A Day in the Life of a Community Fridge

This photo essay is part of our series on Community Fridges.

Photography by Emma Kazaryan.

In February 2020, Thadeaus Umpster opened his first community fridge—right in front of the building where he lives in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. Since then, he’s helped many others find fridges and organize donations. He calls it an an anarchist network of community fridges and mutual aid. These fridges address twin problems—hunger and waste—but Thadeaus says they are more than that. They are a place where neighbors get to know each other and community bonds are formed.

The day starts like many—with an almost empty fridge.

Fridge volunteers meet in the Brooklyn Navy yards for a large pick up from the mutual aid organization One Community. Part of the donation is made up of lychees. Lots and lots of lychees.

On the loading dock, volunteers sort and load everything that will fit in their trusty red truck.

After a short drive to the fridge in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bed Stuy, Andrea and her red truck take a break. New volunteers arrive and the unloading begins.

Neighbors stop to help unload and do a bit of shopping.

Fitting everything inside is a special challenge but a fully stocked fridge is a thing of beauty that supports and is supported by this community.

The fridge is stocked. Volunteers have gone home. Thadaeus coordinates the next donation.

Each day, across the country, volunteers like Thadeaus help build community and feed their neighbors through dedicated attention to community fridges. To find out how you can do the same, visit Community Fridges 101.

Also in this series