A longtime source of free food and household essentials in New Glarus is available again after being temporarily removed during improvements at Shepherd of the Hills Church.

The church’s Blessing Box, also known as a Little Food Pantry, has been repaired, repainted and relocated within the church parking lot at 506 12th Ave. It is now positioned on the south-central side of the lot.

The pantry had previously been located near the church’s exit drive for many years. Conni Bigler of Shepherd of the Hills said church members wanted to make sure people who regularly use the box knew it had not been permanently removed.

“It gets a lot of use, but also some vandalism,” Bigler said. “While our parking lot was being repaved, we had members do some repairs and repaint.”