JACKSONVILLE, Texas — St. Matthew United Methodist Church in downtown Jacksonville is set to launch a new personal hygiene box, expected to be ready next Monday. This initiative will provide essential items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, soap, and feminine hygiene products to anyone in need, offered with “no questions asked.” The new box is an expansion of the church’s existing community support efforts, which include a food and water “Blessing Box” and a separate book box.
The church’s mission committee identified a significant community need for feminine hygiene products. According to the advocacy group PERIOD, two in five American women and nearly one in four students struggle to afford these essential items. Jerri Likings, a school teacher and member of the mission committee, highlighted the often-overlooked nature of this struggle, noting it “can be devastating… if you don’t have the things you need.” Likings, who has observed this need firsthand among students, mentioned that some schools already provide similar resources.
The idea for including feminine hygiene products specifically in the new box arose after a volunteer engaged with a woman at the church's existing Blessing Box who expressed a need for these items, alongside napkins. Reverend Barbara Hugghins, chairperson of the mission committee, affirmed the church’s ongoing commitment to identifying and addressing gaps in community needs. Hugghins stated the church “felt there was a need for the Blessing Box” when it was initially established to provide food and bottled water, including items that can be eaten by hand. The congregation keeps the food box stocked weekly. The church later added a book box, which holds children’s books, adult books, magazines, and pamphlets, with Karen Henley, Lynn Ousley, and Vivian Toland on the committee that helps maintain it.
Volunteers are handling every step of creating the new hygiene box themselves, including sanding, painting, and stocking the shelves by hand. The box is being transformed from an old newspaper dispenser, similar to the containers used for the existing food and book boxes. Likings emphasized the accessible nature of the new resource, stating that ladies can come and get what they need without judgment. Likings also noted that product insecurity affects incarcerated women.
Likings explained that St. Matthew United Methodist Church’s Blessing Box system is intended to supplement other local resources. She pointed out that other Jacksonville churches collaborate with the East Texas Food Bank, while the Sheltering Arms Coalition provides meals on Sundays at noon, and Hope offers meals Monday through Friday. Likings clarified that the Blessing Box aims to assist individuals who may face barriers like lack of transportation or untreated mental illness, which can prevent them from reaching other organizations that provide food or supplies. She also observed that people sometimes wait nearby until volunteers leave before approaching the box.
Beyond the Blessing Boxes, the church has also provided coats for kids, school supplies, warm socks, and gloves during winter, according to Hugghins. For those interested in donating, food and books for the existing Blessing Boxes can be dropped off at the church. Individuals who wish to contribute to the new hygiene box project can give through the church’s website giving page or by stopping by in person.
