Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy
On the heels of our story that the 12th Street and First Avenue East Village Neighbors Community Fridge at S’MAC was being forced to close, we received word from Trinity Lutheran Parish that the Loisaida CommUnity Fridge and Pantry at Ninth Street and Avenue B also needs to shutter.
I spoke to Pastor Will Kroeze from Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish about the situation.
"Over the winter, we received violations from the Department of Health because of an increased number of rodents in and around our garden where the fridge is located, which jeopardizes our ability to fulfill our primary mission — to serve the community through our daily free lunch and food pantry," he said. "It is imperative that we maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene so that we can do this work, as we are regularly inspected by the Department of Health and have always been proud of the high marks we receive."
He said that the church is now seeking a new location for the fridge "so that it can continue to be a
resource for our community."
"Given that the East Village Neighbors fridge on First Avenue is no longer operating, we feel particularly strongly now that the Loisaida Community Fridge must continue on; we are seeking the community’s support in securing a new location nearby."
The fridge arrived here in June 2021.
"It's been such an honor for Trinity to host the fridge since its inception. The fridge has been a natural extension of the work we've done for over 40 years to address food insecurity in our community, and we're proud of the many thousands of pounds of food that have gone directly into the hands of those who need it the most," Pastor Will said. "The success of the fridge is a testament to the dedication of the tremendous group of
community leaders and volunteers who have poured their hearts into it in service to our neighbors."
While the CommUnity structure remains in place for now, the East Village will soon be without any community fridges. The plant-based one outside Overthrow on Bleecker Street near the Bowery is currently MIA, with an Instagram post from last December stating a new fridge was on the way.
12 comments:
And this is why we can’t have nice things. The glow has definitely worn off of the “We’re all in this together.” movement, and that fridge and pantry were often very messy. It’s sad that we can’t share things and keep it clean and orderly.
Well, the "this" in the "We’re all in this together" has practically gone by now. Time to move on. The ones in need have many sorts of programs in order to get help.
I do not know where the fridge should go, but maybe someone(s) can volunteer to tidy the fridge on a daily basis. Could be as simple as a group of people on a schedule. Take 5-10 minutes to clean up spilled food, and that's it. That should have some significant positive impact.
People be greedy and selfish.
The gross selfishness in the comments on here lately is astounding. Living in a city requires is looking out for each other.
I was a recipient of HRA benefits for well over a year. In spite of having a MA with solid professional experience, I faced insolvency and homelessness from being unfairly terminated from my position in executive management. I exhausted my entire savings and maxed out my credit cards. I then had to rely on food pantries until my SNAP and rental assistance credits were approved. I also had no family or partner to turn to. A refrigerator such as this saves lives. Something similar saved mine when I was sad and desperate. I don't care who you are, where you came from or what your circumstances dictate, no one should go to bed hungry, especially in the wealthiest country in the world. We need to do better. I feel for those who needed this resource to get them through difficult times. Now what? As a community, we could be lifting one another up, not tearing others down. I agree with 1:16pm. Selfishness is gross. Let's aim to be more kind. I hope this refrigerator finds a new home in our neighborhood.
So sad. I depend on fridge as I live on fixed income
There are many reasons some people find it difficult to access more formal systems of help. Doesn't mean they deserve to go hungry.
Jennifer Gonzalez also painted beautiful art with community-based imagery on the structure.
My name is Danielle Mastrion and I actually painted the artwork on this particular fridge.
Hi I'm Jennifer Gonzalez -Blitz and I think they meant I did the art on the inside door. Danielle 's fantastic artwork is on the entire outside of the fridge!
This is used by so many in the community. I pass it many times daily. I don't think it's a 10-15 minute a day cleaning commitment. It requires someone to clean after each drop off. Also, donations are made in open containers outside drop off times, especially at night. I respect the effort of all involved it's clearly not an easy task to keep this running. It's so essential and important.
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