Engage Arkansas and the Governor’s Commission for National Service and Volunteerism, implemented a statewide Little Free Pantry (LFP’s) initiative to bridge the gap between food and access in our communities. In Arkansas, 1 in 5 people face food insecurity, meaning a limited or uncertain access to adequate food. The goal was/is for Arkansas cities to upcycle and repurpose old newspaper dispensers, converting them into LFP’s. These pantries are then “adopted” by community groups who work to keep the pantries stocked with non-perishable food items and hygiene/sanitary supplies to ensure that all of our neighbors have access to food in a stigma-free way.
On January 17, 2023, in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s National Day of Service, the City of North Little Rock partnered with the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas and the AR Dream Center/Every Arkansan to host a food drive and paint the pantries. This was a “day on, not a day off”. With over 200 volunteers, 600+ hours served, and thousands of donated items, this project has been hugely successful – but there’s still more work to do! YOU can get involved by donating non-perishable food items and hygiene/sanitary supplies directly to the pantries!
This project was inspired by the Little Free Food Pantry Movement, kick-started by a generous donation from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and powered by the caring community of North Little Rock citizens. To learn more about the project and get the free toolkit, please visit: engagearkansas.org/littlefreepantryproject
Little Free Pantry locations:
- Pike View Early Childhood Center (441 McCain Blvd)
- LISA Academy North Elementary (5410 Landers Rd)
- Lindsey’s BBQ & Hospitality House / Alpha Kappa Alpha (Preserving Pearls of North Pulaski) (207 Curtis Sykes Dr)
- Family Service Agency (628 W Broadway St)
- The Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (217 N Hazel St)
- The St. Joseph Center of Arkansas – Little Free Library – (6800 Camp Robinson Rd)
- NLR Junior League (120 N Main St – behind the City Services building)
- Refuge Church (201 W 4th St)
- NLR Animal Shelter – Little Free Pet Pantry – (#1Championship Dr in Burns Park)
Media Links:
- THV11 – Organizations get creative in battling Arkansas’s food insecurity: https://tinyurl.com/yjxs6zpp
- ABC 7 – MLK Day of Service pantry events held across Arkansas by Engage AR : https://katv.com/news/local/mlk-day-of-service-pantry-events-held-across-arkansas-by-engagear-martin-luther-king-jr-little-free-pantry-initiative-arkansas-governors-commission-national-service-and-volunteerism-st-joseph-center-of-arkansas-community-garden-mabelvale-middle-school-
- Clinton Presidential Center – 2023 MLK Day of Service Engage AR Little Free Pantry Project : https://youtu.be/Nfxq0x2Cdxo