A "blessing box" food pantry built in a man's yard in New York state has inspired others in his town, CNN reported.
Roman Espinoza, 46, of Watertown, New York, started the "blessing box," a wooden box he filled with food items, over the summer for people willing to leave items for the hungry and for those who needed them, wrote CNN.
Since the Army veteran built the box in his front yard, some 20 similar boxes have popped up in front yards around Watertown.
"Watertown residents have just gotten excited about the whole project ... about helping the community," Espinoza told CNN.
Espinoza modeled his "blessing box" after the Little Free Libraries where people would leave books for people to leave and take. A small sign inside his box reads: "Take What You Need. Bring What You Can. Above all, Be Blessed," wrote the Watertown Daily Times.
He told the newspaper in July that the box was stacked with nonperishable items like Ramen noodles, cans of soup, tomato sauce and Stove Top dressing. Espinoza said he regularly checks to see if it’s stocked, per the Daily Times.
He said people have left various items and he has gone to local businesses for donations, the newspaper reported. When people asked how theft can be prevented, Espinoza has a simple answer, the Daily Times said.
"It's free," he told the newspaper. "You can't steal it if it's free. If you need it, it's here."
Since the summer the local Home Depot, where Espinoza purchased the wood to build his first "blessing box," has agreed to provide the wood for all future boxes, CNN reported.
"We've helped cut a couple of the boxes' sizes and all that and we get the product ready for Roman whenever he needs it, Chris Bosco, the Home Depot general manager, told CNN. "So it's been a great partnership up to this point."
The Barilla pasta company has donated noodles while a local contractor has donated some of the roofing material that keeps the boxes dry. A credit union in the area has donated utensil packets, CNN reported.
"Initially, when my wife and I were talking about [the blessing boxes] we were talking about having eight to 10 (boxes)," Espinoza told CNN. "But we've gotten more than 20 now and it would be nice to see the numbers double."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.