CHICOPEE – What started as a way for one woman and her family to help the surrounding community during COVID-19 has blossomed into much more. The organizers of Mission: Worthy, who have chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, have grown their original blessing box into multiple tables of donated supplies for those in need to take.

The tables have items such as gently used clothing, hygiene products, books, movies and baby supplies.

“We started with just a little box filled with everything we could put in it and now we have five extra tables. They get visited all day and it’s people donating and people grabbing whatever they need,” said one of the organizers.

She said that since she began the original blessing box in January 2021, community support has skyrocketed. According to her, people stop by multiple times a day to help replenish supplies and make sure the tables are full.

“Honestly, I thought it was just something that my family and I were going to do and supply the box weekly or daily and now those tables are emptied almost every day. We’ve never had to worry about them being replenished, people have been amazing and really enjoy it. The people that are able to take from the table are so grateful and the people that are able to donate, they’re just as grateful because they feel like they’re doing something for the community. And, of course, we’re still in this pandemic so everybody needs the help,” she said.

With the growth of the Mission: Worthy project, the organizer said they plan to keep it going for as long as possible. Most recently, Mission: Worthy hosted an Easter event that was free and open to all ages. There was an Easter Bunny at the event for everyone to enjoy.

“I wanted anyone that believes and wanted to participate to be able to have something,” she said.

Mission: Worthy is also hosting a community baby shower in May with the help of local resident’s donations. According to the organizer, one of the biggest requests that stemmed from the original blessing box was moms asking for baby items and supplies. She then decided to put together the baby shower, which will take place on May 16.

Community members have already donated diapers, wipes, gently used clothing and more.

Moms in need are able to register for the baby shower by reaching out to Mission: Worthy through their email at mission.worthy@gmail.com, through their Facebook page or by calling 657-2332.

Donations for the community baby shower will be accepted until May 15. There will also be a raffle that moms can participate in to win bigger items such as car seats and changing tables.

In the summer, the organizer said that Mission: Worthy will have a community garden to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to those in need. Mission: Worthy also still has their prayer box, where people can leave a note with prayer requests and the organizer and her family will pray daily.

Anyone who needs supplies from the tables are able to show up and take what they need at any time, she said.

“I don’t want anyone to ever feel like they have to show their face. You come, you grab what you need and you just keep on going. It’s always stocked with hygiene products, food, we have a table of clothes, we have a full table of shoes, toys, books, movies… There’s a little bit of everything,” she said.

The organizer said she is most proud of the sense of community that has come from this project. She said she never once thought it would grow to the size it is now, but that she is extremely grateful for it.

“It’s amazing how everybody is coming along together and we're helping each other out because everybody needs a helping hand. Sometimes it’s hard for people to ask for that and the fact that this is just there, you don’t have to show your face, you don’t have to do anything, you just come and grab what you need.... People want to help and this is an outlet for them to help each other.”

The blessing box is located at 60 Wheatland Ave., near Chicopee High School. Those interested in learning more about the blessing box or seeing other community events hosted by Mission: Worthy are encouraged to visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MissionWorthy-102648671196469.