New Karma Box coming to Carson City

The way karma works, what goes around comes around.

In Carson City, the good karma of helping others has spread to innovative projects like the Karma Boxes, a community-based project that promotes human kindness through giving and service.

The students at Carson Montessori School in Carson City were so inspired by the story behind the Karma Boxes that they decided to adopt one themselves.

"We always look for really interesting philanthropy projects," said Carson Montessori Language Arts Teacher Will Durham, whose class is spearheading the school's Karma Box project. "We like to do things more sustainable throughout the year."

Karma Boxes, which have popped up throughout Reno-Sparks, Carson City and Dayton, contain necessities for people who may need them: food, clothing, hygiene products, and more.

Anyone can donate and fill the karma boxes, and anyone can take items from the boxes that they may need.

"It's a really great idea to give back," Durham said. "We wanted to be the first school in Carson City to do it."

He said Grant Denton of The Life Change Center and Pat Cashell from Volunteers of America visited Carson Montessori School recently and gave a presentation to the students about the Karma Box Project.

"They made a great case for why this is important and why some people end up in need of essential items," Durham said. "Grant gave a very inspirational talk. We're really happy to be working with Grant and Pat."

He said the students took right to the idea, because of its simplicity and uniqueness.

"You could tell the philanthropy spark was really there," Durham said. "They really liked the idea of giving back to the community in this way."

Durham said the upper elementary grades at Carson Montessori are taking the lead on the Karma Box, which was delivered to the school Feb. 1.

Carson City's newest Karma Box will be located at the Country Store, 3389 U.S. Highway 50 East.

Durham said the students will start painting and decorating the box next week. He said he hopes the box will be completed and ready for installation by the end of February.

"We want it to be beautiful and personal, something that makes the people using it feel good about it and inspire others in the community to contribute as well," Durham said.

All Carson Montessori students will be encouraged to help keep the Karma Box maintained and filled with needed items all year long, he said.

Some items that students thought would be good to stock the box with include sunscreen, socks, underwear, gloves, flashlight, feminine products, bandaids, first aid kits as well as gift cards that a person could use to get fresh food and water.

"One of my favorites was a water bottle with a filter for clean, filtered drinking water," Durham said.

The students also want to add inspiration messages to the box in hopes of inspiring the community to use the Karma Box to its full potential.

They plan to write an inspirational note or message on each shingle on the roof of the Karma Box, Durham said.

Carson City resident Sandi Watson, an enthusiastic Karma Box supporter, said she is excited to see another Karma Box in town. The first one was erected last year at the Arco and AM/PM at N. Lompa Lane and U.S. Highway 50 East.

"It's a great community project, allowing those in need to get items they may need and for others to give what they have," Watson said.

Denton, a peer recovery specialist and program developer with The Life Change Center, said he is proud of the way the students at Carson Montessori School stepped up to help their community in this way.

"The kids were over-the-top excited to begin helping their community and those less fortunate," he said. "They bought in to the idea of giving back to their community for the long term."

Once installed, the new Karma Box will be the second in Carson City. There is third in the Indian Hills area of northern Douglas County, Denton said, as well as one at the Stor-All in Dayton.