCare has put a fund in place so that they can go out and purchase different things to be able to fill it with, whether it's hygiene, water for in the summertime, food that we can replenish. We also want to welcome community partners, our churches."
Stuckey said FRN will replenish the box throughout the week, and hopes other community agencies stop to help fill up the box as well. Nothing perishable will be stocked, meaning no fruits or vegetables or frozen items, only items that are sealed and aren't expired or near expiration. The box is unlocked, so anyone can go by, open it and take what they need.
Hogue said they chose the location because people already knew the area from the presence FRN maintained across the street. It's also next to the Fairmont Union Rescue Mission and a block from United Way. This makes it accessible to anyone who might lack transportation but is already in the area to visit one of the nonprofits nearby. Yann's Hot Dog stand also wanted to be a part of establishing the blessing box.
"Yann's is very involved in their community and it was something they wanted to be a part of," Hogue said. "We wanted it to be in a centralized location, so that there's a lot of movement here."
Kyle Smith, of K's Handyman Services, built the box. Hogue credited Smith with doing a lot of work in the community and said he set up the box at no cost to the FRN.
Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com
