SEATTLE — Community fridges are popping up in different Seattle neighborhoods as families struggle to put food on the table during the coronavirus pandemic.
Seattle Community Fridge started in the summer of 2020 as a group of volunteers with different roles that include installing, stocking, decorating, hosting and cleaning community fridges.
However, Seattle is not the first city to have a program like this. Community fridges have exploded across the U.S. because of the pandemic.
Jordan Saibic and Jordan Valencia are volunteers with Seattle Community Fridge. Saibic said they have a friend in Los Angeles who is part of a community fridge group in their neighborhood.
They connected to get the program started in Seattle.
"Food insecurity is at an all-time high with COVID, but it's also always existed," said Saibic.
Nine community fridges currently exist in Seattle, but Saibic said they plan on installing four more fridges. The next to go up will in Rainier Beach next week.
"We don't know if it would have exploded as much if it hadn't been started, you know, during the pandemic," said Valencia.
According to Northwest Harvest, 1 million Washingtonians visited a food bank in the past year. One in 10 Washington residents also consistently struggle with hunger.
However, Saibic said food banks are not always the right options for some families.
"Food banks can sometimes require you to fill out certain things and this is just no questions asked," said Saibic. "There's no policing, there's no surveillance, just grab what you need."
Each fridge in Seattle has its own weather protective shelter and is stocked with fresh food and produce, canned food items, and even things like diapers and pet food.
"We all need to eat, and we all deserve access to food," said Saibic.
To donate or become a volunteer, visit Seattle Community Fridge's Linktree website.