New York Residents Organize Community Fridges to Feed Hungry Neighbors

New York Residents Organize Community Fridges to Feed Hungry Neighbors

Here’s how to start one in your own community.

Back in May, chef Jaz Johnson saw community fridges popping up around New York City and felt compelled to help fill them. She taught a virtual donation-based cooking class and used the money to buy fresh bread and produce to donate. While she and her friend, Seantell Campbell, were out delivering the food, they had the idea to start a fridge in their own neighborhood, where they could directly help their neighbors.

With the help of their other two founders, Darielle Carter-Johnson and Autumn Lewis, along with the In Our Hearts network, who donated the refrigerator, they opened The Barrio Fridge outside their favorite bodega and began feeding the residents of East Harlem. Like other community fridges, this one relies on donations from members of the community. Those in need are free to go to the fridge and take what they wish.

Johnson says being a chef has made her appreciate the need for accessible food in the community, and has also given her a network to turn the idea into a reality. “Three of the four of us are trained chefs, and three of the four of us are East Harlem natives, so we understood what the unique needs of our community were,” she says. “We also have a deep understanding of the realities of food waste in the restaurant world. My plan was to create a self sufficient ecosystem where restaurant partners, local supermarkets, and organizations could help stock our fridge.”

While she says this is a great resource for any community, it’s been especially helpful during the pandemic. “Our area has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, unemployment, and all that came with it,” she says. “The fridge quickly became not only a resource for our neighbors, but a conversational opportunity for them. Many of our community members...take pride in cooking their own meals from scratch and sharing what they plan to make with the contents of the fridge.”

She also explains that because many of the residents are immunocompromised, waiting in line at a food pantry poses an extra risk. By providing a free-standing fridge outdoors, residents can walk up and grab what they need without having to stand in line next to strangers or enter a building full of people. Plus, the fresh produce, milk, and eggs available from the community fridge are a great contrast to the shelf-stable and packaged foods that are typically available from local food pantries.

Johnson says she hopes the struggles brought to light by the pandemic can help to create lasting change long after the virus has passed. “Food insecurity is a sad reality for many in this country, but what we're doing is proof that there are steps that can be taken to combat hunger,” she says. “Hopefully, those in charge of food policy on a national level see what a community of concerned individuals are capable of doing and create an avenue where rescuing surplus food becomes the norm and businesses are encouraged to do so.”

Johnson told us that because of the initiative in New York City, they’ve seen community fridges pop up in other cities across the country as well. She knows of 16 fridges in NYC, and told us she’s now seen them in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, and Philadelphia too.

To organize your own community fridge, consider these tips: First, you’ll need a fridge. Consider posting on social media to find out if anyone has an extra they’d be willing to donate. Next, you’ll need to assemble a team of organizers to keep the fridge stocked and make sure people know about it. There are over 200 volunteers operating the various NYC community fridges.

It may also be helpful to start a relationship with local restaurants, grocery stores, and farmers markets. Food items like day-old bread or bruised fruit are often thrown away at these locations, but the stores and restaurants may be willing to donate these things if you coordinate volunteer pickup.

If you’d like to help stock The Barrio Fridge, there are a few ways to give: Donate to The Barrio Fridge on GoFundMe, or look for $TheBarrioFridge on Cashapp.