Community Spotlight · Carter Franck Community Box

The Carter Franck Community Box

Some ministries are born out of joy. Others are born out of grief that refuses to have the last word. The Carter Franck Community Box is the second kind, and this month, they’re celebrating it with a ribbon cutting.

Who Carter Was

Carter Franck was the kind of person who couldn't walk past someone in need. He spent his time serving downtown Richmond, handing out meals and clothes, and looking for any excuse to stop and pray with a stranger. He built a career in real estate and even started his own moving company, but the work that shaped him most was the work he did for free: sitting with people who were struggling, especially with housing or addiction.

That wasn't a coincidence. Carter had walked through his own hard season with addiction as a young man, and he came out the other side determined to spend the rest of his life helping others find their way out too. With his wife, Emily, he started building something called the 116 Project, a recovery house meant to give former addicts the tools to stay sober for good. He was an active part of The Bridge Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, where he led outreach and mentored teens, and he was pursuing ministry studies because he wanted to make that work his life's calling.

In January 2022, Carter passed away from complications of COVID pneumonia. He was 25 years old.

A Box Built to Keep Loving People

Carter's mother, Laura Redding, wasn't willing to let that generosity end with him. Each year around Carter’s birthday, the family does a project in his memory. It was Carter’s wife, Emily Cialone Bell, who first had the idea that would grow into the Carter Franck Community Box: a free pantry, stocked with food and everyday essentials, open to anyone who needs it, no questions asked. It sits outside The Bridge Church, the same church where Carter found his own hope and faith, and where his family still worships today.

The idea behind the box is simple, and it's pure Carter: give without conditions, and let people walking up to it know, in a small but tangible way, that they are loved.

For the past two years, Laura and Emily have kept it stocked and running, with help from the rest of the family: a fridge, some shelves, whatever they could gather. This year, with support from The Bridge Church, the box got an upgrade: a proper shed, a new refrigerator, and real shelving, so it can hold more and serve more people.

Join the Celebration

On August 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM, the community is invited to The Bridge Church (8026 Walnut Grove Rd., Mechanicsville, VA 23111) for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the box's re-opening: new shed, new fridge, and all. There will be free Kona Ice, a chance to meet Laura, Emily and the family behind it, and an easy way to give back: bring a food item to donate to the pantry or fridge when you come.

It's a party, but it's also a promise that Carter's heart for the people on the margins of this community is still very much alive, one meal at a time.

Let's come together to bless our community. Check out their Facebook page for more ways to interact with their mission!