BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. — Many people are dealing with food insecurity right now, and one woman near Blairsville decided to create a trend of turning a little library into a free food pantry, and it’s catching on.
Kattalin Cornish is a member of a little library Facebook page. But instead of filling the libraries with books, folks are starting to fill them with food.
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“I was like, that is such a good idea! Especially now because it is the slow months for the library,” Cornish said. “So, I was like, that is just so perfect. And then I took it onto some local Facebook groups to say, ‘hey this is here for whoever needs it and the feedback I got was overwhelming.”
Cornish says people in her Facebook group are filling their libraries with food due to the government shutdown’s impact on SNAP benefits. This issue hits close to home for Cornish, as she was once a kid who benefited from SNAP.
“It helped. Like, I know we got it and it was because we needed it,” she said. “People shouldn’t not have food because of other forces outside of their control.”
Now, with a family of her own, she feels it’s only right to give back. She also said neighbors have been adding to her pantry as well, and that it’s a private way for families to get the help they need.
“I don’t pay attention to it or anything! People can come and grab what they need, and no one will ever know,” Cornish said.
She also said if someone does not have a little library, they can simply place a basket with food and a note at the end of their driveway, too.
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