Update: A Greenville Community Fridge has also launched which you can follow here.
The coronavirus pandemic has left hundreds of Jersey City residents without work. In some cases, families have also been left without access to healthy meals. While there are food pantries ready to help, Jersey City resident Tatiana Smith is offering a different solution — the West Side Community Fridge.
Located at 300 Delaware Avenue, the concept behind the West Side Community Fridge is pretty simple: Take what you need, leave what you can. Donations can run the gamut from milk and veggies to rice and pasta.
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“I got into it by following an organization I’ve supported and benefited from for years,” says Smith. “I purchased the fridge with my own money and then they gave me the first food donation.”
The organization Smith is referring to is New York City-based In Our Hearts. The organization describes itself as an “anarchist network made up of autonomous collectives, projects and individuals who share the goal of building a culture of resistance in the city and beyond.”
The West Side Community Fridge is stocked daily and open 24/7. (It even has its own Instagram account, which Smith maintains). Smith has also been paying the electric bill for the fridge since setting it up. Along with other residents, they’ve been keeping the fridge stocked. If you can’t donate food but would like to offer support — the West Side Community Fridge accepts monetary donations via Venmo or Cash App.
I think this is so beautiful.
Maybe contact PSEG to see if they can give you a free account?
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