🌎 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Vancouver Community Fridge Project is a decentralized food distribution network and mutual aid initiative created to provide healthy, free food and essential supplies to our communities across lower mainland.

Our mission is to combat food insecurity by encouraging our communities to take part in laterally-directed mutual aid, starting with providing free, safe, non-policed, accessible and nutritious foods through community fridges and pantries.

🧐 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Working in a non-hierarchal fashion, currently, the organizers are comprised of primarily femme-identifying people, a number of BIPOC, and many people with experience and passion regarding food justice and social justice.

💭 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞

VCFP firmly believes that everyone has a right to eat. Food insecurity should not be adding to the stress of the already insurmountable challenges facing our vulnerable communities. Along with sharing resources, connecting and building communities founded on care, solidarity and mutual aid, we are always looking to improve upon our intersectional approaches to provide critical support where it’s needed most.

💓 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬

All fridges and pantries that are apart of the VCFP network will be operating on a strict no policing, no-shame policy. This means, the VCFP does not condone patrolling how fridge users engage with the fridge, gatekeeping, or any exclusionary or harmful behaviours. The fridges should be accessible, welcoming places based on trust and communication of needs, established by and for the community.

🦋 𝐀 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞

Please note that this is a collaborative initiative by volunteers to create a broad network of active fridges and pantries in the community. Anyone can set up and operate a fridge outside of the VCFP; what we offer is infrastructure so that needs can be met on a larger scale, and locations that are connected and accessible to as many people as possible.

🙏🏽 𝐀 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮

To Julia Kidder, for providing diligent and invaluable research on community fridges and laterally-directed mutual aid upon which the VCFP has built itself on.

To all the community fridges that came before us, inspire us, and work in solidarity to fight against food insecurity.

🌿 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Our land acknowledgement begins by acknowledging it is a privilege to be gathering as uninvited guests in “Canada.” This initiative operates on the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. It is important to recognize that “Canada” and “Vancouver” and most other place names on this land have been imposed by settler colonialists, and function to erase the long history of thriving Indigenous nations on this land before European contact. We benefit daily from this land being stolen from these nations and the ongoing system of settler colonialism that enacts violence in its various forms against Indigenous bodies.

🤝 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬

We are currently in the process of fine tuning our volunteer sign up and shift process but in the meantime we are accepting volunteers in preparation of upcoming fridge launches.

Volunteer tasks include: fridge cleaning (with supplies provided or brought from home), checking the fridge (making sure the fridge is orderly, fridge needs, checking temps, and the location premises for potential hazards or issues, etc.)

Other offerings and volunteer tasks that are always welcome: donating a fridge or pantry, transportation and heavy lifting, people willing to hang flyers, grant writing and more.

We are currently beginning operations in Mount Pleasant, DTES, and Kensington-Cedar Cottage.

[volunteer intake form is on the first page]

🍌 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞?

We are thrilled you’re interested in setting up a community fridge!

We are always happy to partner with individuals and local businesses to join our aspiring broad network of volunteer-ran fridges.

Things to keep in mind
* we are aiming to focus our efforts on hosts that represent and serve workers in the community
* Newer businesses that strive to be ethically minded should consider opening their own fridges and we can provide the guidelines we’re operating under.
* Gentrification plays a large role against the safety and comfort of our vulnerable communities, please be mindful of this when looking to be accessible
* Have you checked in with your landlord/ property manager and any neighbouring establishments that may be affected?
* Is your potential hosting location sheltered and accessible ?
* Do you have a pantry or would you need one sourced/made?

[Host form is on the first page]

More information for hosts and volunteers will be available closer to launch time. 🚀

Thank you!