A Bed-Stuy man is helping combat food insecurity and food waste in his neighborhood by offering fresh produce to anyone in need from the “community fridge” in his front yard.
The Pulaski St. Community Fridge has been operational for over a week now and is already seeing steady demand and strong community support, according to civil rights lawyer Keegan Stephan, who set up the fridge outside his home as a way to give back.
“Now just felt like the right time, given the political climate and how under threat everybody feels, and, really feeling like I want to do something to support and protect my community,” Stephan told Brooklyn Paper of the fridge which runs by the motto, “take what you need, give what you can.”
The initiative is also a response to escalating grocery prices and food insecurity in New York City, where food pantry visits have reached unprecedented levels. In the last quarter of 2024 alone, 8.4 million people visited food pantries citywide, and according to the latest NYC Independent Budget Office report, Brooklynites experienced a food insecurity rate of 15.2% in 2022.
“There is an endless supply of food, and so much food goes to waste in the city,” Stephan said. “I think it lays bare the inhumanity of capitalism more than anything else: people are starving, and there’s extra food, and the only reason they’re not eating is because people have decided they need to make a profit off that food. Food should be a human right.”
After purchasing and painting his fridge in December, Stephan started lining up several donation sources and a few volunteers to get the fridge door open to the public.
“One of the main things about running a community fridge is you always want to make sure that there’s something in there because you don’t want people to come by and check it, like, four or five times in a row and see that it’s empty and then start to write it off and never check it again,” he said. “So I wanted to make sure we were going to be able to keep it full. And so far, it’s it’s never been empty.”
Driven by mutual aid, Stephan and volunteers now restock the fridge daily with donations from individuals, local organizations, and food rescue groups like Food Not Bombs and the Village House Pantry, among several others. Stephan, who often transports donations via cargo bike, noted that the fridge is emptied and refilled multiple times daily, highlighting the neighborhood’s significant demand and support.
The fridge primarily offers fresh produce, which Stephan says is the most popular item. “People love being able to grab whole foods,” he said. “We get everything from fruits and vegetables to prepared meals. Nothing goes in the fridge that people wouldn’t eat themselves.”
The project is self-funded, with Stephan covering electricity costs. While he hasn’t sought outside support, he hopes to secure consistent food donations from a nearby grocery store to keep the fridge reliably stocked, as currently their biggest donations only come a couple of times a week.
Community engagement has been more frequent, with local residents offering to help through an Instagram page and flyers by the fridge. “Since we set up, about a dozen people on this block alone have reached out to volunteer,” Stephan said.
The 1 Pulaski St. fridge follows the growing citywide movement of community fridges, which aims to address food insecurity through grassroots efforts. Stephan hopes more people will be inspired to set up their own community fridges.
“There should be a community fridge on every block, there’s enough food to stock a community fridge. People shouldn’t have to be starving just because they don’t have money to eat. This is something we can do where we network in our very small, tight-knit communities and band together and protect ourselves.” he added.
