On Tuesday, the LaGrange College Servant Scholars unveiled the first Little Free Pantry on the corner of Murphy Avenue and Wilkes Street. 

The students first asked the LaGrange City Council for permission to place the community funded and community monitored boxes in local neighborhoods in October 2017. Supplies for the project were donated by Home Depot at that time, and Hillside Montessori agreed to maintain the box, which was decorated by its students. The pantries are entirely community funded and speak to the giving nature of our community.

We are glad that these groups have stepped forward to help with the project. We look forward to seeing who takes responsibility for the other three boxes that are planned in LaGrange.

The idea for the Little Free Pantries is similar to that of the Little Free Libraries, which can already be seen all over LaGrange. Both rely on community donations and community maintenance to continue.

The idea of the Little Free Pantries has already been proven to work in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the program was originally created. It has also been installed in Carrollton, Duluth, Athens, Cartersville and in dozens of other cities across the country.

We commend LaGrange College’s Servant Scholars for stepping up and making a difference in the community, and hope that the program will receive continued community support for years to come — both from organizations and individuals who donate to and maintain the boxes. 

To learn more about the program, visit 

Littlefreepantry.org.