04 Sep 2017 Little Free Pantry created in Morrilton

“Take what you need, leave what you can. Little becomes much at the giver’s hand.” 

The words displayed in the window of Morrilton’s Little Free Pantry are helping bring the community together for the greater good, thanks to efforts led by the Century League.

The women’s organization worked with city officials to open the Little Free Pantry in late May. The freestanding pantry is located on the grounds of the Morrilton City Hall and Police Department at 119 N Division St. Everything in the pantry is free to take, no questions asked, by anyone at any time.

Anyone can donate to the Little Free Pantry by leaving items in the box for others to take as needed. Accepted donations include nonperishable or long-lasting food items and personal hygiene items. For safety reasons, no liquids or glass are permitted, with the exception of liquid soaps and toothpaste. Century League members regularly check the contents of the pantry to ensure that items in the box follow the guidelines.

“We wanted to take on a project to aid in hunger relief in Conway County, particularly as children were getting out of school for the summer,” said Century League President Courtney Stell. “Neighboring communities have taken on similar projects, and from researching those, we believe that the Little Free Pantry will help fill a local need.”

In the few months, it has been standing, the Little Free Pantry has done more than simply help the needy. A spirit of giving has become contagious for people of all ages. Several children have requested donations for the pantry in lieu of birthday presents, like Lila Rosas (6), Shane Willis (9) and Sebastian Willbanks (6). 

“In teaching Shane to give back, he has chosen a charity to support for his last several birthdays,” said Shane’s mom, Sumer Willis. “We decided to keep it local this year and chose to have a donation jar for the Little Free Pantry project!” 

Area businesses are supporting the pantry as well. Fleeman Family Dental Center encouraged its employees and patrons to donate, collecting a large number of items for the pantry simply by setting up a donation station in the waiting area. 

Donations can be made to the pantry at any time or to members of the Century League who will stock the pantry as the need arises. A list of items suitable for donating, kept inside the pantry, includes cereal, dry pasta, canned foods, breakfast bars, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and similar items. Donations that cannot fit inside the Little Free Pantry with the door closed cannot be left at the pantry site.

The club’s Little Free Pantry project was the result of several months of planning in an effort to better serve the people of Conway County.

The group of 25 women have a mission to uphold a dedication to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer is a fan of the project. “I was glad to support the Century League’s free pantry, and our city council was glad to give it a place to stand,” he said. “Our newly-relocated and renovated City Hall is for the people in this town to use, and this project is a great example of the vision we had for our new location.”

“The Century League wants to extend our thanks to Mayor Lipsmeyer and the Morrilton City Council for their help in making this project possible,” Stell added.  “Also, we wouldn’t have a Little Free Pantry at all without the help of Josh Hoelzeman who built the pantry and the generous donation of supplies by Haynes Home Center. Thank you all for your support.”

For more information about the Century League or Morrilton’s Little Free Pantry, visit centuryleague.weebly.com or the club’s Facebook page.