Marin Community Fridges
About Community Fridges
Community fridges are a mutual aid space where people take responsibility in caring for one another by redistributing resources.
Fridges are set up and run by the people, for the people, and they serve as a solution for both food insecurity, and food waste. Free food for all.
No questions asked.
Take what you need, leave what you don’t!
Marin County LOCATIONS
26 Medway Rd,
San Rafael, CA
(Fridge w/o freezer, pantry to the right)
22 Frances St,
San Rafael, CA
(Refrigerator with pantry shelving)
170 N San Pedro Rd,
San Rafael, CA
(Refrigerator and pantry shelving)
215 Shoreline Hwy,
Mill Valley, CA
(Pantry Only)
How Does It Work?
Hosting a Fridge
Individuals, businesses, or churches volunteer to HOST a fridge on their property–ideally, in a location with high foot traffic.
Stocking a Fridge
Food comes from individuals, restaurants, grocers, farms, cafes, anyone with the capacity to give!
Maintaining a Fridge
Volunteers are constantly coordinating donation pick-ups, drop-offs, cleaning schedules, fundraising and promotion efforts! The more hands on deck, the lighter the load for everyone. 🙂
Why Not Just Direct Efforts & Funds to Existing Food Agencies?
There are people and organizations doing great work, but stigma around food security and barriers to access still exist.
Through COVID-19, we have seen a growing need for financial and nutritional aid. The goal is to provide 24/7 access to free, fresh and nutritious food.
We also want to champion participatory, citizen-led initiatives because engaging neighbors results in an engaged and caring city.
Why Does Marin Need This?
Marin County is one of the healthiest and wealthiest counties in the NATION. Yet ~20% of the population–1 in 5 residents–are at risk of food insecurity.
There are ~8,000 Marin households enrolled in the State of California’s CalFresh Program. The monthly allotment for a one-person household is $194–a little more than $6 per day….
Just one bottle of kombucha costs $6 in Marin!
Photo by Jonathan Bumble
Provide An Outdoor Space
The fridge ideally needs to be accessible 24/7. The main goal is to get the fridge up and running, but we will eventually work to build a small shed to shelter the fridge from the elements.
Provide Electricity
The expected cost to provide power to the fridge is about $15-$30/month. We can fundraise to cover this cost, or you can sponsor the fridge and cover the cost.
That's it!
We will work to build a network of community members in your area to maintain, stock, clean and sanitize the fridge!
It is very important that potential hosts know we do not collaborate with law enforcement and we do not want their presence around these fridges. This is for the safety of our community, to ensure everyone can feel safe and comfortable visiting these fridges. Marin County has a Mobile Crisis Response Team who can be reached at (415) 473-6392.
FRIDGE GUIDELINES
WHAT TO GIFT THE FRIDGE:
✔ Fresh Fruit
✔ Fresh Vegetables
✔ Breads + Pastries (with packaging)
✔ Non-perishable pantry items (e.g. rice, pasta, canned food, etc)
✔ Personal hygiene products (e.g. toothpaste, lotion, individually wrapped toilet paper, pads, tampons, etc.)
✔ Personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, gloves, hand warmers, etc)
✔ Individually wrapped plastic utensils
WHAT NOT TO GIFT THE FRIDGE:
❌ ANY Meat, Raw or otherwise
❌ Alcoholic beverages
❌ Expired items
❌ Household furniture or items (e.g. tables, blankets, pots, etc)
❌ Clothing (e.g. jackets, shoes, etc)
❌ Pet supplies
❌ Children’s toys
❌ Condoms
❌ Anything you wouldn’t feed to your family
Will You Donate Today?
The network needs funds ($) for:
Refrigerators
- New or loved (We are currently not taking anymore fridges)
Sanitation Supplies
- Hand sanitizer
- Paper towels
- Sanitizing sprays
- Disinfecting wipes
- Baking soda
- Wood planks
- Outdoor paint
- Brushes
- Metal fasteners
Food!
- Fresh produce
- Non-perishable items (which include breads and jams)
Join The Network!
Community fridges cannot exist without COMMUNITY
Email: marincommunityfridges@gmail.com to get involved.
Fill out a volunteer form here: https://linktr.ee/marincommunityfridges
Photo by Christina Champlin