East Vandergrift couple builds blessing box for community
Darla Cuppy of Vandergrift was driving along McKinley Avenue on Sunday when something new caught her eye.
Cuppy noticed a large, handmade wooden blessing box filled with food and toiletry items, and decided to stop and grab a few items to take home.
“This is one of the best ones I’ve seen. It’s loaded,” Cuppy said.
The box, installed Saturday, is next to the former Henry’s Appliance store. East Vandergrift Council approved the installation of the box.
A blessing box is a free pantry containing donated nonperishables and toiletries, available to the public around the clock. The boxes rely on donations from folks throughout the community when supplies run low.
“I like to donate pasta and canned beans when I donate,” Cuppy said.
Cuppy, 31, said she donates items to local blessing boxes, including one in Vandergrift.
“That one is usually bare,” she said. “I’m happy they have one in East Vandergrift now.”
Married couple Katlyn and Ben Gregg, who moved to East Vandergrift in 2008, are responsible for the new pantry.
Both are Kiski Area High School alumni. They have two young children.
Hard times hit a few years ago when the couple’s daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy, Katlyn Gregg said.
“We quickly fell on hard times — so hard I sold my wedding ring to help make ends meet,” she said.
Gregg said she was inspired to build a blessing box for her community after noticing one at a church in Wexford.
“I reached out to the borough, and things picked up fast. We were pleased to see they were wanting the same thing,” Gregg said.
The couple found a blueprint online and constructed the box together at home, using scrap and purchased wood.
The project took about five weeks to complete and cost about $150.
“We wished something like this was closer to us when we were struggling. Now, other families won’t feel the pinch as badly,” Gregg said.
East Vandergrift resident Traci Doland took to social media to praise the Greggs for installing their charitable contribution to the borough.
“I know firsthand how much of a blessing these boxes can be,” Doland wrote Sunday in a post to her Facebook page. “I had times in my life I struggled as a mom and didn’t know how I was going to make dinner meals and was blessed with items from a blessing box.”
The Greggs have long-term goals for the box.
“I’d love to utilize one of the old storefronts in town to expand our mission,” Gregg said. “It could be a corner store. I want a place for kids to come in while they’re out playing to grab a quick drink or snack. We love our community.”
East Vandergrift has a population of about 650 residents and does not have a grocery store.
Cuppy offered a simple piece of advice for folks interested in donating.
“Always check your expiration dates. Nobody wants expired food,” Cuppy said.
East Vandergrift Councilman Jeremy Manners said the box is a great addition to the town.
“It exemplifies our ‘Small Town, Big Heart’ motto,” Manners said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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