- Video shows Gabriel Schirmacher, founder of a new nonprofit, the Anonymous Aid Network.
- Schirmacher describes that he was once in a position where he was in need, and the help he received greatly impacted him.
- This impact has led him to start an initiative of "blessing boxes" around Jackson, where neighbors can donate and accept donations, anonymously.
- To find a list of where these boxes can be found, click here.
Here in Jackson, you may notice wooden boxes start to pop up all over town, but they're more than what meets the eye. Gabriel Schirmacher says, "I built this completely free. It was out of spare scrap metal, (and) spare screws I had laying around. Almost anyone can do what I did."
These boxes are packed with food, toothbrushes, and toiletries, and everything is free for those in need. A need that Schirmacher knows about, because he's been there himself. He says, "A lot of people truly don't understand it firsthand, and I've lived it. I'm able to see it through both sides of the coin. Now that I'm dug out of that hole, I'm able to do what I can out here."
WATCH: Learn more about what these boxes mean
Schirmacher says he started a nonprofit called the Anonymous Aid Network. "That's not why we're asked to give, and it's not why we should give, is for recognition. You should do it out of the goodness of your heart. Being anonymous shouldn't be something that holds anybody back from giving," says Schirmacher.
With this nonprofit, Schirmacher aims to provide immediate and readily available help, starting with, what he calls, "blessing boxes." Neighbors can drop off and receive donations at businesses, like Fringe Hair Studio. One employee, Shayla Satterelli, explains, "We're in a very good location. We're right off the highway. It makes it very convenient, especially for those in need, and here at Fringe, we really like to give back as much as we can."
Schirmacher says these boxes are just the beginning and hopes they inspire other neighbors to give back in their own way. "If we can do more things like this, then that's really the message I want to send with my nonprofit," says Schirmacher.
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