Westchester Teen Brings 'Friendly Fridge' All The Way To Brooklyn

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Given an influx of community fridges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, a fully-stocked purple refrigerator that appeared on Lincoln Place before the holidays likely didn't turn too many heads in Crown Heights — even with the cartoon rabbit complete and orange carrot handle painted on its front doors.

But what is most interesting about this colorful addition to the neighborhood, is where it came from.

The Brooklyn fridge, found outside Lincoln Place Deli, was spearheaded by Charlie Hirschhorn, a high school student 30 miles away in Scarsdale, NY. It is in its fourth month of bringing daily groceries to the neighborhood.

"We came across this idea of a community fridge in the late summer...and decided it would be cool if we could start one of these," Hirschhorn told Patch. "After that, we needed to find a location."

Hirschhorn, who is in the 10th grade, said he and a family friend who lives in Brooklyn decided the fridge should go somewhere it is most needed.

They began investigating locations in Brooklyn, which has seen the second-highest food insecurity both before and after the coronavirus pandemic in the state, according to data from Feeding America.

Kings County — which already had 14 percent of its residents struggling to find food before the pandemic — was projected to reach 20 percent food insecurity in 2020. Westchester County has the fifth-lowest projected food insecurity rate of New York's 62 counties at 12 percent.

"This is really about the more fortunate helping out the less fortunate — that's our goal," Hirschhorn said. "There's such a high wealth inequality."

On a trip to Brooklyn, Hirschhorn and his friends walked around Crown and Prospect Heights and came across the Lincoln Place Deli, who agreed to provide a power source for the fridge, which they named "The Heights Friendly Fridge."

Soon, local art gallery, Underhill Walls, signed on to help decorate the fridge and its surrounding walls and 14 volunteers from the area stepped up to keep the fridge stocked with food. It opened in early October.

"It's stocked at least twice a day," Hirschhorn said, adding that businesses, neighbors and organizations like In Our Hearts NYC help with the donations. "Almost as soon as it's filled people are coming up and taking food out."

The need was equally great when Hirschhorn and the team decided to set up a holiday giveaway. With the help of a GoFundMe and distributor Park Avenue Foods, they gave away 100 meals before Thanksgiving and another 150 before Christmas.

"Within an hour we gave away 100," Hirschhorn said about the Thanksgiving meals, which included a turkey or a ham, a box of stuffing, corn bread and cranberry sauce. The Christmas meals included a similar package of holiday staples.

"It's been really rewarding to see people who are in need be helped," he added. "Every time I'm near the fridge I hear people saying, 'Thank you.'"

Hirschhorn, who is hoping to keep the Crown Heights fridge going as long as it's needed, is hoping to set up another "friendly fridge" in southern Westchester.

Those who are interested in helping out the Crown Heights fridge can donate to its GoFundMe or, preferably, add something to the stock, Hirschhorn said.

"Everyday I get messages about people who want to help," he said. "I tell them, if you're passing by, stop in the bodega, stop in any store, and leave something in the fridge. It will be appreciated."

This article originally appeared on the Prospect Heights-Crown Heights Patch