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By Maya Mackey
A movement to combat food insecurity is taking over the nation. Various cities have started doing something they call “Free Fridge” where they plant a community refrigerator (sometimes referred to as a freedge) in a neighborhood, completely free and open to whomever needs it. In addition to getting fresh food to people in need, the community fridges also combat food waste.
It’s estimated that the amount of food waste in America totals almost 120 billion pounds per year! And with hunger and homelessness being so rampant in the states and across the world, this will make a direct impact toward solving it.
Operators of your neighborhood community fridge ask restaurants and individuals to donate any surplus food that might go to waste. Neighborhood volunteers sign up to restock the fridge, clean it, oversee the administrative details and logistics (like notifying people when the fridge needs to be repaired or restocked) and others volunteer to spread the word on social media.
The Inglewood Community Fridge is located at the Crenshaw Dairy Mart. If you would like to volunteer to help restock or clean the fridge, email the organizers at inglewoodcommunityfridge@gmail.com. You can also follow @inglewoodcommunityfridge on Instagram for updates in real time.
Outside of Inglewood, there are fridges in Watts, West Adams, West Athens, Western & 56th, Westlake as well as fridges in the valley and parts of East LA. For a full list of running fridges in the LA area, follow @lacommunityfridges on Instagram
