A Blessing Box filled with free food is available to people in need thanks to Girl Scouts from Birdsboro Troop 1080, who installed the box as part of their Bronze Award Project. The food sharing box is centrally located next to the borough police station at the corner of Cinder and Mill streets in Birdsboro.

Members of the Junior troop who installed the box were Carly Thompson, Gabby Villagrana, Addison and Molly Blackwell and Remi Sponsler. With the exception of Gabby, who recently relocated to another area, the girls are all students at Daniel Boone Area Middle School and have since advanced to Cadette Troop 1080, which meets at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Birdsboro.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award requires that girls complete a community service project, which includes coming up with an idea, planning and completing the work. "(The Girl Scouts encourage that) the Bronze Award be done as a group because when they hit the Girl Scout Silver and Gold Award, it's a singular project. The Bronze gives them the basic steps," said Korinne Blackwell, who is co-leader of the troop along with Christen Thompson.

Korinne said that the girls wanted to complete a project that would help people who were struggling financially. "We rolled a lot of ideas around, and they brainstormed about problems in the community," she said. "Everyone knew that food prices are high and people are struggling."

She noted that St. Mark's has its own food pantry and offers a drive-through food distribution. "It evolved from that. St. Mark's has a food pantry, but they thought we should have a box in the center of town," said Korinne.

After receiving approval from the borough council and a $500 donation from the Birdsboro American Legion, the Scouts set about building the box themselves. "We helped them through, but they found the plans and wrote up a supply list, and they went (shopping) at Home Depot," said Korinne. "It was cool to watch them build it. The dads came and helped, and it brought everybody together. They had a great time doing it."

Christen created the lettering on the box, which reads, "Take what you need. Give what you can."

Borough workers helped with the installation by digging a hole in the ground, which was filled with cement to anchor a pole. "We supplied the cement and the post for the borough, and we installed the box," Korinne pointed out.

The Scouts also held a food drive in Main Bird Park to ensure that they would have enough nonperishables to be placed in the box. Community members are welcome to replenish the box with food items, including canned soup and vegetables and boxed dinners and pasta, as well as personal hygiene items.

"People from the community are filling it," Korinne noted. "We drive and check on it once a week and fill it once a month. We took a few things out, but there is some really good stuff in there. People are using it and talking about it. It has been a positive thing."