What you should know
- A refrigerated pantry created to help a community devastated by the pandemic fight food insecurity among its residents, could soon see its last days.
- Located on a sidewalk near the intersection of East 141st Street and Saint Anns Avenue in the Bronx, the “Mott Haven Fridge” refrigerator was founded by Daniel Zauderer and Charlotte Alvarez, local sixth grade teachers at American Dream School.
- According to Zauderer, the community refrigerator is located outside the Chicky’s Mini Market winery, but its current owners no longer want it outside their locality because it is delaying the purchase of the winery by a potential owner.
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NEW YORK – A refrigerated pantry created to help a community ravaged by the pandemic fight food insecurity among its residents, could soon see its last days.
Located on a sidewalk near the intersection of East 141st Street and Saint Anns Avenue in the Bronx, the “Mott Haven Fridge” refrigerator was founded by Daniel Zauderer and Charlotte Alvarez, local sixth grade teachers at American Dream School.
The community refrigerator, which debuted in September, is available 24/7 and has one simple goal: to give the community free access to fresh produce and other essential foods.
The refrigerator was placed in a community devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a lifeline for countless individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
“I once spoke with a mother who told me she had to choose between missing an appointment at a food pantry or missing an appointment with a cardiologist to treat her daughter with a chronic heart condition,” said Daniel Zauderer, founder of Mott Haven Fridge, to our sister network News 4 New York. “Imagine having to choose between two life support needs. I knew we had to do something for the community we love.”
According to Zauderer, the community refrigerator is located outside the Chicky’s Mini Market winery, but its current owners no longer want it outside their locality because it is delaying the purchase of the winery by a potential owner. News 4 New York called the winery for comment numerous times, to no avail.
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Daniel Zauderer
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Upon learning that the refrigerator’s uncertain future was linked to a sale, Zauderer initiated a petition to save the refrigerator. At the time of this article’s publication, the petition received more than 2,000 signatures in just a few days. Zauderer hopes that potential new winery owners will realize that it is more of a “gift than a curse” to have the refrigerator near their business.
The refrigerator location “was strategically chosen to meet the needs of the largest number of hungry families. We are located near a bus stop, a Citi bike share station, six schools, eight religious gathering places and thousands of apartments, the most of which are NYCHA subsidized or public housing, “Zauderer noted in the online petition.
Although the Mott Haven refrigerator can be moved to another location, Zauderer says they are trying to prevent this from happening to avoid creating another obstacle for residents by adding more distance between them and their access to fresh food.
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Daniel Zauderer
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Since its inception, the community refrigerator has received support from Assemblywoman-elect Amanda Septimo, who was at the dedication ceremony, as well as local restaurants.
The Mott Haven refrigerator is fully stocked thanks to a host of nonprofits, restaurants, farmers, and volunteers throughout the community.
“What we desperately need now are volunteers to help deliver, store, clean and maintain the refrigerator and funds to help us get through the winter and feed more families,” Zauderer said.
