Community fridge, sustainability, and thankfulness!

Waste fewer, save more, do more, reach more.

Food wastage is horrible.Goddess Laxmi and Annapurna both encourage us to respect the food which keeps our stomach full.

Roti, kaapra, aur makaan.Food, clothes and the roof over your head! Isn’t that what we all want?

Imagine a world where we all just wanted that and nothing more. How would we help those who couldn’t earn even that? You need a surplus, extra and more than what you need for your own sustenance to lend a helping hand. While it’s commendable to be charitable with whatever little we have. The truth of the matter is,

It’s complicated!

Money is needed in this world. What we do with the money makes all the difference. The money itself is colorless and featureless.Its value for providing the basics and more are not a topic of debate at all.No charity runs on air.That is why when I read about the community Fridge idea I loved it. It’s amazing.

It can be life-changing.

If people didn’t have to worry about food(free from community kitchen), cloth (again from a surplus at the community centre) and shelter (community initiative ) will they be more likely to concentrate on bettering themselves through learning a skill? Maybe vocational training at community teaching centers.

For all this, we need goodwill, government help, participation by corporates and private citizens.

The best initiative I have heard is the simple community fridge.Set up for the first time in Kochi and then spread to many cities. Today I will share a few such stories

That’s what these people in Indore, Mumbai, and Kerala did.

• They bought a fridge. Ensured community participation by chipping in for electricity(maybe people can try solar next time)
• Residents give extra food
• Restaurants and caterers send the surplus.
• Plus people give monetary help, to fund a dish in memory of loved ones. Birthdays, anniversaries special occasions feeding the needy is a great way to celebrate.
• Corporates can help with donations and advertisement, the government can help by giving free electricity for the fridge tax breaks to the cooperatives.

How it started: The fridge story

Minu Pauline the owner of a restaurant chain Pappadavada in Kerala. She installed a fridge, open twenty-four hours. The restaurants donate and so do other people. Pauline, calls the initiative ‘Nanma Maram’ or ‘virtue tree

Ayyamittu Unn: Chennai community fridge

Dr. Issa Fathima Jasmine is behind the community fridge outside Besant Nagar Tennis Club.

This fridge is open l every day from 7 am to 9 pm. There is a security guard and a cupboard next to it where people can also give their books and clothes in good condition.

The word means “ share the food with the needy before you eat”

They encourage people to label the food with what it has, date of preparation and best before date. This started with help of The Public Foundation

The VWA or Versova Welfare Association a group of 30 people who helped set up several community fridges across Mumbai.

They are stocked with fresh food for the hungry.

They took care to install them in main roads for easy access.

Even if one chapatti is contributed per household, then also world hunger can be removed,”

believes Harish Kundnani of VWA

There is another community fridge in Oshiwara set up by Preeti Khurana who set up this initiative here.

What do you need to start a Community fridge?

• First expense: Fridge
• Recurrent expense: Electricity
• Security and cleanliness
• A regular supply of cooked food packed with proper labels and best before date.
• Someone to arrange and keep it in a way so that the food to be consumed first is, first given.
• Ensure regular supply of food from families, restaurants and catering services.
• Keep a pay if you want option (maybe )for people on the run who have money and want a quick meal and can pay for it.Can keep the payment flexible or pay what you like.
• Encourage advertisement on the fridge by corporates as a part of their CSR initiative.Excess clothes and books may be donated and kept in a separate place for those who need them.

These are early days, but things will get better.

When people are no longer hungry they can concentrate on a more productive life (you can hope right?)

The Governments midday meal in schools too aims to give the children essential nutrients.The importance of the right diet in childhood and growing age cannot be more stressed.

If we all did this together the world will indeed become a better place.But we also want better population control otherwise it will never be enough.

Tutorial video from me will be up on Saturday.Enjoy Holi with family and friends.

Check out Hall of fame this week.

Tell me in the comments below whether your community would like to do this.

Check out this Air Fryer Review

Disclaimer: All information about NGOs and charitable work is according to the information given by a member. Before making any monetary contribution, kindly do so at your own discretion.