In addition to affordable housing, childcare, youth programming, translation services and English language classes, food security is a significant service offered at Oakridge Neighborhood. This fridge is the newest community fridge in the Des Moines area and will serve approximately 1,000 residents. Volunteers utilize an app run by a partner nonprofit to receive notifications of food available to be picked up or "rescued" and then placed in one of the community fridges. The staff at Oakridge Neighborhood are utilizing this app to establish the fridge presence and help residents and community members understand this new service available. Notifications have been texted and delivered to all neighborhood units in multiple languages including English, Swahili, Arabic, and Kunama. We look forward to this fridge being an asset to the community. Thank you for the grant to make this happen!

Our fridge is now open for receiving food donations! Last week, our youth department painted the structure and our maintenance team installed the fridge. We celebrating the fridge opening by handing out popsicles from the freezer at our National Night Out event.

Oakridge Neighborhood held a meeting on June 5, 2023 to make a department specific timeline leading up to the fridge launch on August 1, 2023 at our National Night Out block party. The timeline includes communication to residents about what the fridge is and how it will work as well as a painting project with our youth department to design and paint a mural on the fridge structure.

We are finally gaining steam on the community fridge build! Thanks to our partners at Knapp Properties LC. and Lowes we were able to get the insulated shed that will contain the fridge and pantry space built on 8/26/22. The next steps include priming the outside to prepare for a wonderful design, moving in the fridge, and completing the shelving for pantry goods.

Hi Community Fridge West DSM members. We experienced some delays launching the community fridge due to weather conditions, COVID-19, and zoning regulations. However, we have a fridge ready and are coordinating a build day for a structure that will house the fridge and a mini pantry, which would allow us to temperature control the fridge in cold weather conditions. We expect to launch the community fridge and have it be available as a community resource by the end of February 2022.

Stay tuned for updates.

Amal

Community Fridge Plan
In an effort to increase access and ensure that food resources are available to the community independent of Oakridge offices operating hours, a community fridge and pantry are necessary. A community fridge will increase opportunities for collective engagement and ownership over food access activities. The intent of this project is to create the space for the community to take an active role in exploring and acting on solutions for addressing food insecurity, health and wellbeing, and belonging in the neighborhood.
Community Partners:
1. Eat Greater Des Moines (EGDM) – Oakridge is a current partner in their weekly food rescue program. EGDM will provide a community fridge to support Oakridge’s plan to set-up a community fridge in an area of the neighborhood that is highly visible and accessible.
2. ArtForce IA – will work with Oakridge community to design and paint a mural on the physical structure that will house the fridge.
3. ChangeX (status unknown) – Oakridge applied for a ChangeX community fridge micro grant. If granted, the funds will be used to purchase materials to build the physical structure that will house the fridge, a sensor to track food safety, and art supplies needed to create the mural. The physical structure will protect the fridge against inclement weather conditions.
Timeline
The goal is to have the community fridge active and available for community use by September 2021. We will plan to have the materials needed to build the physical structure to house the fridge by early August. A community event will be organized in mid-August, so youth and families can participate in the creation of the mural before the school year begins.
COVID-19 and Food Safety Plan
Oakridge will manage the regularly maintenance of the community fridge, work with area grocery stores; community partners, and residents to stock the fridge; and coordinate opportunities for community engagement. There will be signs in multiple languages that communicate safety practices including but not limited to:
a) Keeping fridge door closed after use;
b) Keeping hand sanitizer next to the fridge;
c) Labeling donated food items with date donated, contents, and allergies;
d) Encouraging fridge patrons to limit touching items to things they intent to take;
e) Keeping a monitor inside the fridge that tracks temperature and food safety; and
f) Patrons will have a process for reporting to community fridge coordinator any concerns.
Oakridge community fridge coordinator and volunteers will
1. Disinfect the fridge daily;
2. Write and maintain a COVID-19 policy;
3. Coordinate volunteers and food donations;
4. Check quality of food daily and dispose of expired or spoiled foods; and
5. Organize neighborhood residents to create a community-led rotational check on the fridge and food quality on weekends.

I want to drop of a few things