阿宾顿,爸爸. ——阿比盖尔·普雷茨, a criminal justice major at 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校, is enrolled in a victimization course this semester, and she is interning at Northeast Victim Services, a nonprofit that works with police to support those impacted by crime.
阿比盖尔Preletz spends her unemployment checks on the personal protective equipment (PPE) and toiletries she includes in the blessings boxes.
Her empathy for victims permeates her life and extends into her own neighborhood. She lives in North Philadelphia near a park where homeless people gather.
“I feel like there’s such a negative stigma toward the homeless and those that are financially disadvantaged. People don’t understand how they got there or how hard it is,” the senior said.
Preletz can sympathize to some degree since she was laid off during the pandemic and is receiving unemployment compensation.
“I thought, ‘Why not do something with my unemployment?’ I can spend this money freely to set up something small that would benefit my community and especially those that are financially needy,”她说。.
So Preletz decided to create a what she calls a "blessings box.“用她自己的失业补偿金, she purchases personal care items such as masks, 洗手液, 女性卫生用品, 牙膏, 除臭剂和零食. She pops items into Ziploc bags and then drops them into cardboard boxes.
Preletz posts messages on the boxes in marker encouraging people to take items and to be safe. 最后, she walks to the park across from the Albert Einstein Medical Center and places them on benches.
“我离开盒子，走开了. Sometimes the whole box is gone, and sometimes I have to put out a new one. I really enjoy doing this for anyone who needs the extra help,”她说。. “Even nurses go to the park on their break, and there’s a lot of homeless population, too. 这不是评判的事情. 任何人都可以拿他们需要的东西. If you need the whole box, take it,”她说。.
“I’m 22, and I feel like I have the advantage of spending my money the way I want to. That’s why I place the boxes in a park where there might be homeless or be financially disadvantaged people,普雷茨说.
“为你的社区带来一点改变. 这是一件让人感觉良好的事情，而且没有判断力.”
——推荐全球最大网赌正规平台欢迎您分校学生abigail Preletz
苏珊•罗宾逊, 阿宾顿大学刑事司法讲师, wasn’t surprised to find out about the blessing boxes.
“Abigail is clearly interested in learning about the problems in our criminal justice system and the many social justice issues facing our communities. She is also genuinely concerned for individuals facing these injustices, whether they are victims/survivors of serious crime, 无家可归的人, 或者是被虐待的儿童,罗宾逊说.
“Abigail is committed to making a difference in the lives of all those that she meets. I commend her dedication to making a positive impact in the community and am happy to heed her call to action,她接着说.
Preletz grew up in the small town of Catasauqua in Lehigh County. She spent two years at a nearby community college before transferring to 阿宾顿. She considers herself to be a caring person who comes from a caring family.
“I take a lot of inspiration from grandmother who passed away last July. She used to take in friends who didn’t have a lot,”她说。.
As for the future of the blessings boxes, Preletz plans to continue.
“I would love to put in gift cards and one day set up a separate account to pay for whatever I put in the boxes,”她说。. “I want to provide help to as many people as I possibly can in my lifetime.”
Preletz, whose blessings boxes were featured on 6美国广播公司 recently, plans to attend graduate school after completing her degree at 阿宾顿. In the interim, she encourages people to “make a little difference in your community. 这是一件让人感觉良好的事情，而且没有判断力.”
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