In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant rise in food insecurity in New York City. According to City Harvest, food insecurity citywide has increased by 36% since the beginning of the pandemic. This crisis resulted in the birth of community fridges in New York City, and in 2020, the Harlem Community Fridge opened its doors as the first in Manhattan. Similar fridges are now stationed throughout the city and continue to function as places where New Yorkers in need can receive free food donated and stocked by volunteers. 

The concept of community fridges originated in Germany through an organization called Foodsharing. Originally, members of Foodsharing took leftover food and recycled it into fridges across Berlin, preventing it from being thrown away. Although this organization maintained that these foods were safe for human consumption, German government officials closed Foodsharing’s fridges in 2016. Fortunately, this novel way to fight food insecurity made its way to the United States and other countries, where it is thriving. There is now an online database in Freedge.org that lists community fridges around the world. Such fridges are crucial for combating food insecurity and are especially vital for underserved communities that do not have access to other food alternatives. 

Despite their utility, a common issue with community fridges is their maintenance, particularly the management of donations and pick-up schedules, all of which are dependent on a volunteer staff. However, in spite of these challenges and some opposition from city officials, community fridges remain a cornerstone in the fight against food insecurity in New York City.

Ms. Lee Michel, a Riverdale parent, is a prominent advocate for community fridges. At the beginning of the pandemic, she read an article about how people were struggling to find food and was shocked by the statistics. She took the initiative by first cooking soup and dropping it off at her local community fridge, the Friendly Fridge BX. “Cooking soup was an easy way to help the people in my community to have access to food,” Ms. Michel explained. 

She became further involved in fighting food insecurity in New York City by asking local restaurants to donate food instead of throwing it away. Ms. Michel picked up the food from various restaurants and donated it to local community fridges. Without these efforts, she stated, “fresh food becomes wasted and food is thrown away.” She emphasized that the mission of the community fridges is to “rescue food and help our community.” Furthermore, Ms. Michel created the initiative Moms Feed the Bronx, which partners with the borough’s community to feed neighbors who struggle with food insecurity. Moms Feed the Bronx spreads awareness of food insecurity and offers ideas about how the community can support these fridges. 

Ms. Michel’s daughter, sophomore Cleo Michel, admires her mother’s activism. “The community fridges are an inspiring mission, and I see that these small acts of kindness can help our community,” she stated.

Numerous fridges are located in Bronx neighborhoods near Riverdale. Ms. Michel hopes that the Riverdale school community continues its involvement in helping to support community fridges. For more information on how to donate food or volunteer, follow Moms Feed the Bronx on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/momsfeedthebronx/, or Facebook and visit www.nycfridge.com for a map of community fridges in New York City.