Inside Lebanon Lutheran Church, a number that might otherwise pass by in a headline now fills the room.
There are 1,406 origami boxes on display. Each one represents a life lost to gun violence in Michigan in an average year. Together, they are impossible to ignore.
The display is part of the Soul Box Project, a national effort that uses hand folded origami boxes to honor victims of gun violence and raise awareness through visual, community created exhibits.
Turning a Number Into Something Real
The traveling installation, created by community members in Grand Haven, is now on display in Whitehall through May 14. What began as an idea through gun violence prevention teams at St. John’s Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church of the Dunes has grown into something much larger than a local project.
“It’s one thing to hear a number,” one organizer said while helping assemble the display. “But when you see it, it’s different. You realize how big that number really is.”
That shift from abstract to tangible is the point.
Each Soul Box is folded by hand and represents a person. Across the country, similar displays have been created to reflect local and national loss, turning statistics into something visible and deeply human.
A Community Effort Behind the Display
Rows of carefully arranged boxes stretch across panels, each tied into place. Up close, the individual effort is clear. Step back, and the scale takes over.
For the women who helped bring the display to Whitehall, the project is as much about community as it is about awareness. Valerie Martin, Jill Miller, Nancy Nesbitt, and Cheryl Wabeke were among those transporting and assembling the exhibit at Lebanon Lutheran Church.
The work behind the display took months. Volunteers gathered in churches, homes, and community spaces to fold boxes, often teaching others along the way.
“We didn’t know how much time and effort it would take,” one volunteer said. “But once you see it together, you understand why it matters.”
Valerie Martin, Jill Miller, Nancy Nesbitt, and Cheryl Wabeke set up the Soul Box display at Lebanon Lutheran Church in Whitehall.
See It and Take Part
That sense of purpose extends beyond the display itself.
The exhibit is open to the public at no cost at Lebanon Lutheran Church, 1101 South Mears Avenue in Whitehall, through May 14.
Public viewing hours are:
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday
- 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays
- 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9
- 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 11
Local folding events also invite others to take part, giving people a way to respond, reflect, and contribute. For some, it is about learning. For others, it is about processing. For many, it is simply about doing something.
Those interested can attend folding events at several locations:
- Monday, May 4 from noon to 3 p.m. at the White Lake Senior Center in Montague
- Monday, May 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. at White Lake Community Library
- Tuesday, May 12 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Montague Branch of MADL
- Thursday, May 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Nuveen Center in Whitehall
The installation also includes gun safety information, connecting the emotional weight of the display to broader conversations about prevention and community responsibility.
For more information, contact Mary Koenen at marykoenen4@gmail.com.
Why It Matters Now
At its core, the Soul Box Project is not trying to answer every question surrounding gun violence. Instead, it asks people to stop, look, and consider the reality behind the numbers.
Because once you see 1,406 boxes in one place, it is harder to look away.
Follow along on social media for daily updates, community highlights, and moments that happen between the headlines.
Facebook • Instagram • YouTube • TikTok • LinkedIn • X
Stay connected to what’s happening in our area by visiting CatchMark Community.
Powered by CatchMark Technologies — helping people, solving problems. Explore more on our website.
