This 11-Year-Old Built a Network of Free Food Pantries So No Neighbour Goes Hungry

When 11-year-old Jack Knight saw classmates at his school not eating lunch — one even saving leftovers because there wasn't enough food at home — he didn't just feel bad about it. He built a solution.

Seeing the Problem

Jack, a fifth grader at St. George's Independent School in Collierville, Tennessee, first learned about the issue when his father Alex, a volunteer substitute teacher, noticed students not eating their lunch. One student said they needed the leftovers for when they got home.

The situation hit Jack hard. Then, when he learned that families with SNAP benefits might lose their ability to purchase food due to the federal government shutdown, he was determined to act.

"I don't think anyone should have to experience not having enough food since that's something that's a basic necessity for life," Jack said.

Help Memphis Is Born

In November, Jack — with help from his father — launched Help Memphis, a project focused on addressing food insecurity through small, accessible community pantries. The concept is simple: Little Free Pantries, modelled on the Little Free Libraries idea — but filled with food instead of books.

His first pantry is located at The Mercantile Off Main at 164 Washington Street on the Collierville Town Square. It's stocked with everyday essentials: canned goods, pasta, cereal, and peanut butter.

Making It Easy to Help

"These pantries are like Little Free Libraries in a sense — you can take a canned good out of it or put a canned good in," Jack explained. "The idea is if they get too low we'll restock them, but the hope is that we never have to. People can come by with a non-expired canned good and put it in. You don't have to fill out a form. We're trying to make it as easy to donate as possible."

Jack researched affordable pantry cabinets himself, and the project has already inspired dozens of adult volunteers and collected hundreds of pounds of food.