The generosity and hard work of a Hubbard High School student has caught the attention of the United Way of Trumbull County. Freshman Madelyn Fonagy recently received the Thankful Acts of Kindness award from the Unite Way for her efforts in starting and maintaining the Blessing Box.
The Blessing Box is a small, food pantry box located outside of the dental office of Dr. Joseph Fonagy in Brookfield. Dr. Fonagy is Madelyn’s grandfather. Like many other people in the area, Dr. Fonagy’s practice was temporarily shut down during the pandemic last year, which served as the motivation for Madelyn to start the Blessing Box.
“Despite the temporary closure of his practice, my family has been relatively fortunate throughout the pandemic, but I know there are many other families that haven’t been as lucky. I started this pantry to try and help those families by offering them food items,” said Madelyn Fonagy.
The Blessing Box allows people to take what they need, and leave what they can. It is stocked with mostly non-perishable items, and Madelyn says the breakfast items such as pancakes, syrup and oatmeal are the quickest to go. In addition to people leaving what they can to keep the shelves stocked, Madelyn says people make monetary donations, which allows her to replenish the box when it is running low.
“I check the box every day. It started off slow, but more and more people have gradually begun to use it. I am anxious to keep it going,” said Fonagy.
If you need food, or would like to donate to the Blessing Box, you can stop by the Blessing Box, which is located outside of Dr. Fonagy’s office at 7159 Warren Sharon Road in Brookfield. You can also visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Blessing-Box-107433727798195