City Spotlight: RVA Community Fridges
By Rebecca Antler
Spread out across the city of Richmond is a collection of fridges. Some are covered in bright, neon paint and big, bold letters, while some more understated with a sheet of paper
taped to it. Others are accompanied by a small pantry or boxes to its side.
If you spend any time walking about the city, I assure you’ve walked past one; but just a few years ago these did not exist. Enter RVA Community Fridges, a non-profit organization that sets-up and coordinates these fridges all across the Richmond area.
According to their website, they describe themselves as “a mutual aid group aimed at solving food security throughout and around Richmond, Virginia.”
These fridges rely on donations from the community to provide an accessible resource to people with limited access to food, often offering healthy and less available supplies that promote community health like fruits, vegetables, high-protein foods and water.
Founded in 2020 by Richmond local Taylor Scott, what began as a single fridge being set up during the pandemic became 10 across the region and an abundance of supporters, ranging from local businesses to volunteers to anyone with some food to spare.
“I realized putting up the community fridges was bigger than what I could ever imagine, it was quickly becoming a vital part of the community, and my dream to be able to help others and be there for people as best as I can was already in action. That's why I do what I do, because I have the opportunity to,” Scott stated.
Founded in 2020 by Richmond local Taylor Scott, what began as a single fridge being set up during the pandemic became 10 across the region and an abundance of supporters, ranging from local businesses to volunteers to anyone with some food to spare.
On their website and at each fridge is a list of guidelines for what can and cannot be donated, the proper way for foods to be donated, and a pantry for dry and canned goods. The rest is simple — take what you need, give what you can.
Groups like this are increasing in necessity in the Richmond area, especially since the pandemic hit. The United States Department of Agriculture states that 60,545 Richmond residents live in food deserts, according to the latest study conducted in 2015.
With a population of nearly 230,000, that means that an astronomical 20% of Richmond’s population lives within the boundaries of a food desert.3 That number alone is shocking, but it is even more so when compared to the national average.
Researchers estimate that 6.2% people in the United States live in the confines of a food desert.4 This exemplifies just how great the need for mutual aid groups, such as RVA Community Fridges, are to the Richmond area.
As students of VCU and the Honors College, it's easy to get busy and lose focus on the world around us. Between coursework, jobs, internships and extracurricular activities, many students find themselves stuck in a “VCU bubble” and feeling disconnected from Richmond.
Yet, organizations like RVA Community Fridges remind us of the importance of community and caring for one another. Through donating food, volunteering, or contributing in the myriad of other ways listed on their website, you can further strengthen the connection between student and city.
To get contact or get involved with RVA Community Fridges, visit their website at https://www.rvacommunityfridges.com/ or find them on Instagram @rvacommunityfridges. You can also find the location of each fridge on their website, alongside the guidelines for donations.
Photo courtesy of RVA Community Fridges