New outdoor community fridge opens in Waterloo region

The first community fridge in Waterloo region officially opened on Monday after a successful pilot project earlier this year.

The unlocked wooden structure outside the Full Circle Food store on Charles Street in Kitchener opens the door to a refrigerator of donated food from the community for anyone to take at any time.

Kamil Ahmed of Community Fridge K-W said the focus of this program is "to increase food access in the region" and "reduce food waste."

"We spent the last two weekends building a fridge shelter out of 100 per cent reclaimed wood that we've collected from around the region," said Ahmed. 

"We have over 80 volunteers from around the city, around the region who helped us build the shelter," he added.

Volunteers check on the location three times a day to make sure the fridge is stocked and properly cleaned and sanitized.

What to donate

Monday was a busy day as people came to take food they needed and make donations.

"We're taking fresh produce – that can be what folks have grown in their backyard ... or bought from the grocery store. The rest can be non-perishable food items," said Ahmed about acceptable donations. 

"We are not accepting meat, seafood, eggs, dairy or alcohol and obviously nothing spoiled, mushy or rotting," he added.

Ahmed, who is one of four people behind the local initiative said they were inspired by a larger movement across North American cities including Calgary, Toronto and Brampton.

"So we kind of act as a middle opportunity in the community for folks to donate food and to prevent food waste," Ahmed said. "But also for folks to find food access that's free of barriers to entry, that's not collecting data on them."

The community fridge is accessible 24/7.