As lines at local food pantries began stretching around the block during the pandemic, community fridges emerged as a grassroots response – neighbors feeding neighbors. Community fridges let anyone give and take food freely.
To Mark Bucher, a restaurant owner in Washington, D.C., the appeal of a place to provide free meals was simple: an opportunity to care for others.
Why We Wrote This
Can meeting a neighbor’s need help stabilize an entire community? That’s what some in the community fridge movement are aiming for. Second in a series about hunger in America.
Because some sidewalk fridges have been shut down due to city health codes and permit requirements, Mr. Bucher approached the Department of Parks and Recreation at the outset, which quickly agreed to a partnership. His program, Feed the Fridge, now stocks 19 fridges in community centers around the city. Donations to the program go to local restaurants in exchange for meals for the fridges.