Our Blessing Box: Full of Surprises (but mostly snacks)
Our Blessing Box is lovingly stocked each day by our amazing SPECO volunteers and staff. It’s here to serve anyone who passes by or lives nearby. Most days, it’s filled with nonperishable food items: canned goods, pasta, granola bars, and the occasional mystery can (you know the one… label’s missing, but hey, it’s probably beans).
That said, the Blessing Box is also known for being emptied almost as quickly as it’s filled. The need is real in our community, but so is the generosity. Neighbors regularly pitch in, restocking it with food and sometimes a little something extra.
Like the day a volunteer went to refill the box and came across… well, a hedgehog.
Not a real one, don’t worry, but a handmade piece of art featuring a very charming cartoon hedgehog with the words:
“Jesus thinks you're spikey, and he likey.”
Naturally, we fell in love with it. It was sweet, silly, and packed with the kind of heart that makes our work worthwhile. We left it out there for a while so people could see the message, but then brought it inside the outreach center, and it’s been part of our daily smiles ever since.
The thing is, that quirky little message? It’s actually pretty profound. At SPECO, we serve a lot of folks who’ve been labeled “spikey” — people who’ve been judged, pushed to the side, or treated as if their edges made them unworthy of kindness. But here’s the truth: Jesus loved the edgy, the messy, the left-out ones. And we try to follow that lead. Everyone deserves to be reminded that they are loved, just as they are.
That’s why we turned that hedgehog art into a sticker (with some slight adjustments with still some cute misspelling). You can snag one at Wildflower Gift Gallery at The Market, and proceeds go right back into supporting our programs. Huge shoutout to our friend, Ella Morris, for turning this artwork into something amazing!
To the anonymous artist who left this little treasure behind: thank you. You gave us more than a chuckle; you gave us a mantra. If you’re out there reading this, know that your gift is now part of the heart and humor of SPECO. We’ll be carrying that “spikey” love forward for a long time to come.
