Free FOOD
Community fridges
A Mutual Aid Effort
About COMMUNITY FRIDGES
Community fridges are a mutual aid space where people take responsibility in caring for one another by redistributing resources. Fridges are set up and run by the people, for the people, and they serve as a solution for both food insecurity & food waste. Free food for all.
No questions asked.
Take what you need, leave what you don’t!!
From left: Paperboy the Prince, Briana Calderon Navarro, Jazmin R., Francisco Ramirez, and Vie Darling at the Friendly Fridge in Bushwick. Photo: Jonathan Bumble
How does it work?
HOSTING A FRIDGE:
Individuals, businesses, or churches volunteer to HOST a fridge on their property. Ideally in a location with high foot traffic.
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STOCKING A FRIDGE:
Food comes from individuals, restaurants, grocers, farms, cafes, anyone with the capacity to give!
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MAINTAINING A FRIDGE:
Volunteers are constantly coordinating donation pick ups, drop offs, cleaning schedules, fundraising & promotion efforts! The more hands on deck, the lighter the load for everyone. :)
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Why not just direct efforts & funds to existing food agencies?
There are people and orgs doing great work, but stigma around food security and barriers to access still exist.
Through COVID-19 we have seen a growing need for financial and nutritional aid. The goal is to provide 24/7 access to free, fresh & nutritious food.
We also want to champion participatory, citizen-led initiatives because engaging neighbors results in an engaged and caring city.
WHY DOES MARIN NEED THIS?
Marin County is one of the healthiest & wealthiest counties in the NATION.
Yet ~20% of the population, 1 in 5 residents, are at risk of food insecurity.
There are ~8,000 Marin households enrolled in the State of CA’s CalFresh Program. The monthly allotment for a one-person household is $194, a little more than $6 per day... Just one bottle of kombucha costs $6 in Marin!
Will you HOST A FRIDGE?
- Provide an outdoor space. The fridge ideally needs to be accessible 24/7. The main goal is to get the fridge up and running but we will eventually work to build a small shed to shelter the fridge from the elements.
- Provide electricity. The expected cost to provide power to the fridge is about $30/month. We can fundraise to cover this cost, or you can sponsor the fridge and cover the cost.
- That’s it! We will maintain, stock, clean and sanitize the fridge!
- It is very important that potential hosts know we do not collaborate with law enforcement and we do not want their presence around these fridges. This is for the safety of our community, to ensure everyone can feel safe and comfortable visiting these fridges.
Fill out the Host form at this link: https://linktr.ee/marincommunityfridges
Will you DONATE TODAY?
The Network needs funds ($) for:
Refrigerators
New or loved
Sanitation supplies
Hand sanitizer
Paper Towels
Sanitizing sprays
Disinfecting wipes
Baking soda
Weatherproof shelter materials
Wood Planks
Outdoor Paint
Brushes
Metal Fasteners
Food!
Fresh Produce
Non-perishable items
(Which include breads & jams!)
Donate via GoFundMe or
Venmo @marincommunityfridges
https://www.gofundme.com/f/marin-community-fridges
Will you JOIN THE NETWORK?
Community fridges
cannot exist without
COMMUNITY!
marincommunityfridges@gmail.com
to get involved.
You can fill out a volunteer form here: https://linktr.ee/marincommunityfridges
Access to food is not, and should never be, a privilege.
It is a basic human right.
No one should go hungry, not even you.
