Outside of a Rexburg townhouse sits a small blue cupboard stocked with pantry items. And every Sunday, a wooden stand appears beside it, filled with free, freshly baked treats for anyone who stops by. For neighbors, they are a sweet surprise. For their owner, they are a simple way to grow community.

In August of 2024, Alex Andrews packed her life up and moved from Montana to Rexburg to be closer to her mother in Idaho Falls.

Being new to town, she wanted to grow her social circle. Wanting to find community with her new neighbors and take up a new hobby, Andrews decided to "go old school" and make baked goods for her neighbors as a way to introduce herself to the area.

Despite having minimal baking experience, Andrews began by using her great-grandmother's chocolate recipe.

Multiple batches and technique trials later, she discovered she really enjoyed baking. After dropping the baked goods off at her neighbors' doorsteps, she saw someone online who had a free bakery and decided she wanted to try doing the same.

She got herself a wooden stand and first filled it with her chocolate chip cookies, then again and again with various sweets week to week. Ever since, she has had positive encounters with people in the community.

"People were telling me, 'This is the only time I can afford to get my kids a treat,' or, 'This is the only time I can enjoy a sweet treat for myself,' So I knew there was a need for people to have access to food," Andrews said. "I realized how much food brings people closer."

Serving the whole week

Two months later, Andrews had gotten to know all her neighbors and many community members. She said the bakery took off, and she connected with other free bakery owners around the U.S. Some of those she connected with had mini pantries, too. She saw how the bakery uplifted her community on Sundays and decided she could do something to help others throughout the week.

"The free pantry is full 24/7," Andrews said. "It has canned goods and hygiene items ... I restock it like three or four times a week, so there's usually quite a bit of stuff in there, but the free bakery is only on Sundays."

Her pantry is stocked using her own funds and sometimes community donations. Andrews has an Amazon wishlist that individuals can use to order different items.

"Sometimes we get community donations," Andrews said. "I have an Amazon wishlist up, so sometimes people will order stuff from that, but most of the time it's just me going to like Walmart and Dollar Tree and stocking up on items that are non-perishable, and will do okay in the pantry, but will feed people. I do a lot of like mac and cheese, canned soups, stuff like that, and then all the hygiene items, you know, baby wipes, diapers, stuff like that."

Keeping up with costs

With the successes of her free bakery, Andrews said she began to receive requests for commissioned desserts for those in the community.

And maintaining a stocked pantry and buying ingredients for weekly baked goods can cost money, so Andrews decided to take her newfound hobby and create a business. That December, she assembled the Old Souls Bakery.

The desert and patisserie business can be found at the Rexburg and Idaho Falls farmer's markets, as well as her website, Facebook and Instagram pages, where she says people can direct message her about orders.

"It's a lot of work. I bake a lot, and it's a lot of money and a lot of time, but it's really worth it to know that I'm making a little difference in the community," Andrews said. "Having regulars is the best feeling on earth to me. I get to know them and know they enjoy my food enough to keep coming back. It's really nice to have people recognize me and know who I am in the community."

Impacting the community

Andrews said it means so much to her when she hears how people's lives have been uplifted by her efforts. She said one story that impacted her was when people brought a youth group of kids who are in foster care to the free mini bakery. She heard that their trip may be the only opportunity they get to really enjoy something that day.

She said her experience from the bakeries and the pantry has taught her the importance of connection and the benefit of being the first to reach out to others.

"It's taught me that we all need to be more connected," Andrews said. "When you're new somewhere, it can feel lonely and scary to make new friends. But if you just reach out to people, it can be a good experience."

Now, Andrews said she knows all her neighbors and many community members. They greet each other on the streets and in the store, and she loves knowing that her talents are making a difference.

"Once I started it, I kind of knew there was no going back. I'm committed as long as I'm here," Andrews said. "It's been a really awesome experience. And it's a lot of work. I bake a lot, and it's a lot of money that goes into it, and a lot of time, but it's really worth it to know that I am making a little difference in the community, and that I get to know everybody, and just really be a part of something."