The Friendly Fridge Foundation is a Riverdale-based organization that offers free food to those who experience food insecurity.
The organization was founded by Selma Raven and Sara Allen about four years ago, and since then, they have been striving to bridge the gap between food waste and food scarcity. Instead of throwing so many food products away, they want to see it go onto the plates of Bronxites who cannot afford it. This mission exemplifies Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson’s vision of a better borough overall.
The Friendly Fridge Foundation revolves around a literal fridge that sits at 4670 Manhattan College Pkwy., near Van Cortlandt Park. The fridge is open to the public to donate at any time — in fact, Manhattan College students and other nearby residents will often drop off food they don’t need. In addition to that, shipments of food that would have otherwise been wasted are brought directly to the Fridge to ensure that necessities are stocked.
On a hot day in early August, I saw what their shipment days look like. In the brutal heat, people stood in a line down the parkway hours before the shipment was to take place. The foundation’s volunteers set up a water station and worked on organizing all the food to make the process of picking up food as smooth as possible. Additionally, personal information about the individuals picking food up is never requested, so The Friendly Fridge is truly a judgment-free zone.
Making this a community effort and coordinating shipments of food directly to the fridge, which guarantees each person gets fed, is heartwarming and ingenious. Raven and Allen have fostered a business-like approach to expanding the good deeds done each day in The Bronx.
The Friendly Fridge Foundation can use your help. Each item of food you donate can impact their mission. A donation of just 25 dollars can cover the transportation costs of over one thousand pounds of produce that would otherwise be thrown out.
You can donate food to the fridge at any day or time or visit www.friendlyfridgefoundation.org to make a monetary donation.
Jilleen Barrett is the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Bronx Economic Development Corporation.
