On first glance, the miniature pantries — small boxes perched on wooden posts and typically found in front yards — closely resemble Little Free Libraries. But there’s one crucial difference: Instead of books, free pantries are stocked with non-perishable foods and sanitary items.
Congress adopted a measure to reopen the government and resume full food aid benefits on Nov. 12. Still, food insecurity remains a major issue. These small-but-mighty pantries (of which there are more than two dozen registered in the Madison area) are an effort to meet community needs.
2561 Hoard St. pantry
Josh White’s home in the Eken Park neighborhood used to be around the corner from Bashford Methodist Church, which had a free pantry of its own. When the church closed in 2023, so did its pantry.
That’s why White stepped up and built a pantry of his own…