Free fridges set up in New York to help battle food insecurity

A refrigerator with a sign that read “FREE FOOD” was put on the residential streets of Brooklyn, New York City on Sunday (local time). A senior citizen got out of a car, took out small containers filled with breads, yogurts, and jellies from the trunk, and put them inside the refrigerator. The man was there to donate food so that those who cannot afford enough food can take them as they need.

The “Community Fridges,” was voluntarily established by civic groups and local residents in New York City. A total of 10 fridges can be seen in about 10 areas, including Brooklyn, Bronx, Harlem in Upper Manhattan, which are mostly inhabited by low-income groups and African-Americans. The initiative first started when a local resident bought a fridge to store donations for a food share program in February and decided to put it outside the house because it was too big to fit through the front door. More fridges for food sharing programs have been set up across the city as the number of the unemployed and the demands for free food increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city of New York is putting in great efforts to keep its citizens fed. It has created a new position called “Food Czar,” appointing former sanitation commissioner to serve the position. It has also pledged to spend 170 million dollars to set up 400 meal hubs to help feed New York citizens. “No one will go hungry in the city of New York,” said new Food Czar Kathryn Garcia. “This is an enormous operation. It’s really nothing like anything that’s been done in this city or I would say probably across the world.”


Jae-Dong Yu jarrett@donga.com