LaGrange College’s Servant Scholars unveil first Little Free Pantry

Published 8:54 pm Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Members of LaGrange College’s Servant Scholars Program unveiled a new Free Little Pantry next to Hillside Montessori LaGrange Tuesday morning. The box is at the corner of Murphy Avenue and Wilkes Street and is the first of four planned pantries in LaGrange.

“The main idea of the pantry is to take what you need but leave what you can for those in need,” said student scholar Paige Taylor. “I saw it on Facebook actually in a video, and it was kind of the same concept of the free little libraries, but it was more of a homely idea with food, household items and hygiene items.”

Taylor said the group placed one of the pantries next to the Montessori because of the school’s connection. She said the Montessori’s students decorated the pantry, and the school agreed to keep up its maintenance. 

“I think that we feel pretty honored to (have) that,” said Jennifer Dorrell, the business manager and adolescent lead teacher. “We think that hopefully it will get used really well in this neighborhood, and it will stay in good shape and that we can continue to fill it up.”

Hillside Montessori is planning to move to a new location on Whitesville Road and open there for the 2019-2020 school year. 

“Hopefully, we’ll have a year to build on [the pantry], and it can be self-sustaining after that,” Dorrell said.

Other planned pantry locations include near the Boys and Girls Club of West Georgia, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church by The Thread and at LaGrange College. Taylor said the pantry at the Boys and Girls Club of West Georgia will be unveiled next.