Those who are food insecure may go to pantries to get food.
But what if you’re unable to get to the pantry?
What if you’re too self-conscious to be in such a public setting asking for food. What if you can afford groceries but are too scared to go to the grocery store during the coronavirus pandemic?
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Tatiana Smith has thought about all that and is making sure there’s a spot her neighbors can easily grab food from.
So, she started a community refrigerator on Delaware Avenue in Jersey City.
Smith has heard of community refrigerators in the past and says she’s seen a resurgence of them with the coronavirus pandemic since so many people are lost their jobs and/or are struggling to put food on the table.
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After seeing the NYC-based organization In Our Hearts create one, she decided to install one in her very own neighborhood.
“I got into it by following an organization I’ve supported and benefited from for years,” Smith told Jersey City Upfront. “I purchased the fridge with my own money and then they gave me the first food donation.”
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Smith runs an extension cord from her house into the large refrigerator she purchased which is outside her home.
She stocked her refrigerator with lots of fruits, vegetables and lots of other healthy foods to nourish her community.
When she’s not working she’s usually heading back to the refrigerator to fill it again.
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People are free to come and take food as they please.
A sign on the fridge reads “Take what you need, leave what you can.”
The refrigerator has been a big hit in her neighborhood.
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“I am not there all day, but my neighbors keep an eye on it, and people are coming and going, taking food,” Smith told NJ.com. “People come more at night. I don’t know it they are embarrassed, or they feel a little self-conscious about taking it.”
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Smith says she’s not worried about people hoarding all the food from the fridge and taking too much.
She hopes that once they realize there is always an abundance for everyone, there will be no need to.
“I just have to be compassionate toward people and know that people will do the right thing,” she said. “(After) stocking and restocking it, people will see that … there is less of a need to hoard, in a sense.”
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She says her neighbors have also been following her lead and are taking it upon themselves to come and restock the refrigerator.
Smith says she plans to keep the community refrigerator going “until the fridge breaks down.”
“In a couple weeks the benefits are going to end and the eviction moratorium is going to be lifted and people still don’t have jobs,” she said.
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“I think this is going to be a real issue. When people get desperate they do desperate things. I just want to do my part. No one should go hungry during this pandemic.”
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Smith also has created what she calls a “No Shame Zone” where her neighbors can grab things like contraceptives, tampons, drugs tests, and asprin.
“Essential items like pregnancy tests, drug tests and contraceptives should always be accessible. Why? Because basic items like these help inform people of their choices. And better personal choices means a safer, healthier community,” Smith writes on Instagram.
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You’ll also find items like diapers and baby formula at the community fridge.
You can follow the West Side Community Pantry on Instagram here or make a donation via Venmo at westsidecommunityfridge or Cashapp at westsidefridge. Funds will be used to buy more food and keep the refrigerator running.
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