Open as of June 2021, the Lynn Community Fridge is operating 24/7 at Centerboard. Anyone in need is welcome to stop by to grab food, and potential donors and volunteers can find more information and sign up here. Watch for updates on Instagram as well.

The organizers of this fridge aim to “combat food insecurities and reduce food waste” while making “nutritious food accessible to all members of the community.”

Up and running since March 2021, this Malden Community Fridge (one of three) is located in the Linden Square Municipal Lot on the corner of Beach and Lynn streets, across from Dunkin’. As of September 2021, it has an accompanying micro pantry.

“The concept of community fridges, while not new, has gained momentum across the country this year in response to increased food insecurity,” wrote Councillor at Large Craig Spadafora, announcing the fridge. “The movement also aims to specifically assist people experiencing homelessness by making food more easily accessible. [Ward 8 City Councillor Jadeane Sica] and I see community fridge installation as a way to demonstrate how people can take care of each other outside of existing. We believe that this will be one of many new community fridges and will serve as an example of what communities working together can achieve.”

The Malden fridge isn’t on Instagram; instead, find updates in the Facebook group.

The third fridge to open in Malden debuted in late June 2021 and is located across from the community garden, behind the U-Haul (with electricity supplied by U-Haul). Find updates on Facebook.

This is the second fridge from the Somerville team; see the first (in Union Square) below. This one, which also includes pantry space, can be found near the Temple Street Walgreens. Find volunteer information, donation links, and more here.

“Food is a right, not a privilege,” states the Instagram page for Somerville’s community fridge, which launched in Union Square in late November 2020. The fridge, which is housed in a shed with some pantry shelves, accepts clean produce; pantry staples such as pasta, rice, and peanut butter; canned goods; toiletries; and more; as organizer F. DeSousa previously told Eater. Pre-made meals are acceptable but should be labeled with ingredients, date made, and expiration date. Please do not leave alcohol, medication, raw meat, or partially eaten food.

“Things in America have been difficult for BIPOC, undocumented, low-income, LGBTQIA+, and unhoused folks for a very long time,” DeSousa said. “Community efforts are a great and crucial way to try and fill in some of these gaps.”

Find donation links and other information here.

The Fridge in the Square debuted in front of the Sinclair in January 2021 and moved to its current location at the Democracy Center at 45 Mt. Auburn St. in June 2021.

Donation guidelines can be found here. The Fridge in the Square does not allow raw meats, alcoholic beverages, unlabeled or opened meals, homemade meals or baked goods, or leftovers. Recommended donations include fresh produce, dairy products, pantry goods like rice and beans, cleaning supplies, menstrual pads, paper bags, hand sanitizer, and more.

In addition to one-off donations and other volunteering opportunities, the fridge organizers are seeking “fridge parents” to commit to stocking one specific item weekly in order to boost consistency. “Do you want to be our Egg Dad?” asks the fridge. “Bread Auntie? Cheesy Mama?”

The Watertown Community Fridge debuted in October 2021 and is “collectively maintained by the community and for the community ... one of many of its kind, offering options and alternatives to formal food sharing channels.”

Monetary donations are welcome via Venmo; check the fridge’s website for other ways to donate, including by check or Paypal. The website also has food donation guidelines (prepared meals are allowed with proper labelling, and raw meat, poultry, and seafood can go in the freezer) and a volunteer sign-up form. Find updates on Instagram.

Located at the Cambridge Community Center in Cambridge’s Riverside neighborhood just outside of Central Square, the Coast Community Fridge comes from Cambridge City Growers; it began operating in mid-December 2020.

Find food guidelines here; unlike some of the other fridges, this one allows raw meat (but it must be put in the bottom rack of the freezer) and homemade meals (follow these guidelines).

Find a donation link and more information from Cambridge City Growers here.

A community fridge in Newton — called the Newton Community Freedge — started operating on March 14, 2021. The fridge is located in Newton’s Nonantum neighborhood, in the parking lot of Central Drapery and Dry Cleaning. The community fridge was organized by the Newton Food Pantry, along with other local organizations. Per the fridge’s website:

“The Freedge is open to anyone, no questions asked and no sign up needed. The Freedge will have milk, eggs, bread, rice/pasta, beans, peanut butter, prepared foods and much more! Please take only what you need and leave the rest for your neighbors. Learn more in English, Russian, Spanish, and Mandarin here.”

The Faneuil Street Fridge debuted as the Brighton Community Fridge in January 2021 and comes from the same group of organizers as the ones behind the former Allston Community Fridge (which has since moved to Brighton, although the Allston/Brighton team hopes to add another Allston fridge). It is set up outside Oliveira’s Deli Market in Oak Square and accepts fresh produce, pantry items, prepared meals (label with name of supplier, date made, and ingredients, emphasizing potential allergens), water, and more.

Find a volunteer signup form and other information here.

As of July 2021, this fridge is up and running at the Brighton Allston Congregational Church. It was formerly known as the Allston Community Fridge (when it was located by the restaurant Grasshopper); it’s in Brighton now, but the Allston/Brighton team does hope to open another Allston fridge.

The Brighton Center Fridge accepts fresh produce, pantry items, toiletries, bottled water, and more.

Organizer Sarah Ribeiro previously told Eater that the fridge is a “community effort of grassroots organizations, nonprofits, restaurants, grocery stores, and individuals” including “BU students who are providing food via a campus food rescue project, and Allston-Brighton residents who are ready to start contributing to the community.”

“We’ve had people ask, ‘Well, what if someone comes and takes it all?’” said Ribeiro. “That only proves to us the need for a fridge like this — if someone does take it all, they clearly need it. We will replenish and provide for others.”

Find a volunteer signup form and other information here.

At Northeastern University, NU Mutual Aid opened a fridge in March 2021 in partnership with Northeastern Hillel (which is hosting the fridge); the Catholic Center at Northeastern University; the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service; Israel Campus Roundtable; and Fair Foods. Please do not leave meat, poultry, fish, or alcohol at the fridge, and place only canned goods on the pantry shelves. Businesses are welcome to donate prepared meals, but they must be labeled with allergens, ingredients, and an expiration date.

Questions about the fridge can be directed to numutualaid@gmail.com, and watch Instagram for updates.

The South End Fridge opened in March 2021 in front of Make Shift Boston, an affordable co-working and events space on Columbus Avenue. It features a roof and some pantry shelves in addition to the fridge.

Unlike some of the other community fridges, this one does accept raw meat, but it must be put in the freezer. Fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and shelf-stable pantry items are also welcome, as well as prepared foods clearly labeled with ingredients, date of preparation, and estimated expiration date. Unopened toiletries and small clothing items (like hats and gloves) in good condition can also be donated. Follow the South End Fridge on Instagram for updates, and send monetary donations via CashApp to $SouthEndFridge.

The Jamaica Plain Community Fridge is back, and this time it’s set up behind City Feed and Supply on Centre Street. Acceptable items include clean produce that is in good condition, bread, water bottles, frozen food, canned goods, and other essentials. Pre-made meals are okay too, as long as containers are labeled with ingredients, date made, and expiration dates.

The JP community fridge, originally located in front of D’Friends Barber Shop in Jamaica Plain’s Hyde Square neighborhood, was one of the first to appear in the Boston area, organized by a team that includes Veronica Bettio, who got a how-to guide from the anarchist community organizer group A New World In Our Hearts (which launched a fridge in Brooklyn earlier in 2020), and Josiel Gonzalez, who was similarly inspired by community fridge projects in New York.

“We would like for this fridge to be a safe zone for the community and serve as an outlet to come together and uplift one another,” Gonzalez previously told Eater. “We encourage folks in need to utilize the fridge and feed their families. No one should go to sleep hungry.”

Worcester currently has four community fridges. Each accepts produce, unopened frozen foods, bread and pastries, prepackaged frozen meals, pantry stables, factory-sealed deli meats, and more. Not accepted: raw meat, expired or spoiled items, previously opened foods, and homemade meals.

“Worcester Community Fridges believes having daily access to fresh food is a human right,” write the organizers. “In Worcester, 15% of families have identified as living with food insecurity. While navigating the Covid-19 pandemic, these numbers have risen significantly within our city. Community fridges are open 24/7, leaving no barriers in the way of someone accessing free food.” 

Watch for updates on Instagram.

Located outside of the Roslindale Market since October 2020, the Roslindale community fridge accepts donations of clean produce and more. Please note that raw meats, seafoods, and home-cooked meals cannot be donated to the fridge, although commercial kitchens are welcome to donate pre-made meals.

Email roslindalecommunityfridge@gmail.com with any inquiries, and find donation and volunteering forms here. Katsiroubas Produce also accepts donations to stock the fridge.

The Dedham Community Fridge is located at the back of Calvary Baptist Church and maintained by volunteers from the church, which also has a new community garden on the front lawn. The fridge and some pantry shelves are enclosed in a shed, and those who can donate food are encouraged to leave any non-expired goods.

Find details on all of Worcester’s community fridges at the Massachusetts Health League of New England listing above.

Find details on all of Worcester’s community fridges at the Massachusetts Health League of New England listing above.