Cans of Campbell's chicken noodle soup in a box. Photo by Calle Macarone
Five loaves and two fish, one stone in a boy’s sling, two coins from a widow and a mustard seed—the Bible proves that little can indeed be much.
Churches are demonstrating this Biblical teaching with the emergence of small, outdoor community ministries, like little free libraries, little free pantries, gardens and produce stands.
These ‘take what you need’ stands offer a few groceries or a bit of produce for supper or a life-giving read. Through generosity and kindness, believers deliver a message of care and concern by stewarding “take what you need” ministries.
Take What You Need: A Little Nourishment
One of these ministries is the “Blessing Box,” on the grounds of The Refuge, a church in Grandville, Michigan.
An outdoor cabinet, serving as a food pantry by a trail in a nearby town, inspired Gerry Koning to begin the Blessing Box. The food cabinet caught his attention since he occasionally fields inquiries about whether his own church in Grandville distributes food.
Previously, Koning referred those calls to local food pantries but explained, “That’s quite a process.” Food pantries often require registration procedures that include paperwork to demonstrate need and proof that other resources have been sought.
Koning said, “We found some people just had some food scarcity for their family, and they didn't have a meal for an evening or for a weekend. They didn't get their check yet, and they're looking for some food.” Those situations were short-term and required immediate action.
Koning’s church, The Refuge, resolved to simplify the process. After researching, they discovered the Little Free Pantry, an organization that promotes free, tiny food pantries, similar to the Little Free Library concept. The Refuge took inspiration, and their own tiny food pantry, the Blessing Box began.
The Blessing Box is two feet wide, 12 inches deep and 30 inches high. It’s filled with non-perishable groceries, like granola bars, peanut butter crackers and ramen noodles.
“We try to put things in there that have some nutritional value and that are easy to eat,” said Kathy Jelsema, also of The Refuge.
She added, “We mostly try to put things in that are easy for people just coming by off the street. They really like canned goods that have pop-tops, because they don't always have access to a can opener if they're homeless.”
Because of this reliable food source, The Refuge has gotten to know several homeless people in their community. “There are more than you think,” said Koning.
“These people know that we're here, and that we care,” added Jelsema.
A deacon from The Refuge faithfully stocks the Blessing Box with donated food items, dropped off inside the church building and collected in a box near the office.
At various times throughout the year, The Refuge publishes a list of grocery items that are most helpful.
“We ask people, if you go shopping, if you remember, set aside $10 of your shopping budget and buy some things and drop them off here,” said Koning.
He explained that the gentleman who stewards The Blessing Box takes the task of providing good food very seriously.
Koning said, “He has a real heart for people that are suffering from food scarcity or don't have food they need.”
Koning estimates that stewardship of the Blessing Box requires five or six hours a week. The deacon and his wife come diligently several times a week to refill it.
Passersby sometimes leave helpful grocery items in the Blessing Box too. It is monitored frequently to make sure items are helpful.
“It's really not that difficult to, in a small way, do something that's really important for people that don't have the resources that we have,” Koning said. “It's not high-intensive and not really an expensive thing, but for some people, it makes a really big impact. And so, you don't have to think huge to do something to try to address poverty or food scarcity in your communities.”
“It’s just little things that make a big difference,” added Jelsema.
Take What You Need: A Little Land for Growing
Additionally, there is another food source for neighbors of The Refuge. It is a community garden, about 50 by 100 feet.
“We mark out the plots with string and put a path down the middle with wood chips,” explained Koning. Tilling is provided in the spring, and irrigation comes out of the nearby creek.
More than a third of the community gardeners are East African refugees who are welcomed through Strong Tower Ministries. Greens, okra and African corn grow in the little free plots hosted by The Refuge.
“African corn is tough to grow here because it needs a longer growing season than what we have, but they do their best,” noted Koning.
The Refuge, according to Jelsema, has offered the community garden for about 15 years and the Blessing Box for about three years.
Take What You Need: A Good Read
A Little Free library is also on the grounds and has been in existence for about five or six years.
“The outdoor library,” said Jelsema, “started off mainly with kids’ books and creation-themed type books in there. It's ended up being more of a mix now as people drop off their own things and take things from it.” Photo by Grant Mosher for Koinesúnē
Kids can discover books in another Little Free Library located in a park in the Edison neighborhood of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“A couple of Kalamazoo educators started a project to get Little Free Libraries, built by students and local professionals and painted by local artists, planted into underserved neighborhoods around the city. The Edison neighborhood is the most populous and diverse neighborhood in Kalamazoo and also the most underserved,” explained Heidi Wolfe.
“I requested one of the libraries to be planted in our park,” said Wolfe, who stewards this little free library year-round.
“Passersby are welcome to leave books, but a majority come from the congregation, ones I thrift or other donations from friends and acquaintances,” said Wolfe.
She said, “I go weekly to restock and am continually accepting and sorting donations, which I keep on a shelf at my house.” Wolfe devotes about a half hour to one hour of service per week to the project.
In an email interview, Wolfe said that the Little Free library, supported by Edison Chapel, sends a message to the community: “Reading and literacy are so important and also such connection pieces, and we want every kid to have the chance to have books in their home.”
“God meticulously and lovingly created a world and generously turned it over to us. We can show this same sort of open generosity. We keep showing up with consistency, expecting that it will be treated well and simply cleaning up on the rare occasions that it is not,” said Wolfe of the Little Free Library. “We can give without strings attached, and God can use small acts of great love.”
Take What You Need: A Little Produce
“God’s Garden” is a produce stand, situated strategically on a busy corner in Caledonia, Michigan, according to Stacey Aman of Leighton Church.
The stand, which is about 5 feet wide by 7 feet tall by 3 feet deep, is set out in late April or early May and is put away for the winter in late October. Photo by Freddie Collins for Unsplash
According to Aman in an email interview, “This ministry originally started after the economy tanked in 2008. Many people were out of work and losing their homes. We had space behind our church building, so we tilled it up and planted a garden. A local seed company donated the seeds. We planted green beans, tomatoes, onions, kohlrabi and a few other vegetables.”
“An elderly couple in our church was responsible for maintaining and picking the vegetables, and a few other members of our congregation assisted them,” continued Aman. “The stand was built by a gentleman in our congregation to put the produce from our garden onto. Everything was free to anyone who needed it.”
Aman said that when this couple could no longer physically work in the garden, another couple stepped up and planted, weeded and picked the vegetables.
Give What You Can
From the beginning, according to Aman, members of the congregation would also place the extra produce from their gardens on the stand.
“When the time came that no one was willing to oversee the garden,” said Aman, “the church leadership decided to just place the stand by the road and anyone could put produce on the stand, and anyone could take produce from the stand.”
“The message that we want to share (and it is stated on a sign at the stand) is that, ‘Like this food, God's grace is free,’” said Aman.
She continued, “We hope people know us as the church on the corner with the free produce. It is our hope that people's lives are touched by our act of kindness and generosity and that they will do the same to others as they can.”
A little nourishment, a little garden, a little read and a little produce. Little is indeed much, leaving a large impact.
Koning added a prayer, “Help us to inspire others with ways that they can be authentic disciples of You, God, and ultimately, may Your name be glorified.”
Heidi Mosher finds joy and rest knowing that every single day is a day that the Lord has made. She strives to point readers to the delights of beauty and mercy. Heidi writes from Michigan with eyes on the promise of a heavenly home.
