Community Fridges HamOnt FAQ
“Where are the fridges located?”
“Do you operate all of the community fridges in Hamilton?”
“What’s in the fridge right now?”
“Why is the fridge often empty?”
“What if someone is taking too much food?”
“How/what do I donate to the community fridge?”
“Can I donate unsold goods from my restaurant/certified kitchen?”
“Can you pick up my donation?”
“Can I make a financial donation?”
“How do I open a community fridge in my neighbourhood?”
“How can I contact the organizers of CFH?”
Community fridges are a volunteer-run, publicly-accessible, low-barrier resource, from which anyone in need can get free food & hygiene supplies. Community fridges are a method to reduce food waste, and by donating, volunteering, and spreading the word, are a method to provide care for one's own community. Community fridges and pantries have gained a lot of prevalence over the past few years, as the pandemic has highlighted the need for mutual aid.
The Crown Point Community Fridge is located outdoors in a painted wooden shelter.
It can be found at 204 Ottawa St. N (at Britannia), outside of Ottawa Market.
See below question for more information.
We do not. Community Fridges HamOnt opened the first community fridge in Hamilton in early 2021. At one point we operated 3 locations, but we now have just one.
Similar initiatives in Hamilton include:
More community fridges & pantries have continued to open. See our Free Food Resources list for available supports throughout the city.
Any time, 24/7! The Crown Point community fridge is located outdoors for self-serve access at all times. Everyone is welcome to come take whatever they need, no registration required.
Stock updates can be found on Facebook and Instagram stories. These serve as a glimpse into what the fridges look like on a given day, but food typically moves so quickly that it is not possible for our team to provide timely status updates.
The need for food and supplies is very high. Donations happen every day, and are scooped up quickly. This organization does not have any large partnerships, government funding, or charity ties; it is run entirely on donation drop-offs by members of the community. We’re always seeking more donations. We’re so glad community fridges are able to provide this low-barrier support, but they are unfortunately not able to support everyone in need. Systemic change is needed. (Read more on food insecurity in Canada, here.)
There are no restrictions on how much anyone can take. We don’t know people’s individual needs, who they’re providing for, or what struggles they face. This program works by giving freely, and knowing that more food will come. To read more on this, see Safe & Supportive Engagement at the Community Fridges.
Come by any time (24/7) and place items directly inside the fridge, freezer, or pantry. If your donation is packaged in bulk/multiples, it’s especially helpful if you can disassemble it and take excess packaging away with you.
Our donation guidelines have been carefully chosen to allow a wide variety of foods, while also eliminating the most “high-risk” items, in accordance with Public Health (see: Food Donation Supplemental Materials for reference).
Requests from the community are shared on our Facebook and Instagram stories. Our Instagram page features a “Requests” highlight, which shows requests from the past few weeks.
Please note that we do not accept home-cooked food, raw meat (in the fridge OR freezer), items past expiry, opened, or going bad. (Non-perishable items just slightly past the best before date are accepted.)
Yes please; your support is needed! Please ensure that items are labelled with the kitchen or restaurant name, ingredients or allergens, and prepared and/or best before date. Feel free to contact us for additional clarity or if pick-up support is needed: communityfridgeshamont@gmail.com
In instances such as food rescues and larger donations, we can certainly arrange to have a volunteer pick up. While we value even the smallest donations, we likely won’t be able to send our volunteers out for them. Coordinating with your friends, neighbours, or posting your donation on a local free Facebook group (such as Hamilton Leftovers or Recycling Kindness), may be a good alternative.
Feel free to contact us with any inquiries: communityfridgeshamont@gmail.com
We do not accept monetary donations but can happily accept gift cards. Learn more about donating a gift card.
This initiative is sustained entirely by community efforts. You can help by -
While community fridges are not the solution to food insecurity, there continues to be a need for tangible support via mutual aid. Some important components of establishing a community fridge, from our perspective, are:
*Private property is recommended over City-owned, as with City-owned property (such as parks or sidewalks) you will likely run into more red tape or risk your fridge being removed.
For further inquiries, please email us at communityfridgeshamont@gmail.com.