Doyle Construction: Fighting Hunger, One Little Food Library at a Time
When Doyle Construction first came to volunteer with So What Else in the summer of 2025, nobody expected they’d walk out with a whole new building project on their hands. They came ready to sort food and serve families. They left committed to building 20 brand-new little food libraries to help fight hunger in our community.
This is the story of how a simple volunteer day turned into a powerful partnership.
How the Partnership Started
During that first visit in summer 2025, the So What Else team shared an idea that had been sitting on the “someday” list: small outdoor food pantries that could sit in neighborhoods, schools, and community spaces so families could access free food 24/7. We even had a rough prototype idea in mind using pallets and old dresser drawers.
Doyle Construction took one look, smiled, and essentially said: let the builders build.
They gently (but firmly) retired the dresser-drawer concept, pulled apart a pallet to understand the structure, and then did something very “contractor”: they handed our tools back, went to their trucks, and returned with their own professional-grade equipment. From that moment on, it was clear this wasn’t just a side project. They were all in.
By the end of that visit, Doyle had volunteered to design and build 20 little food libraries at their own facility, using the rough prototype as inspiration for a more durable, high-quality version that could stand up to weather, use, and time.
What Are Little Food Libraries?
Little food libraries (also called little free pantries) are small, weatherproof community boxes where neighbors can take what they need and leave what they can. They’re designed to be open 24/7, stigma-free, and embedded in the community. Little food libraries can be found at local libraries, churches, community and recreation centers, schools and youth program sites, partner organizations, and neighborhood hubs.
These little food pantries extend our broader hunger relief work—pop-up distributions, high-volume pantry operations, home deliveries, partner site deliveries, and student meal services—by adding another hyper-local access point where families can get support exactly when they need it.
From Sketch to Build: Doyle’s Craftsmanship in Action
What started as a rough “pallet and dresser drawer” concept in July 2025 quickly turned into a professionally built solution. Doyle used their expertise to redesign the little food libraries with quality lumber, creating sturdier, safer structures built to last.
In September 2025, Doyle hosted their first official build day at their shop and completed two solid, spacious prototypes. By October, they had delivered 13 finished little food libraries to So What Else, with 7 more in progress for a total of 20. These pantries are thoughtfully designed: larger than traditional donation boxes, yet light enough to move and roomy enough to hold meaningful amounts of food and essentials.
Volunteers joined in to sand and prep each pantry for painting, branding, and installation. Bright colors, clear signage, and co-branding with So What Else and Doyle Construction will make it obvious that these are free, welcoming community food resources.
Thanks to Doyle’s generosity, craftsmanship, and follow-through, a simple idea has become 20 tangible, community-ready little food libraries that will support families for years to come.
If your company, organization, or community group is interested in partnering on hunger relief projects like this, please reach out to So What Else Hunger Relief Director Megan Joe at mjoe@sowhatelse.org.
