Free community fridges allow folks to donate unwanted food to the public. RVA Community fridges have been providing this service for over half a decade. They just opened their 17th fridge— this one in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood. It likely couldn’t have opened soon enough.
Early Wednesday morning, RVA Community Fridges founder Taylor Scott found out her newest free food fridge, set to be located behind Mama J’s Kitchen, was stolen. But she stayed calm, went to the hardware store and bought a new one. And she found a bright side in the bad news.
“What it got to some scrapper, and they got a nice payday," Scott tells me. "Can’t be upset about that one!”
That optimism is what’s helped keep Scott and RVA Community Fridges going. A New Orleans native, Scott said she grew up with community fridges where local people, restaurants, farmers and farm markets donate food to the fully functioning, outdoor fridges and: “Anybody can take what they need, get what they can. Everybody is the target audience.”
While most food is donated, she also has a city grant and takes donations from the public. It all goes to her salary and keeping the fridges full and running, that and weekly cooks held at a local kitchen space she's taking over in the coming.
The fridge behind Mama J’s is the 17th such community fridge Scott has installed. Velma Johnson and her son Lester are Mama J’s owners; they have a history with the fridges.
“I take a lot of food to Venable Street, to their fridge over there, so it made sense for us to get one here too," Velma says before Johnson comments on whether a fridge full of free food located behind their shop could impact their regular business.
"Anytime you do anything there’s a challenge sometimes," he says. "So we’ll play it by ear. But hopefully it’ll go well.”
Scott said the Johnsons probably don’t have to worry; despite nearly daily refills…
“If it's not because of the price of groceries, SNAP benefits being taken… We can’t keep 'em stocked," she says. "I’m so sorry guys.”
