Thank you, Shelby. And I will definitely be perusing that topic!
The community fridges are public refrigerators with a “take what you need, give what you can” motto. The rules for prepared food donations are that you label the food with the date and what it is. They really want you to list possible food allergens. At first, I was listing every ingredient used in the recipes, but the fridge I am donating to does not require that. The budget is all mine because the donations come from me, although occasionally the people who manage this particular fridge get food rescues and offer some of it to me to use in my meals. They’ve given me some ground turkey, ground beef, chicken breasts, and blocks of cheese. I provide the packaging.
To give some background, I’ll copy and paste from my Instagram:
“In 2021 I kept seeing posts on Facebook about Lafayette’s Community fridge and pantry. The way they work intrigued me because it seemed like such an easy way to do something helpful. At first, I dropped off pantry items, the kind most people give when there’s a food drive. But it was the idea that you could bring cooked items, even leftovers (good leftovers), that led me to making food specifically for fridge donations. From the fall of 21 through April of ‘23 I made over 500 meals. Eventually, something must’ve changed with the management (volunteers, all) and as they stopped promoting it, I stopped cooking for them. But now, the community fridge in Lafayette and Abbeville have been adopted by The Foodies of Lafayette and they are coordinating with restaurants and other businesses for donations, food rescues, etc. So now I’m back, and ready to cook! By starting this page, I hope to encourage others to participate!”
In May of 2025 I learned that a Facebook group called Foodies of Lafayette had adopted two community fridges and they were collaborating with restaurants and other food rescue groups to keep the fridges stocked. And then I learned of another community fridge that was connected to a church that has a strong mission to feed others. I decided to get back in the game and sort of adopted that fridge as the place I’d take my donations. I’d been looking for volunteering opportunities, but this one spoke to me.
(Isn’t there a preview option before submitting posts? I’ve forgotten how to work eGullet!)
