I’m a runner and a reader. Earlier this year I saw that some neighbors had put up a Little Free Library in their yard. It looked like a birdhouse filled with books. A sign said to “take a book, leave a book.” I stopped to browse the shelves. I liked the idea of promoting an activity that makes life better.
As more and more libraries popped up along my running route, I wondered if the idea could improve lives in other ways. Could it help get food to people who need it, when they need it? Traditional food pantries aren’t open 24/7, and some require income documentation.
My church said they’d let me install a box on their property. I stocked the first little pantry, which opened in May, with peanut-butter crackers, rice, applesauce and some hygiene items. I was so pleased to see it emptied—and restocked—when I checked on it during the first week.
Now our town has several Little Free Pantries. One near a school stocks pens and paper, along with lunch items; some have diapers in them. All of them are tangible proof that my neighbors are looking out for each other.
Interested in building your own Little Free Pantry? Visit littlefreepantry.org for ideas.
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