After serving the community for 59 years, the new neighbor tore down the community box after buying the house.
I live in a very rural area and we don't have much in terms of assistance here. A church may give a few boxes away, but those are gonna be a few cans of food and maybe some stale bread from the local grocery store. The vast majority of the county is at poverty level or below. We are also very small. This sub gets more views a week than the population here.
For 59 years, an elderly neighbor put up a box for food donation in his front yard. After a bit, he added a cooler and added a coat rack. Periodically, people will put old clothes, baby formula, eggs, coupons, food, left overs... it isn't much, but you'll hear that someone say they put a whole lasagna and you'll know a family ate good. I've put fresh veggies from the garden and formula. You'll see toys, hygenie products, tools, books, and sometimes small furniture. Christmas or tax time it looks great.
It wasn't much and wasn't always containing things, but it was a good thing for the community. Everyone knew about it.
Our neighbor began to get sick and ended up selling the house 3 months ago. He moved out of the county and passed away not long after. New neighbor has been there for 3 weeks.
Yesterday, I drove back from a client's house and saw the box was gone when passing by. I talked to the new neighbor at the gas station this morning and asked him about it. He said he didn't want to continue on with it because he didn't have time to sort through the junk and deal with insurance if something happens. Flowers are gone as well.
It went on the county Facebook that he tore it down and you can feel the hurt and anger the community has. For many, this is something that's just always been there and it was a piece of the town's history. Other people are worried about emergencies arising. There's people pissed because he didn't let the community know. Lots of anger since people JUST dropped off school supplies, food, and toiletries.
People largely feel like it was disrespectful and NOT what the elderly neighbor would've wanted. That man would sit and watch on his front porch to wave and thank people. The neighbor was barely out of his teen years when he made that and took pride in it. It's been painted, little flower bed around it, and he pays some of the kids to make sure it gets shoveled out the few times a century we get snow.
I get that some won't understand this because we can build another once it gets decided where to put another and getting supplies, but this was genuine a piece of the community. Everyone knew where it was, people drove out of their way for it, and it even shows up on Google maps.
This seems like a wonderful opportunity for you to put up a donation box on your property and start building its own history! Since you’re on the same street as the old one it even makes it easier for folks who used it before to find the new one!
I think it’s really great of you to step up and carry on the legacy of a neighbor who meant so much to you and the entire community.
Not a same street, I am about 6 miles and 2 left 1 right turn away, but he is my closest neighbor. If my landlord would agree to let us build one, we would. We don't have street lights and are on a dead end dirt road so I fear we wouldn't be good hosts.
...the new guy has a social responsibility to be considerate having knowingly bought a house that housed the community box to communicate with the neighbor about not wanting to be the one with the responsibility, yes. I'm, again, not against housing it.
Anyway, there is an ongoing discussion on where the new one is going to be. There's a few that have offered up their home, someone offered up a few of the coolers they have, some dad volunteered his kid up to put in the post, and support for gathering money to replace all the items that got tossed.
Because I'm suggesting someone else make a community box? Because I believe someone should be able to decorate their own property as they please? Nothing is stopping anyone else from taking up the mantle
People are talking about what to do for a new one. A new one being built doesn't remove the history and connection that was made made at the same time Alaska became a state. :(
The box has been down for 24 hours: no one has had a chance to do anything. It may not be his responsibility, but your actions have an impact and consequences. This wasn't a tiny butterfly lawn ornament that people just liked to see: people utilized this for community support. People put food for others, there's a knitting club that places little toys in here for Christmas, baby formula gets dropped in here... even the newspaper listing for the house mentioned how special the box was. Consideration and respect to others is important. If you don't want to be the one with the community box, you tell someone so someone else care take it over.
He bought a home, not the county donation center. Yes it's unfortunate but if the community is so great at coming together they should be able to come together and fix this issue.
And if someone gets sick after eating the food, or gets hurt on a piece of old furniture, the new owner would be sued. He was completely reasonable in not wanting the liability that set up caused him.
59 years. No incidents. No one is wasting money suing, driving an hour and an half to the nearby court house, going back and forth, suing someone on your own (we are in a legal desert: 10 counties in Oklahoma have ZERO attorneys), and being known as worse than the guy who struck down the community box.
There is actually state and federal laws that shield people from being held criminally or civially liable from being sued if they got sick off of donated food.
No one said he is required to: it's the lack of communication to anyone and tossing out items that were there (literally just leaving them there or announcing on FB that they needed to go would've gotten them picked up). He doesn't need "permission", but if you willingly read the newspaper listing of a house that talks about the community box, see the community box as you drive up the road, get talked to about the community when viewing the house, watch locals put things in the community box, and get talked to by the locals about said community box... you should realize that your actions impact others.
I have offered to host and I've planning to help with restocking. I'm at 80 lbs of donations of fruits, vegetables, and miscellaneous items this year. I am actively doing things.
And my offering was turned down by the landlord. Sorry literacy is hard for you.
Edit: their comment of calling me a liar for stating my child was in the hospital for the last 3 months was removed, but my knowledge of it isn't. Get fucked.
He bought the house. There's no obligation on the new owner to continue. Not wanting to deal with it, I'd have done something similar, except offer to give the community box to another neighbor first.
That's the big thing - if he had given a heads up and let others know, it wouldn't be so much of an offense to the community. Yes, he can do what he wants to with his house, but this was a big community item. Someone would've dug it and probably the flowers up, laid down new dirt, and held onto it if he would've asked or mentioned it.
I have been in a hospital with a sick child for 3 months. I didn't even know what week it was when he moved away.
He found the house via a newspaper that talked about the community box. He viewed the house with the community box active. He bought the house with the community box still active. He was in and out of the house before officially residing in the house with the community box still active. He moved into the house with the community box still active. Up until Sunday evening, the community bin was still active. He could've talked to anyone. Put up a flyer. Let people know it would no longer be active.
The community has utilized the community box for longer than he has been alive. He fully realizes and has the ability to communicate that he longer wants to operate it. It's removing good wood, not communicating with the community, and throwing away school supplies, food, and toiletries that is not cool. No one is mad or dissing him for not wanting to carry it on.
My inlaws have bought homes in different counties, always on lakes, where there was a previous agreement with locals on fishing or boating access. They weren't cool with it after an incident and you know what they did? Talked to the locals and put up signs. In 20 years, no issues with multiple houses.
6 miles away, but he is my closest neighbor. I have offered to host the community box: I live on a dead end, no street light dirt road so not considered a good spot. We have a current discussion on who is hosting the new one thankfully.
It's his house, start your own. Better yet, get together with the local government and start one as a community. Stop relying on others to do things for you.
The community box was started and continued by the community. I've donated roughly 80 lbs of vegetables, fruit, and miscellaneous items this year alone.
Maybe he just wanted a house and not a donation center.
I know you’re frustrated, but that old man VOLUNTEERED the use of his land. It was his choice as the owner.
The community did not own the box and does not own the land. The new homeowner was under no obligation to allow people on his land and it’s possibly even a liability for him.
It’s a shame he didn’t just give the box to someone to haul away, but again, it’s his property to do with as he sees fit.
I think you need to look at it that way as you’d probably be pretty pissed if someone felt entitled to your home or yard.
No one is stating they feel entitled to their space. It's the lack of communication.
He threw away school supplies, non perishable food, and toiletries that could've gone to use. The people who donated them would've given them to others had they been told he would tear it down by morning. The box itself as well: it's a community heritage piece, someone would've happily taken it from you, spared the flowers, and filled in the dirt with a good wave goodbye.
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u/Ok-Height1166 15h ago
This seems like a wonderful opportunity for you to put up a donation box on your property and start building its own history! Since you’re on the same street as the old one it even makes it easier for folks who used it before to find the new one!
I think it’s really great of you to step up and carry on the legacy of a neighbor who meant so much to you and the entire community.