Despite logistical hurdles and pushback from city officials, organizers are making it their mission to protect community fridges, which have transformed into a combination of social hubs and distribution centers aimed at making sure everyone has access to food.

Students in Calhoun’s fifth grade leadership class worked with the Upper School’s community service class and Students in Action Club to complete a painting projects for Mott Haven Fridge.

Mott Haven Fridge was born of necessity during the pandemic and needs more volunteers to serve New Yorkers in need.

Democratizing access to food for families in need.

About a year after two Bronx teachers debuted the first free community fridge in Mott Haven, local residents came together over the weekend to celebrate its success with a colorful sidewalk brunch.

It was a party in Mott Haven on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, as dozens enjoyed the festivities put on by the organizers behind the Mott Haven Fridge to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the community fridge.

Volunteers tell News 12 they sprang into action and brought a new fridge the same day - which let people donate food once again.

Community Fridges go by the motto “take what you need, give what you can” but so much more goes into keeping one running than that simple line.

"[It] is literally open 24/7. It's chained to the street… Anybody can take produce or food inside the refrigerator, and anybody can also leave and donate,” co-creator Daniel Zauderer says.

Donate, become a volunteer driver, or even help paint them—contributing comes in many forms.

La nevera fue instalada por un profesor del área.

Aujourd’hui, ce sont de simples citoyens volontaires qui s'organisent pour faire face à cette crise alimentaire.

Community Fridge Arrives in Mott Haven

A sixth-grade humanities teacher teams up with a colleague to help Bronx residents

Some 30 to 40 people gathered at the corner of 141st and Ann St. outside Chicky’s Mini Market on Oct. 18, to celebrate a new addition to the neighborhood—the Mott Haven community fridge.

A pandemic-spurred movement has seeded 70 community refrigerators and counting on sidewalks throughout the city — but still not nearly enough to meet neverending demand. Now some established food pantries are aiding the effort.

Two 6th grade teachers in the Bronx saw a need in their neighborhood and created the first community fridge in Mott Haven. Daniel Zauderer and Charlotte Alvarez, who work at the American Dream charter school in the Bronx.started the program because their students were struggling to get food.

Una nueva nevera comunitaria en El Bronx está ayudando a las familias necesitadas...

The first community fridge in Mott Haven was officially being introduced to the neighborhood Sunday.

The Japanese news network FNN covered Mott Haven Fridge, calling attention to our mission on the international stage!

To help combat food insecurity in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, two local educators helped bring The Mott Haven Community Fridge to the neighborhood.

Every day, millions of people in the U.S. wake up to a harsh reality that was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic: food insecurity. In a year that was filled with high record unemployment numbers and long lines at food banks, a grassroots movement was born to help serve people who were struggling with hunger.

A pair of middle school teachers teamed up to help residents gain access to healthy food options in the south Bronx, an area of the borough known for its food deserts. Daniel Zauderer and Charlotte Alvarez, sixth grade teachers at the American Dream School in Mott Haven, recently launched a community refrigerator at the intersection of 141st Street and Saint Ann’s Avenue.

MOTT HAVEN, Bronx (WABC) -- A community refrigerator in one New York City borough is offering a lot more than food and beverage ... it's offering hope. "I didn't know what it was. You know until I put two and two together and figured it out that it just be something for the community," resident Mike Grant said.

Thousands of people in New York City continue to suffer the economic impact of the pandemic, and many still do not have the possibility to buy food from the basic food basket. But, thanks to the community refrigerators that are installed in various parts of the Big Apple, they can provide themselves with food. Volunteers work to maintain this network and the team is getting bigger and bigger.

There's a lot of emphasis on food this time of year, especially in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. But the need is there every day of the year.