Finances of Community Fridges During COVID
Finances of a Community Fridge with Emily Egan and Asmeret Berhe-Lumax
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Emily Egan, Business Development Manager at The Gym, and she is joined by Asmeret Berhe-Lumax, a fashion and beauty executive and founder of One Love Community Fridge. They are going to discuss community fridges.
Podcast Notes
Fridges, or freedges, can be found all over big cities and people can help themselves to whatever they need. One Love is a network of fridges in Brooklyn, NY.
The concept behind the fridges is simple. It’s not charity, it is mutual aid. It is the idea of a two-way solution and solidarity support.
The problem is there are a number of families that are not able to feed themselves and food insecurities are skyrocketing. About 30% of food produced in the US is wasted every day. Community fridges solve this problem. Individuals, farmers, and food retailers may contribute to the fridges.
This isn’t a charity where it creates a system of inequality, it is about community building and mutually coming up with solutions. It is about changing the mindset of what community means. Some people can share one meal a week, others can volunteer to maintain a fridge.
The majority of fridges are available 24/7 and you don’t need to ask permission. You are able to take the food that you want. The benefit is maintaining your integrity and the anonymous factor.
Asmeret’s involvement came from working with different food banks and seeing the long lines. People had to stand there and risk their wellbeing in order to procure food for their families. The food wasn’t always fresh and produce wasn’t offered. She wanted another way.
Asmeret is passionate about fresh fruit and vegetables. If you have no money to feed yourself, the first thing you buy may not be an apple or broccoli. Many people don’t have access to fresh produce. It addresses the immediate hunger needs and recognizes the long-term solution, in terms of what we are putting in our bodies.
The financial benefits for businesses who are sponsoring the fridges are not considered, but there are several of them. For the fridge host, the direct benefit is lower theft and goodwill with the community. When people realize this isn’t temporary, people step up and make sure the fridge is stocked and cared for. This isn’t forced and everyone can participate.
With One Love, they operate out of donations from people, but if people donate money, it will support maintaining fridges, setting up partnerships in the community, and stocking fridges if needed.
As awareness increases, people are coming together to help. These fridges aren’t going anywhere. Asmeret wants to work to solve the bigger issue, which is healthy food.
Get Involved
Instagram: @onelovecommunityfridge
gofundme: One Love Community Fridge