LITTLE ROCK – Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. joined the Little Rock Department of Community Programs today to launch a partnership-driven initiative to support efforts to end food insecurity in Arkansas’s capital city.
The Department of Community Programs has installed nine free food donation and pickup sites across all seven wards. Each “Little Free Food Pantry” is intended to provide immediate, community-supported access to nonperishable food items.
The pantries are repurposed newspaper racks that will be located on city-owned property and accessible 24/7. The goal of the initiative is to supplement the work of food relief organizations that need more help meeting demand. The program offers an opportunity for anyone to donate food at any time and anyone to take the items they need at any time.
“With studies that suggest as many as 30 percent of Arkansas residents are food insecure, we must seek out solutions that are accessible, practical, and rooted in the communities we serve,” Mayor Scott said. “Coordinated efforts like our Mobile Market and the work of the City’s first-ever Food Commission, along with this new and innovative partnership will make a real difference in the lives of residents who are hungry. We encourage everyone to consider donating to these little free pantries, and we want to make sure all residents know that food is available when they need it, with no questions asked.”
This permanent initiative stems from the annual “Anyone Can” food drive sponsored by the Department of Community Programs and Little Rock Fire Department. Partners in that effort collaborated to create a more sustainable, yearlong program through installation of permanent little food pantries. The launch comes as students who may rely on school meals may need additional access to food during the summer months.
The program involved multiple community partners, including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which donated the newspaper racks, and the Little Rock School District’s Metropolitan Career-Technical Center. Students there refurbished the newspaper racks.
More support is needed for a successful program. Community organizations and residents are being asked to consider becoming a “Pantry Champion” and adopt a food pantry for at least one day every month. These champions would be asked to make sure the pantries are stocked, check expiration dates and remove damaged items, and participate in outreach efforts. Learn more on the City’s website.
Little Rock’s Little Free Food Pantry locations are:
- Central Fire Station, 624 Chester St.
- Fire Station No. 3, 4321 W. 22nd St.
- Wright Avenue Neighborhood Resource Center, 1813 Wright Ave.
- Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road
- Fire Station No. 7, 4101 W. Markham St.
- Fire Station No. 9, 1509 Green Mountain Drive (temporary location)
- Fire Station No. 23, 4500 Rahling Road
- West Central Community Center, 8616 Colonel Glenn Road
- Fire Station No. 11, 5300 S. University Ave.