Timeline: We opened the fridge to the community on June 1, 2024. The fridge, freezer and non perishable food shelves have been filled and emptied daily since we opened. We have been open 24/7 without any problems. We have trained over 50 volunteers for the team who are starting to become involved in the daily management as we are learning as we go. Additionally, we have been working hard to both partner with local donors for food rescue, and coordinating with other organizations that have large scale rescue. Our social media has been critical in getting the word out to donors and neighbors.
Budget: In May of this year, St. Mark Lutheran Church selected the Neighborhood Fridge to be their outreach project for the month. Over $1000 of non perishable food and $2213 in monetary donations were made to this initiative. Additionally, one member asked birthday guests to make donations to the fridge project, and they collected $535 in cash donations and $500 in donated food for the fridge. At a recent memorial service held at the church, the family over ordered food for the reception, and we estimated an additional $1000 of food that was individually repacked for the fridge and freezer. The facilities are complete with a dedicated HVAC unit, new double commercial fridge, new single commercial freezer, work space, concrete entryway, supplies and window signage.
Impact: It is impossible to overstate the impact that the St. Mark Neighborhood Fridge is having in our community. Besides the dollars and food donations mentioned above, the congregation has been incredibly generous about restocking daily. Almost every bit of food that has been placed in the fridge, freezer, or shelves has been taken by people who are food insecure in just two weeks. Food comes in and goes out on a regular basis throughout the day. When we opened the fridge we had multiple people in just the first hour who had received our advertising and were waiting for us to open. Our goal was to be open when school was out for the summer, as our state government declined federal summer lunch funds and we wanted to be able to feed the children in our neighborhood this summer, which we believe we have. We have brought in baby food and diapers to the space as well. Everyone who we have had the opportunity to speak with who has used the fridge is incredibly grateful. We have had anonymous donors from the neighborhood who have seen our signage and stopped to make a donation, and members of some 12 step groups who have wanted to help. It is a marvelous way to feed hungry people while keeping good food out of landfills.
I am attaching a few photos of the fridge and our volunteers for your information. I believe that we have successfully launched this project and will work hard now to make it sustainable and a blessing to our community. Thank you for the grant funds which made this project possible, we are very grateful. Please let me know if you need any further information from us to consider this grant report complete.
The St. Mark Neighborhood Fridge Team
Timeline: The St. Mark Neighborhood Fridge is making great progress. We have expanded our leadership team and have a scheduled open date of June 1, 2024. This timeline coincides with the end of the school year in our neighborhood.
The leadership team has created a logo and is producing a handbook with food handling guidelines and volunteer “job descriptions.” April is the deadline for completion of this handbook. Volunteer training is scheduled for May 5 and 19th. A separate team is finalizing materials to identify and partner with food donors which will begin in April and be an ongoing task to expand our network. We are networking extensively with other food rescue organizations and community fridges in our area.
Budget: A current budget is attached. The Fridge has been located in an underused room in the church’s Discipleship Center. The room has been remodeled with a dedicated HVAC unit, the new double door commercial fridge and single door commercial freezer, two rolling shelving units, a separate supply/cleaning room, a handicapped access door, and concrete entryway. Additional UV protection for windows, window signage, and supplies for the fridge and for cleaning still need to be purchased.
Impact: We believe this Neighborhood Fridge will help address the increasing food insecurity in our community, especially local school children. Local school districts have eliminated the summer lunch program, so this fridge will provide healthy, fresh food to children and their neighbors during this “gap” time. We are learning from other community fridges that food rarely stays in their fridge for more than a day, the need is that great. We also have many members in our congregation who are eager to volunteer. Some have already asked for donations to the fridge in lieu of gifts for upcoming celebrations. Our youth groups will have many opportunities to rescue food, repackage food, and learn about food insecurity and food waste in our area. This fridge will be available 24/7/365 for anyone in need and no restrictions are placed on who may benefit from the food available.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact in our local community, feeding our neighbors and preventing good food from ending up in landfills. We truly appreciate the partnership!
Action plan:
Timeline: When will you be able to start your project? How often will your team meet? Are there any key dates to share for the project?
Our team is well underway on this project. We have established relationships with the city, created a list of potential partners, and had our first meeting already. We plan to meet once a week for at least the first 2 months and then reassess the need as the project progresses.
Budget:
Our anticipated costs include equipment(fridge, freezer, shelving, lighting), building materials, and temperature-regulating measures. Plus there are anticipated costs related to running power to the fridge, city permits, and supplies for maintenance and upkeep of the space. We hope to use the seed money to purchase the interior equipment and supplies needed.
Impact: The location of this fridge has been identified as an area of high need by local agencies. We hope to 1) build community partnerships that help get food that would otherwise be wasted to people who want and need it. 2) We believe this fridge has the potential to be utilized by young kids and families who live very close. Within a half mile of our location there are dozens of apartments and three schools. Through partnerships we already have with schools close by, we know young kids and families will benefit from this initiative. 3)We hope to give people an opportunity fill in the gaps where current social services lack.
Location: This team belongs to a church that is committed to this initiative. Therefore our fridge will be located on the property of the church community uplifting this project. We have permission to build on a portion of the church lot making it accessible to volunteers and participants. We have initiated conversations and are working closely with the city to make sure this project succeeds.
So far our kid leader has been involved in our weekly meetings, and our planning session (offering a lot of insight) and has been assigned age-appropriate tasks like the rest of the team. Our kid leader was invited to think about how we can make the interior of our space look fun and welcoming, maybe including a mural. She was also asked to think through the supplies we might need to help people keep the space clean and to be able to use the space well. This may include things like a broom and a mop or plastic bags, labels, and markers.
