(Feature image on front webpage: Kenova UMC’s Blessing Box)
Glory Sighting submitted by Sandra Budden.
A few years ago, the Youth of Kenova United Methodist Church, under the direction of Youth Director, Jaclyn Johnson, developed the idea for a Blessings Box for the Kenova community. The box was built by church member, Fox Heaberlin and is maintained by the Youth (left photo above). Recently, the Youth received a grant from the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington and Marshall University Research Corporation. The monies received from the grant were used to cover repairs on the current KUMC Blessing box, to build an additional Blessing Box for the Ceredo community, and to cover some stock for each box (right photo above).
Now both communities (Kenova and Ceredo) have a Blessings box. Feel free to support our Youth by dropping by non-perishable food items to either or both Blessings Boxes. The one in Kenova is located on Chestnut Street between the Gathering Place and the Scouts Building and the Ceredo box is located at Ceredo United Methodist Church at 372 Main Street, Ceredo. Our motto on the boxes states, “Take what you need, Bring what you can and Above all be Blessed”.
The Youth would like to thank Kenova United Methodist Church, Ceredo United Methodist Church, the church members and friends, Fox Heaberlin, and Pastors Jim Richards and Tom Baisden for their support in building, installing, and maintaining the Blessing Box.
A special thanks to the Marshall University Research Corporation and the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington. “The Pallottine Foundation of Huntington was established with proceeds from the sale of St. Mary’s Medical Center, and continues the legacy established by the Pallottine Missionary Sisters of caring for the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of those in the region. The Foundation focuses its efforts on four core priorities: food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, substance use disorder, and tobacco use prevention and cessation. It also supports capacity building and health and wellness. Its service area includes Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, western Putnam, and Wayne counties in West Virginia; Gallia, Lawrence, and Scioto counties in Ohio; and Boyd, Carter, Floyd, Greenup, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, and Pike counties in Kentucky.”