PRAIRIE GROVE -- First Presbyterian Church in Prairie Grove recently held a dedication and blessing of their Little Free Library and Little Free Pantry.

The two-sided box offers free books for children and adults on one side and free canned and non-perishable food items on the other side. It is located in front of the church's fellowship hall, located at 208 E. Bush St.

Participants may take a book or leave one in the Little Free Library, which is an initiative started in 2009 and is now a nationwide non-profit organization devoted to encouraging reading and increasing community involvement. In May 2016, the Little Free Pantry project was launched to provide assistance with local food insecurity. Like the Little Free Library, neighborhoods are invited to contribute food items to the Little Free Pantry.

The First Presbyterian's Little Free building was constructed by church members Clancy McMahon and Brad Anderson to resemble a nineteenth-century American Protestant church.

For more information about the Little Free Library, check out their website at littlefreelibrary.org, the Little Free Pantry at littlefreepantry.org, or contact The First Presbyterian Church in Prairie Grove on their Facebook page or by calling 479-846-2696.