901 Community Fridges aims to keep kids fed during summer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - When school is out, some nutritional meals can be missing at home. And hunger doesn’t take a break.

That’s why one community activist is encouraging the community to continue to donate to their local food pantries as we head into the summer months.

LJ Abraham is the Founder of 901 Community Fridges, a community initiative committed to fighting food insecurity in Memphis by partnering with neighborhoods to place fridges stocked with food and sundries in areas where it’s needed most.

“Going into the summer, most kids only have access to food at school,” Abraham said. “So, if we keep these stocked then they’ll have access to food.”

Community fridges are stocked with food and sundries in areas around the city where it’s needed most, an effort created during the pandemic to combat hunger.

“They empty out as quickly as they are filled, which is a good thing but does show that there is a need for more food resources in the city of Memphis,” Abraham said.

Earlier this week when we visited the community fridge outside of First Congregational Church, it was empty--another sign of just how needed they are.

“There are still so many areas in the city of Memphis that are considered food deserts and there are still so many people that lack the resources to have access to food, not gas station food or fast food,” Abraham said. “There’s not a lot of grocery stores in neighborhoods or if they are people don’t have ways to get to them because they lack transportation.”

There are three 901 Community Fridge locations.

• 1000 S Cooper St (First Congregational Church)
• 885 S Highland St (Trinity Church)
• 362 Tillman St (Binghamton Community Church)

Abraham says she sees a greater need for food pantries like 901 fridges during the summer months and an uptick in donations.

Still, the more donations, the more people can benefit from them.

“Realistically with the way the city is going I think we will probably expand to other locations, which has been a goal anyway,” Abraham said. “There are other locations that can definitely benefit from a fridge so if we have to expand then we will expand to the neighborhoods that need those resources.”

Community members are encouraged to drop off food any time. They even have a pantry for canned food and other non-perishables.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2023 WMC. All rights reserved.