Local Open Access Fridge

We stumbled across the Local Open Access Fridge the other day while wandering our East Van neighbourhood. With power provided by the local restaurant Dachi and a significant organization of volunteers that stock and clean the fridge, shelves and freezer, it doesn’t get any more grass roots than this. From their facebook page:

“Solidarity not Charity through Mutual Aid. Take what you need, Leave what you can.”

Tracey stopped by on Saturday to drop off some fruit and toiletries and the shelves were bare. That probably shouldn’t have been too surprising given the rise of food prices and the reality that 1 in 9 households in British Columbia are considered food insecure.

Food security refers to sufficient access to nutritious and safe food. Food insecurity describes a deficiency in that access - often caused by a lack of financial resources.

This little project is monumental in what it is trying to achieve - relying on the intangible structures of a community that pulls together to support each other and works to make the best use of resources through reallocation and waste diversion. It also highlights the need for agriculture and food infrastructure at even the tiniest of scales - filling some of the gaps left by food banks and other community resources.

Stop by the LOAF if you are in the neighbourhood @2297 East Hastings. Drop off something that you purchased in a 2 for 1 deal, cash in your points at Donalds and make a contribution, or dedicate a row of your garden to some veg to put in the fridge later in the season.