Free Community Fridges Helping Neighbors In Need

This year, in response to increased needs, community fridges started to show up in and around Cambridge to provide fresh food to individuals and families dealing with food insecurity  Stocked and managed by volunteers, these outdoor fridges, have become a lifeline for many in need and are filled with everything from frozen goodies to fresh produce.

Many of the fridges are on Instagram where they keep followers updated on what’s most needed and let people know about stock levels. You can follow them by clicking on the links below.

Many Helping Hands encourages you, if you can, to contribute to a fridge. Drop off some frozen veggies or collect donations from others to re-stock an empty fridge.

Here are some of the community fridges:

Somerville Community Fridge

35 Prospect St (Union Square)
Somerville, MA 02143
Instagram

Somerville’s community fridge, Accepts clean produce; pantry staples such as pasta, rice, and peanut butter; canned goods; toiletries; and more. Pre-made meals are acceptable but should be labeled with ingredients, date made, and expiration date. Please do not leave alcohol, medication, raw meat, or partially eaten food.

Harvard Square, Cambridge, “Fridge in the Square”

52 Church St
Cambridge, MA 02138
Instagram

The Fridge is located directly in front of the Sinclair. Donation guidelines can be found here. The Fridge does not allow raw meats, alcoholic beverages, unlabeled or opened meals, homemade meals or baked goods, or leftovers. Recommended donations include fresh produce, dairy products, pantry goods like rice and beans, cleaning supplies, menstrual pads, paper bags, hand sanitizer, and more.

Riverside, Cambridge, “Coast Community Fridge”

5 Callender St
Cambridge, MA 02139
Instagram

Located at the Cambridge Community Center in Cambridge’s Riverside neighborhood just outside of Central Square, the Coast Community Fridge comes from Cambridge City Growers. Find food guidelines here. Unlike some of the other fridges, this one allows raw meat (but it must be put in the bottom rack of the freezer) and homemade meals (follow these guidelines). Find a donation link and more information from Cambridge City Growers here.

The Port, Cambridge, “Bridge Fridge”

157 Windsor St
Cambridge, MA 02139
Instagram

You can find it at the Goree House, which is near Central Square, Kendall Square, and MIT.

Organized by Community For Us, By Us, a Cambridge-based collective of BIPOC, the Bridge Fridge was launched in partnership with Black Yard Arts, Goree House/Filling in the Gaps, CRLS Black Student Union, the Haiti Initiative (SUD), and Crab Apple Gardenerz. Looking to volunteer? Sign up here.

Want to know more about the community fridge movement? Read this.