The Scottsville Library is excited to announce the installation of a Little Free Food Pantry, on site at the library. Little Free Food Pantries allow neighbors to help neighbors with food insecurity. You may donate food at any point just by putting it in the pantry, and you may take food at any point if you need it. This community resource is open to all, and is based on the simple premise: “Take what you need, Give what you can.”
Little Free Food Pantries reflect the mission of libraries, which at JMRL is expressed as “grow, learn, connect.” Besides connecting neighbors with neighbors, providing the community an opportunity to give and receive food and other staples, the Little Free Food Pantry also introduces people who might not know about it to the library and its many other resources. This includes books, programs and a wide range of informational resources. (For example, there is an outside board near the little free food pantry that lists programs for the month).
Over the years one of the patrons of The Scottsville Library, who is involved in providing food resources in Scottsville, has noted that the need has grown as the cost of living in this area goes up. Building a Little Free Food Pantry allows the library to act as a public square, and reflects JMRL’s goals to “serve our community” and “cultivate a welcoming environment for community engagement.” (https://jmrl.org/mission-and-values).
Libraries believe strongly in providing equal access to all, and the Little Free Food Pantry is an excellent example of this kind of community engagement.
The journey to build a Little Free Food Pantry at The Scottsville Library began with the Branch Manager connecting with a local Scout troop. One of the Life Scouts, Kingston, agreed to build it for his Eagles Scout Service Project. There were months of research, meetings and fundraising, and on March 23rd he and some members of his troop installed the Little Free Food Pantry and stocked it with food. He and his friends did a wonderful job, and The Library is grateful to Kingston for all his hard work bringing the Little Free Food Pantry to the Scottsville Library!