Volunteers strive to keep Charlottetown community fridge running, but where will it go?

Volunteers with Charlottetown's community fridge will search for a new place to operate it after a recent city council ruling that it can't stay where it is.

For the last three years, the fridge has been in the Parkdale-Sherwood Lions Club parking lot on Valley Street. It's open 24 hours for people to leave donations and take what they need. But last week, city council decided it needs to be removed because that spot isn't zoned for a community fridge.

"I've seen people tell me this fridge saved my life," said Yanira Greener, one of the volunteers.

"I've seen people cry about it closing down. So it's heartbreaking."

Community fridge volunteers plan to go on

2 months ago

Duration 2:49

Yanira Greener and Sandra Sunil talk about the importance of easy access to food for vulnerable populations in Charlottetown with the CBC's Sheehan Desjardins, after city council ruled that the fridge has to move.

The decision has left volunteers scrambling. They have less than a month to move it and no place to move it to.On Monday night, about 25 people gathered at Jack Blanchard Hall to discuss what to do going forward.

"We were talking about really if the model of the 24/7, no-questions-asked policy type of community fridge is needed in Charlottetown, in the community in general," said volunteer and co-organizer Sandra Sunil.

"We went through the process of figuring out the pros and the cons, hearing people's feedback and input on what that model means to them, and what they would hope for in the future."

'Minimal barriers'

One of the major debates focused on whether the current model should be scrapped and replaced with a monitored fridge instead. But that change would mean setting up an entire team to help run it, and people worried that this system could make it more difficult for people to access.

"We want to make sure that a program like this can exist with as minimal barriers as possible," said Sunil.

"So it can be open to as many people and they can come access it without having to feel ashamed and be comfortable enough to either contribute to the fridge or use the fridge in whatever capacity."

Adam McIntyre agreed. He lives near the fridge currently and said it's always busy which he saidtells him how essential it is to the community.

"If people are hungry, they shouldn't have to go through anyone to access food, especially food people are freely offering to them," said McIntyre.

"I think everybody's heard, like, horror stories about people accessing the fridge. But everything that I've seen living close by is just like really positive interactions. I've met a lot of really cool people, everyone super friendly."

'Hate to see that go'

Other people living in the area have, however,raised concerns about garbage, loitering, property damage and drug-related activities. In fact, it was a complaint earlier this year that led to city staff discovering the fridge didn't have the proper approval for the location.

Still, McIntyre maintains his experience living nearby has been much different.

"I just see like a lot of really, really good stuff happening at the fridge," he said.

"It's really bringing a lot of people together. And I just would hate to see that go away."

The vast majority of people attending the meeting want to see the fridge keep operating on its current model.

"I was happy to see that the 24/7 model, there was a consensus," said Greener.

"It catches all these people that the other existing structure organizations don't, like the food bank and the soup kitchen."

With that officially decided, Sunil said the next step is asking the city for a list of suitable locations where the fridge would be allowed to operate.

The clock is ticking and she knows there is still more to figure out, but Sunil said she is proud of the progress so far and optimistic about the future.

"It just shows how people want to be involved, people want to be engaged and they're so passionate about creating opportunities for folks to access food in a dignified manner," Sunil said.

"I'm happy to see us coming together to come to that solution."