Keep ’em coming: Burnaby community fridges need donations throughout the holidays

It’s the season for giving, and the team behind several community fridges in Burnaby is asking that residents open their hearts and their pantries through the holiday period.

Burnaby Primary Care Networks runs the Community Fridge program, which helps operate four fridges around the city where people can take or give groceries as needed.

The PCN says donating during the holidays is a way for Burnaby residents “to be in solidarity with each other during what can be a tough and isolating time of year.”

And it can also help fill an important gap in services.

Some services that help people experiencing food insecurity—like Burnaby Food Hubs, which Burnaby PCN says serves 7,000-8,000 people a week—don’t operate during the holidays.

Communications coordinator Melissa Sharp said in an email that the closures mean that on some days next week, the community fridges could be the only accessible source of free groceries in the city.

“While December is considered a season of giving, it is also a time when community resources are over-extended, and people have less capacity for the bureaucratic processes involved in accessing food security programs,” the organization said in a press release.

“This need continues into the new year, when the December rush for charitable giving dries up.”

The call to action comes as demand for services has skyrocketed in Metro Vancouver.

Earlier this month, CTV News reported that the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB)—which is based in Burnaby, but operates food banks across the Lower Mainland—said it’s never seen this level of foot traffic or registered so many new clients.

CTV News reported the GVFB is taking on about 1,000 new clients a month at the moment, compared to about 400 the same time last year.

Meanwhile, the cost of food is rising at the highest rate in more than four decades.

As more and more Canadians find it increasingly difficult to afford food, Burnaby PCN says community fridges represent a low-barrier way for them to access free services.

“This was to meet the needs of people in immediate need. Single parents who were working from paycheque to paycheque, who have a car repair that week, and all of a sudden they can’t afford to get food for their kids,” said Jeff Malmgren, who worked on the opening of the first fridge on Imperial Street last year.

“There’s no stigma attached to it. When you open the fridge, nobody knows whether you’re taking food out or putting food in. We’ve seen in other communities that it’s become really well used in the community and really well-supported.”

If you’re looking to donate, all you have to do is visit one of the fridges and drop off your contribution.

There are four free fridges in Burnaby so far, located at:

• Burnaby Youth Hub, 4750 Imperial St.

• SFU Burnaby, MBC, Floor 0/7000 level, 8888 University Dr.

• Tian-Jin Temple, 3426 Smith Ave.

• BCIT Burnaby, Building SE2, Floor 2, 3700 Willingdon Ave.

The fridges at Burnaby Youth Hub and Tian-Jin Temple will remain open 24/7 during the holidays, while the fridges at SFU and BCIT will have limited access due to their location on post-secondary campuses.

Here are some examples of items you can donate:

• Fresh produce

• Dairy

• Bread

• Rice

• Grab-and-go foods

• Pantry items

• Prepared meals (made in a commercial kitchen, labelled with ingredients)

The PCN requests that you not donate the following items:

• Expired food

• Rotting food

• Home-cooked food

• Open packages of food

• Leftovers

• Clothing or housewares