The mini pantry movement activates neighbor engagement with food insecurity.
29% of those experiencing food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs.
We are not an organization, and we are not a nonprofit. We are neighbors. We don’t have a lot of time, and our budgets are nearly maxed. But we see our neighbors’ daily struggles and feel called to do something in a way that reflects our shared values—compassion, generosity, and trust.
Jessica McClard launched the grassroots mini pantry movement in May 2016 in Fayetteville, AR, when she planted the Little Free Pantry Pilot, a wooden box on a post containing food, personal care, and paper items accessible to everyone all the time, no questions asked. She hoped her spin on the Little Free Library®concept would pique local awareness of food insecurity while creating a space for neighbors to help meet neighborhood food needs.
A little over a month later, CrystalRock Cathedral Women’s Ministries planted Blessing Box in Ardmore, OK. By August 2016, the movement was global. Throughout the US and internationally, the grassroots mini pantry movement continues growing and moving.