Photo by Gil Lopez (@glopezsez)
Photo by BlackVillageArts (@blackvillagearts);
artwork by Laura (@laurasaura._) & Juli (@agirlnamedjuli_)
16 APRI L 2 0 2 1 GIVING BACK
resource, elected officials need to do
something to protect us. They need
to do something for those grassroots
movements that are starting and empower
more communities to do this,
because it does reduce food waste and
feed so many people,” Frutos said.
She’s not the only one who feels
that way. Earlier this year, 10 area
fridges signed a public letter addressing
the lack of support from
the local government. The letter expresses
frustrations toward a political
cycle filled with photo ops and small
donations that end as soon as elections
are over. It reads in part:
“Our work has shown that there is
enough of all the things required for
our communities to thrive — except
for one notable thing — political will
and courage … With a hunger crisis
and looming housing crisis we do
not need vanity projects tied to your
elections, we need you to step up and
advocate for our communities with
policy and legislation.”
It goes on to list tangible ways in
which the government can help out,
such as improving the quality of USDA
food boxes, passing laws to eliminate
food waste and connecting community
fridges with New York state farmers.
Individual food donations — while
always welcome — are not enough on
their own, and with the quality of USDA
boxes being unreliable, the fridges are
hoping to partner with more local restaurants
and businesses.
Leslie Miranda, an organizer of
the Ravenswood Community Fridge
(36th Avenue and 12th Street), hopes
local businesses will get more involved:
“Their leftover edible food
can help so many people. That way,
you’re eliminating food waste and
you’re feeding people who need and
can’t afford food.”
But more and more, these organizers
have seen the community come
together over the fridges.
“We see people cleaning it who aren't
volunteers,” Miranda said. “People will
stop and ask if they can help unpack,
and that’s the idea of mutual aid right
there — that’s what the fridges run on.”
The fridge network is trying to
strengthen the ways in which we
interact as a community in a city suffering
from the aftermath of a pandemic:
by supporting one another
and giving back, instead of waiting
for legislation and politicians to
step in.
As Frutos put it, “It’s time to stop
worrying about the rules and do
what’s right.”
WAYS YOU CAN HELP OUT:
Donate Food:
- Non-perishable items are always in demand
- Quality, non-expired food in food-safe containers (if you
wouldn’t put it in your house, don’t put it in the fridge)
- Clearly label food with allergy info and expiration dates
- Mind the dietary restrictions and needs of each fridge,
posted on the fridge and/or on their Instagram
Donate Financially:
- Ravenswood: Venmo @ravenswoodfridge
- Queensbridge: Venmo @thepeoplesfunds, Cash App
$thepeoplesfundsqnz
- Woodside: swma.nyc/don
- Astoria Halal: Venmo @Little-Egypt
- Astoria Fridge: Venmo @astoriafridge
If you are interested in starting a community fridge
and don’t know where to start, you can reach out to
any of the fridges on Instagram.
Area fridges and their Instagram handles:
Astoria Community Fridge @astoriafridge
Ravenswood Community Fridge @ravenswoodfridge
Queensbridge Community Fridge
@queensbridgecommunityfridge (no raw meat or fish)
Woodside Community Fridge
@woodsidefridge (no meat)
Astoria Halal Fridge @astoriahalalfridge
Sunnyside Community Fridge
@sunnysidecommunityfridge (coming soon!)
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