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n May 2021, Eugene resident Jayme Bradshaw lived under Washington-Jefferson Street in the Whiteaker neighborhood in Eugene. She lived in a tent, located on the eastmost side of the strip of park, right across the street from a free community fridge.
According to the Oregon Food Bank, there were around 66,750 food-insecure people in Lane County in 2020. Eugene Community Fridge, a new organization in Eugene, provides access to perishable goods, premade meals and fresh produce through neighborhood fridges available around Eugene.
Just a short walk away from Washington-Jefferson Park, the fridge was easily accessible to Bradshaw and other nearby residents. The fridge, painted an orange-pink hue with multicolored rainbow squiggles, had "free food" and "comida gratis" painted in big white letters on the front. Inside, the fridge contained perishable food and other necessities free for the taking.
Unlike other neighborhood free food locations in Eugene, the organization's fridges can sustain frozen and other perishable foods. Refrigerators allow people who experience food insecurity to access a broader selection of fresh and healthy options. Other donations, such as toiletries, cleaning supplies and gently used clothing, are also accepted by Eugene Community Fridge.
Bradshaw is still currently affected by food insecurity. While she primarily uses food stamps to pay for food, Bradshaw also used the free community fridge across from her camp once or twice a week to grab things like hotdogs, pizzas and salads. But now the fridge is gone.
Before Eugene Community Fridge, there weren't any wellknown locations in Eugene where individuals could access fresh and frozen food 24 hours a day with no questions asked.
Bradshaw has nerve damage, so it’s important for her to be close to food resources. Other free meal programs, like the FOOD For Lane County Dining Room, which is about half a mile from Bradshaw's camp, can be difficult for her to access. “Walking long distances is not a thing for me," Bradshaw says. "If I don't have my bike, I can't go anywhere.”
To keep its fridges stocked with foods, Eugene Community Fridge depends entirely on donations. Burrito Brigade, another local mutual-aid organization with a similar mission of feeding the hungry, helps Eugene Community Fridge by providing donated food for the fridges. Burrito Brigade receives much of its food through its Waste to Taste program, collaborating with local grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants, and farms that give it imperfect food.
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