That's all for the East Village Neighbors Community Fridge on 12th Street and 1st Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The East Village Neighbors Community Fridge and Pantry, located at the NW corner of 12th Street and First Avenue, was removed from service yesterday.

For the past four years, the fridge and pantry have been stationed outside S'MAC, where owners Sarita and Caesar Ekya, along with East Village Neighbors, a local volunteer group, helped provide food for people in need. 

However, as we first reported on Friday, the landlord had been fielding calls and complaints from tenants and neighboring businesses about the fridge and pantry for months. (Complaints range from people blocking the street to fighting among those seeking food.) 

Sarita made it clear that her landlord was not to blame, that he was "one of the good guys." However, given the number of complaints, he had no choice but to ask for the fridge's removal. 

The damaged fridge, placed on the curb, was being recycled.

For now, donations can go to the Chelsea Fridge on Sixth Avenue and 15th Street or the Loisaida Community Fridge on Ninth Street and Avenue B. 

Sarita and Caesar hoped to find a new home for the East Village Neighbors Community Fridge. Sarita told us yesterday, "Things are moving, but there have been no commitments from places as of yet." 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The 4-year-old East Village Neighbors Community Fridge will no longer be in service on 12th Street and 1st Avenue

The 4-year-old East Village Neighbors Community Fridge will no longer be in service on 12th Street and 1st Avenue

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Sunday is the last day for the East Village Neighbors Community Fridge and Pantry on the NW corner of 12th Street and First Avenue. 

For the past four years, the fridge and pantry have been stationed outside S'MAC, where owners Sarita and Caesar Ekya, along with East Village Neighbors, a local volunteer group, helped provide food for people in need. 

Sarita said that her landlord, with whom she has a great relationship — she says he's "one of the good guys" — has been fielding calls and complaints from tenants and neighboring businesses about the fridge and pantry for months. (Complaints range from people blocking the street to fighting among those seeking food.)

 

During a phone call, Sarita said that she has been unable to secure another business to take this operation over and was hoping to find a religious or community-based spot, but that has also been proving difficult. So Sunday is the last day for the fridge and pantry; on Monday morning, both will be recycled.

In the interim, starting Monday, donated food will be brought to the Chelsea Fridge or the Loisaida Community Fridge on Ninth Street and Avenue B. 

"Hosting the East Village Neighbors Fridge at S’MAC the last four years has made us feel all the feels. We've met so many incredible people and have had a village help keep it going this entire time," Sarita said. "The amount of food being rescued daily and the amount of meals provided to our neighbors by such a strong community who cares has been heartwarming. We know the fridge will be a loss to the community, but we hope to find a new home soon." 

She expressed concern for all the daily regulars who depend on the food, meals and supplies.

The fridge debuted on Oct. 7, 2020. Their first attempt was knocked over and KO’d after only three days. The refrigerator was vandalized again in August 2021. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A Visit to the East Village Community Fridge and Food Pantry (October 2020) 

• East Village Community Fridge providing free food outside S'MAC on 1st Avenue; donations welcome (October 2020) 

• A Thanksgiving feast for neighbors in need at the East Village Community Fridge (November 2020) 

• A new look (and name!) for the East Village Neighbors Fridge (December 2020) 

• The East Village Neighbors Community Fridge is up and running again after vandal strikes (August 2021)

An upgrade and refresh for East Village community fridges

Top photo by Stacie Joy 

This past week, a new refrigerator arrived at the Loisaida CommUnity Fridge and Pantry at Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish on Avenue B and Ninth Street. 

After someone forcibly removed the door, the fridge had been out of commission for several weeks. 

This new fridge was installed by Pedro from La Plaza Cultural. He had to "raise the roof" a few inches on the enclosure to make room for the taller unit donated by Thadeaus Umpster from the New York City Community Fridge Network and IOH NYC (In Our Hearts NYC). 

Meanwhile, last weekend, EVG regular Lola Sáenz painted the new East Village Neighbors Community Fridge & Pantry outside S'MAC on First Avenue at 12th Street...

Find a map of all NYC community fridges right here.

The East Village Neighbors Community Fridge is up and running again after vandal strikes

The East Village Neighbors Community Fridge and Pantry outside S'MAC at the NW corner of 12th Street and First Avenue was briefly out of commission thanks to a vandal. (The top photo, by Lola Sáenz, is from Sunday.)

Over the weekend, someone tore off the plug to the refrigerator's power cable...

The vandal also used a weight to smash the adjacent pantry for canned goods and other nonperishables ...

Despite the vandalism, S'MAC's management was able to get the refrigerator repaired late yesterday. The pantry was expected to be back as soon as this morning. 

S'MAC co-owner Sarita Ekya told this to EVG contributor Stacie Joy yesterday:

[I]t is disheartening and shocking that someone would vandalize a community fridge. However, we will move forward ... Thanks to ALL for the support. We are in continual need of food/monetary donations to fill the fridge so we would rather the community focus on that. We got the equipment covered.

The fridge's motto is "take what you need, leave what you can," and is made possible by S'MAC, Change Food and East Village Neighbors. It first arrived here last fall. (This is also not the first time it was vandalized.) 

In an Instagram post yesterday, East Village Neighbors report that more than 2,000 people access the community refrigerator every week. "Some fridge guests say this is the only food they get."

They also launched a new fundraiser yesterday.

We've been absolutely floored by the neighborhood's generosity in donating money for food and also in stocking the fridge — but we're almost out of funds. We've been organizing large, weekly deliveries of fresh food in order to make sure residents have a selection of healthy food, but we'll have to stop them in a few weeks if we don't raise more money.

You can find the new fundraiser at this link.

Top photo by Lola Sáenz; the others by Steven

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A Visit to the East Village Community Fridge and Food Pantry

A new look (and name!) for the East Village Neighbors Fridge

As we've been reporting, the volunteer group East Village Neighbors teamed up with S'MAC owners Sarita and Cesar Ekya to stock a community fridge and food pantry outside the restaurant at the corner of 12th Street and First Avenue.

There's a new name for the endeavor — East Village Neighbors Fridge ... as well as a new logo, with colors selected to match those at S'MAC.

The fridge's motto is "take what you need, leave what you can," and is made possible by S’MAC, Change Food and East Village Neighbors. 

 

The fridge and food pantry for dry goods is open 24 hours a day for anyone who needs a meal ... it is restocked as needed, which is often. Local businesses and residents continue to make donations...

 

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A post shared by East Village Neighbors (@eastvillageneighbors)

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A post shared by East Village Neighbors (@eastvillageneighbors)

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A post shared by East Village Neighbors (@eastvillageneighbors)

If you’d like to donate homemade food, they ask that it be clearly labeled, dated, and individually wrapped. East Village Neighbors are also accepting donations via this link.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A Visit to the East Village Community Fridge and Food Pantry