Food for thought.
You could argue the necessity of books during a time like this. In self-quarantine, isolation, and social distancing, we could all use a good book, series, or anthology to activate our minds, engage our focus, and spark our imaginations.
However, for some, there are more urgent requirements that demand attention. Namely, where there next meal is coming from. We’ve already begun to see the widespread economic effects of the COVID-19. And while some measures have been passed to mitigate the financial impact on residents, there’s still much uncertainty as to what the future will bring.
In order to help our their fellow neighbors, an anonymous Toronto resident, or residents, took it upon themselves to convert their neighborhood Little Free Library into a Little Free Pantry.
The discovery of this pantry was first made — or shared, rather — by a Reddit user in the Toronto Reddit group. You can see from the picture cans of soup, some noodles, and one courtesy roll of toilet paper. There is also a note on the front, reading:
“Little Free Pantry. Take what you NEED, share what you can.”
The user that uploaded the photo — who has a very Reddit-typical username: u/69_a_butt — tagged the picture with the headline: “Shout out to the good people.”
Some users criticized the idea — citing sanitary issues. Other users pointed out the ease of sanitizing the products before taking and/or donating them.
The post inspired another user in the Toronto group to look up the location of the Free Little Library. A day later, that user, u/Fisceral, uploaded a fresh picture of the pantry after they had loaded it with more pasta and soup.
The photo also included a thank-you note left by a young college student who used the pantry.
“Thank you. Thank you. Appreciative but anonymous,” it wrote.
If you are interested in donating supplies, or are in need, the pantry is located in Summerhill, on Walker Avenue off of Yonge Street.
There are over 100 Little Free Libraries in the Greater Toronto Area.
As the quarantine lengthens, do you think we’ll see more of these converted into pantries?
Let us know on Facebook or Instagram!
[Featured image: u/Fisceral]