'Thank you very much. My family needed this. God bless:' St. Catharines community fridge opens

A community fridge in St. Catharines, Ont., has opened so anyone who may otherwise go hungry can "take what they need."

The gazebo in front of the Lincoln County Humane Society (LCHS) St.Catharines animal shelter on 4th Avenue has been transformed into a space where hungry people can find food. 

"If this can help you till the next time you get paid or for whatever reason, then we're happy to do it," LCHS executive director Kevin Strooband said.

Strooband said the plan is to run the community fridge "indefinitely."

The doors opened at 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday, and had about 12 visitors before noon and three people dropped off food donations, he said.

The LCHS is accepting monetary and food donations, which can include produce, dry goods, commercially prepared foods, canned products, and non-food items like personal-care and hygiene products. It's unable to accept opened goods, dented cans or leftovers. 

Tyler Bastien, for instance, said he was sent to the community fridge with a bag of donations by his mother after she found out about the initiative.

People can enter the community fridge space individually, and shut the door while getting goods from the fridge between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day. There are cameras outside and inside the fridge for security purposes.

"There are windows, but it's typically light outside when they're in, so people outside won't see them and we wanted that kind of anonymity, so that people would feel comfortable coming in here," Strooband said.

Though the idea for a community fridge has been on his mind for a while, Strooband only recently decided to bring the idea to his board of directors, allowing it to come to life in partnership with Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold.

With sponsorships from the Rotary Club of St.Catharines, Grantham Lions Club, Merritton Lions Club and St. David's Lions Club, almost $20,000 has been raised in support of the community fridge and its operations.

The LCHS is still looking for volunteers to help monitor, stock and clean the new space.

"This is another outlet for the agency to enhance and extend it's food security program giving those without transportation an opportunity to ensure their pantries are not bare. " Betty-Lou Souter, chief executive officer of Community Care, an agency that has been helping people who are less advantaged since 1919. 

."Working in partnership with the LCHS further demonstrates that together we are making our community a better place to live, play and grow. "

The LCHS said in a Facebook post that it is fortunate to have the location in the gazebo in front of the animal shelter.

In designing the community fridge, Strooband also decided to leave a book inside the space for suggestions and comments. It was used by the first person to access the space.

"This person wrote, 'Thank you very much. My family needed this. God bless,'" and that really drives it home," Strooband said.

"Animals and people are fundamentally linked, and as the LCHS is a committed organization concerned with all vulnerable members of our community, helping people in need, within our compassionate city, is a natural thing to do." 

While operating outside its mandate of helping animals, Strooband said the shelter recognizes the benefit of a healthy, caring and compassionate community.