Sometimes the best ideas are beautifully simple. Such is the case with the Little Free Pantry. Inspired by the Little Free Library movement, Little Free Pantries offer an easy way to share food with neighbors using something akin to a large mailbox installed streetside as an exchange point. It's a great way to help food-insecure neighbors and build community.

In June, Shareable spoke with Jessica McClard, creator of the first Little Free Pantry in Fayetteville, Arkansas. At the time, she had just created a Little Free Pantry Facebook page and people from around the world were already contacting her for tips on how to start their own pantry.

Since that time, the Little Free Pantry Facebook page has gotten over 15,000 “Likes” and McClard has lost count of how many Little Free Pantries have popped up. The initial Shareable blog post about McClard’s Little Free Pantry has been read by over 20,000 people and has been shared over 700 times on our Facebook page. 

Recently, NowThis created the below video about the Little Free Pantry movement. The video has been watched over 24 million times in the last two weeks. Clearly, the Little Free Pantry is an idea that resonates with people.

McClard stresses that while Little Free Pantries may not solve food insecurity, they raise awareness of the issue and create a space for conversation. It’s also, she says in the video, a “very tangible way to help your neighbor.”

Interested in starting your own Little Free Pantry? Check out the how to here on LittleFreePantry.org.