Little Free Pantries

In 2009, Wisconsinite Todd Bol created the first "Little Free Library": a free-standing book pantry, little bigger than a birdhouse, where passersby can take and leave books at will. The nonprofit Bol founded estimates that in the decade since, fans of the idea have independently constructed 100,000 little libraries in more than 100 countries. During the coronavirus pandemic, those libraries are serving a new purpose: People have started replacing books with nonperishable foods and toiletries for their needy neighbors.