When Lisa Scott refilled the Dartmouth Community Fridge Monday morning, four people were already waiting to get food.
Scott, who volunteers for the community fridge, says the project has taught her a valuable lesson about food insecurity: “So many people that we know; that we love; that we care for; that we interact with every day are sometimes just one car repair; one rental increase; one paycheck away from experiencing food insecurity.”
Since launching May 7, the fridge has seen untold amounts of people looking for a bite — something Scott thinks will get worse before it gets better.
Stereotypes of food insecurity
There are still misconceptions about food insecurity, Scott says.
“Unfortunately there still is bias that people are food insecure because [of] something they’re doing wrong.”
Since the fridge is open to the public 24/7, Scott couldn’t say how many people were accessing the fridge — but she knows it’s a lot, and she knows the face of food insecurity isn’t clear.
“It’s impossible to know what [food insecurity] looks like in our current economic climate,” she says.
Donations not meeting demand
The fridge and pantry — open 24/7 on the Christ Church grounds on Dundas street, Dartmouth — are donation-based initiatives that rely on community members to give, and volunteers to re-stock and clean up.
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Because the fridge relies on donations, Scott says the amount of food available can vary day-to-day.
“We don’t try to give any misconceptions that the fridge will be filled all the time,” she says. “There are times and there will continue to be times when people will come to the fridge and the pantry and there will be nothing.”
Scott recounts a story of one Friday evening when the fridge was so full it could barely be stocked. By Saturday morning, it was empty.
“The reality is, it’s impossible to meet the current demand.”
Volunteers needed
There are about 30 people who volunteer their time to the fridge, Scott says: 14 in charge of checking the fridge twice a day; administrative volunteers; volunteers to clean the fridge; community volunteers to buy groceries with cash donations.
However, the project is still looking for volunteers for certain roles, Scott says.
She notes, it’s a big job trying to “thoughtfully and carefully set up the structure of the fridge to meet the growing demands.”
Donations for the community fridge or pantry can be dropped off at the location — 61 Dundas Street, Dartmouth.
Among the most needed items are perishables, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables and personal hygiene items, such as menstrual products.
Cash donations can be made via a link on the Dartmouth Community Fridge Instagram page. Those who donate cash will receive a tax receipt for their donation.
