The People’s Fridge 2023 End of Year Newsletter
As we head into the new year, we want to say THANK YOU for being a supporter of The People’s Fridge! We saw a lot of big changes, a lot of growth, and a whole lot of love in 2023. Your support keeps us going, keeps our community fed, and keeps us in solidarity. In a world where capitalism declines access to basic human rights, mutual aid pushes back. Thank you again for being a part of our mission to offer our patrons fresh, delicious food daily.
Read on to learn more about what went down in 2023, and what we’re looking forward to in the new year!
2023 Accomplishments
New Partner & New Location
This was a huge year for The People’s Fridge! We’ve partnered with Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library (just a few blocks north of our previous location) to host us, and moved our beloved fridge to its new home outside of the library in April. The next few months were spent training fifty new volunteers, organizing with ten returning volunteers, working with the library on operations, spreading the word about our new location to new and old fridge patrons, and becoming a verified Philadelphia Health Department resource.
Soft Re-opening
We softly reopened on October 1, using this time to get our new volunteers up to speed and into the groove of their shifts, and to welcome back patrons we had befriended from our old location.
And just because it was a soft opening doesn’t mean that we didn’t go hard! We immediately began filling the fridge three times a day and cleaning it twice per day. We also partnered with eight organizations to receive fresh food & meal donations, applied for our first grant, and were the beneficiaries of the profits from an amazing Halloween cover band show.
Grand Opening
On December 3, we hosted our official grand opening! We opened our doors with a constant flow of food donations from local organizations, businesses, community members, and our volunteer cooks. We were joined by the library, who graciously opened their doors on a day they are usually closed; Share Food Program, who provided free food and household supplies; fresh hot sandwiches and sweet treats provided by our volunteers, and face painting for all. Despite the gray and drizzly day, the grand opening was radiant, filled with joy and celebration!
FINANCIAL UPDATES
In August, we made the decision to switch from Patreon to Open Collective, and we are so happy to be part of this amazing support system! Here’s where your generous donations went this year:
Maintenance supplies
Replacement of all fridge shelves
New light fixtures
1000+ cooked and stocked meals
3 Fridge Shops a day, 7 days a week
Fridge Merchandise
2023 Challenges
What We Learned
In 2023, we started over. Closing the chapter on our first location and re-opening with so much support and intentionality taught us so much about what really matters to keep the fridge running and its patrons happy and fed. We were able to sharpen our operations, expand our volunteer reach, and continue learning about our neighborhood’s foodways and the people that make it so special.
How We Grew
Partnering with and moving to Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library means a more highly trafficked location, and therefore more fridge patrons. We’ve also grown our volunteer base to almost 60 weekly volunteers.
2024 Plans
A community-led print zine, featuring recipes, fridge stories, memories, and more!
Apply to more grants, partner with more organizations and local businesses, and organize more community events!
