MODERATOR'S MESSAGE: MOMENTS, MUSINGS, MUMBLINGS

Greetings, Friends!

•The Free Fridge

I will bother you with only one item today. (More information is strewn throughout This Week.) Partly due to the interest folks have shown in it and partly due to time.

Information about the Free Fridge.

Last Tuesday, Council voted to allow Flash Grub and PDX Free Fridge to place a refrigerator and a small pantry on the front porch and use of the kitchen for food preparation. The fridge and pantry will be stocked with various foods, some ready -to-eat and some to take and heat, for our neighbors who are food insecure.

I know there are lots of questions about this, so I will try to answer some of them here:

  • Q1. Who can use this fridge?
    Anyone who is in need of food.

  • Q2. Who will stock the fridge with food?
    PDX Free Fridge has a network of hundreds of volunteers who prepare food and stock fridges all around Portland. They will add our fridge to their list.

  • Q3. What about trash?
    Generally, people who use the free fridges feel a sense of community and ownership and keep the area picked up. Additionally, the volunteers who stock the fridges pick up trash when they see it.

  • Q4. How often do volunteers stock the fridges?
    We can expect multiple visits each day to stock the fridge – and check for trash.

  • Q5. Won’t this attract more unhoused folks to our porch?
    The unhoused are welcome to use the Free Fridge, but generally, we expect the added foot traffic will discourage abuse of the porch.

  • Q6. What will this cost FCUCC?
    All costs for buying and installing the fridge will be met by Flash Grub. FCUCC will need to supply the electricity for the fridge and gas for the kitchen.

  • Q7. When will this happen?
    As soon as Flash Grub can raise the money it needs.

  • Q8. What about the kitchen? You said something about the kitchen?
    The Free Fridge network sometimes receives large donations of food from grocery stores. They need a place with proper, ample space to prep and cook the food for delivery around town. They will be using our kitchen for this. We can expect them to supply most or all utensils for this.
    They will be responsible for clean-up and will not be storing food in our kitchen refrigerator. Of course, they will have to coordinate use of the kitchen with the building managers.

  • Q9. What if this doesn’t work out or problems arise?
    We can ask Flash Grub to remove the fridge or stop using the kitchen if problems arise.

  • Q10. Won’t this be an inconvenience for FCUCC?
    I am sure there will be minor inconveniences and teething problems. But, in the end, let’s not forget that we will be helping to feed hungry folks!

Thank you all!

Phil Owen, Moderator

For more information about this project, please visit the following sites:

Past EventsCommunications