'You matter to us': Newmarket launches York Region's first large community fridge

'Take what you need and leave what you can,' Newmarket Food Pantry executive director says

Yorkregion.com
June 24, 2022
Lisa Queen

Short of food for yourself or your family?

Have extra food you’re willing to share?

The doors are now open on the Newmarket Community Fridge, which Newmarket Food Pantry executive director Adrian Bain believes is the first of its magnitude in York Region.

The fridge, open around the clock outside the Newmarket Public Library at 438 Park Ave., is a public depot of fresh, donated foods that anyone can take from at no cost.

Community fridges have shown to reduce food insecurity and are designed to facilitate access to nutritious foods and reduce food waste, while offering users choice and flexibility, Bain said at the launch of the fridge June 21.

“The concept is simple. Take what you need and leave what you can,” he said, adding the fridge is a grassroots project that took hold during the pandemic when many residents struggled to make ends meet, while at the same time it is part of a growing global trend.

In 2021, the pantry distributed 440,000 meals, with children making up 38 per cent of residents relying on the food bank. The percentage of first-time users doubled in the last year and continues to climb.

Resident Darryl Gray, a member of the library board, did a deep dive into the plausibility of having a community fridge, which acted as a tipping point to get the ball rolling.

“This is what community is all about,” he said.

“It (the fridge) creates some dignity, it creates an opportunity for people to access fresh food in a way that’s not an option for them right now. To have it here, particularly at the library, where it’s very high-profile out in front, it allows them to be part of the community and we say you matter to us.”

While most residents are fortunate to have full fridges and pantries at home, there are many residents coping with food insecurity, which forces them to choose between paying bills and feeding their families, Vesna Mitchell, the food pantry’s resource development co-ordinator, who will run the day-to-day operation of the fridge, said.

While enough food is produced in Canada, the problem is making sure those in need receive it, she said.

Many members of the community have come together to support the fridge.

For example, John van Teunenbroek, owner of John’s No Frills at Yonge Street and Davis Drive, has committed to stocking the fridge every Tuesday.

Students from Sir William Mulock Secondary School built the shed, which students from Huron Heights Secondary School painted.

Many others, including businesses and the town, have also contributed.

Everyone is welcome to donate to the fridge. Simply drop off your donations.

Donors can leave fresh products; dry goods; sealed non-alcoholic beverages; prepackaged bread and pastries; meals prepared in public health-inspected kitchens labelled with an ingredients list; frozen foods, and new personal care items.

Food and monetary donations can also be made through the Newmarket Food Pantry to support the fridge.

For more information, visit newmarketfoodpantry.ca/community-fridge/.

To get involved or become a regular donor, email communications@newmarketfoodpantry.ca.