In Matthew 25:35, Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." The members of Salem United Methodist Church in Manheim are taking those words to heart. Salem Family Ministries has installed a Blessing Box full of nonperishable food that's free for the community. The box is located by the church sign at 140 N. Penn St.

Over the summer, church member Jim Stouch was on a trip with a group of church members through Appalachia Service Project when he noticed a Blessing Box. "He texted me and said, 'Let's think about doing this,'" recalled Lisa Palmquist, chair of Salem Family Ministries. "The next day, I went out and bought the box."

Church member Doug Winters helped to construct a frame for the box, which is a large bathroom cabinet, and built an overhang to protect it from rain and snow. The box was installed at the end of August. Palmquist checks the box on Sundays and Wednesdays, restocking as needed.

The idea for the box is to provide food for a family to make a meal, she noted, adding that people have donated items such as spaghetti and sauce, family-size boxes of macaroni and cheese and Tuna Helper plus a can of tuna. "We're looking for nonperishable dinner items," she said.

The church members are familiar with the need for access to free food in Manheim. The Manheim Central Food Pantry moved to the former church parsonage in 2012. "The Blessing Box is a way for us to reach out to the community and serve their needs when the food bank is not available," Palmquist noted.

The Blessing Box is just one of several initiatives of Salem Family Ministries. The group holds a school supply collection, organizes a fall coat drive, provides clothing for nurses to distribute in the Manheim Central School District and more.

Palmquist noted that while church members have been contributing to the box, she has also noticed donations from community members. "That was a nice surprise," she stated.

Donations may be placed in the box or dropped off in a bin labeled "Blessing Box" in the church's Welcome Center.

"We have a sign on the Blessing Box that says, 'Take what you need, leave what you can,'" Palmquist remarked. "We just want to bless our community."