Detroit Community Fridge Network Offers 24/7 Access To Free Food Across Metro Area
Detroit Community Fridge operates 10 locations where people can grab free food any time. This mutual aid project places refrigerators and pantries at sites around town, filled by neighbors, small…
Detroit Community Fridge operates 10 locations where people can grab free food any time. This mutual aid project places refrigerators and pantries at sites around town, filled by neighbors, small farms, groups, and stores like Trader Joe's.
You'll find these stations in Detroit, Dearborn, and Highland Park. Most stay open all day, every day. Arts & Scraps on Harper Avenue is the outlier.
Hunger hasn't gone away, even after SNAP benefits came back in November. When the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program stopped in October, 1.4 million Michiganders lost their payments.
These refrigerators and pantries connect with other efforts to get food to residents who need it. Several pantries, nonprofit groups, and mutual aid projects now serve the metro area this winter.
Sites pop up at Bridging Communities on McGraw, Field Street Community Fridge, Georgia Street Community Collection Fridge on Vinton Avenue, and Detroit Heals Detroit Community Fridge on Alcoy. The system runs Dearborn Mutual Aid on Abbey Lane, Gratiot Community Pantry, Highland Park Little Pantry at Glendale and Dexter, Arts & Scraps on Harper, Riverbend Little Free Pantry on Marlborough, and Maxwell Pantry at Maxwell and Forest.
Small farms and groups worked together to supply families when benefits stopped. The city built an online tool that shows pantries in Detroit, listing when they're open and how to reach them.
Other programs help too. Capuchin Soup Kitchen serves hot meals on weekdays at both the Conner and Meldrum locations. Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan hands out food at drive-up sites in 20 communities around metro Detroit.
United Way of Southeast Michigan runs a 2-1-1 helpline that connects families to groups offering food, housing, and other support. Someone answers the phone all day, every day.
The Food Bank Council of Michigan provides assistance through its Food and Other Resources Helpline. This line serves the whole state in more than 240 languages, Monday through Friday.
