Community fridges in Los Angeles provide free food to coronavirus affectees
On the fridgem, a sign in English and Spanish says "Free food. If you need to empty the fridge, no one will judge you."
July 20, 2020
LOS ANGELES: On a sidewalk in Los Angeles stands a shiny, clean refrigerator packed with milk, fruit, vegetables, chicken and other food, marked clearly as free for the taking.
It is one of several "community refrigerators" that began to appear this month on the streets of Los Angeles, which has very high levels of homelessness and is now hit hard by economic woes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
The fridges are unlocked, no one watches over them, there are no forms to fill out or lines to wait in, and people can take as much food as they want.
They are open every day, 24 hours a day.
A sign in English and Spanish says "Free food. If you need to empty the fridge, no one will judge you."
"If you need to take one tomato, or you only put one tomato in there, do it," said Marina Vergara, an organizer for LA Community Fridges, which has set up seven of the appliances and has plans for more.
"I thought the concept of having these community fridges up in neighborhoods all around the city would make, you know, just this kind of aid more accessible," said Vergara.
