NEENAH (NBC 26) — 'Hope Fridge' is a mutual aid project based out of the Fox Valley that provides free food to those facing food insecurity. Located at 428 Ninth Street, the fridge is open 24 hours a day to provide food for those in need.
For founder TJ Hobbs, their personal struggle with food insecurity in college is what motivated them to start the project.
“I was working multiple jobs. I would get to work by 6 a.m, I’d come home at 10 p.m some days and I still wouldn’t have enough for all my expenses and it wasn’t for lack of trying," Hobbs said.
That's what inspired them to create a community fridge whose door is always open.
“I look back on what was so difficult for me when I was struggling the most and it was really just a lot of the pantries having limited hours," Hobbs said. "It was a lot of the pantries having requirements that I couldn’t meet or didn’t really want to have to go through.”
Anyone can stop by Hope Fridge at anytime to pick up food - no paperwork or proof of need is required. There is also no limit to how many times someone can visit the fridge or how much they can take home.
The fridge is funded by over 50 community donors, stocked entirely by food donations from the community, and run by a network of volunteers. Neenah resident Marijke van Roojen volunteered to put the fridge in her yard.
"I think people feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves and I think that’s important especially right now when we’re coming out of being so isolated,” van Roojen said.
After opening it's first location in Neenah last month, Hope Fridge is expanding to two new locations in Oshkosh at Wagner Market and Bowenstreet Repeats. They hope to open the new locations by the end of August.
Hope Fridge accepts donations of sealed, packaged, unopened, and clearly labeled foods including:
- cheeses, eggs, pasteurized milk and yogurt
- fruit juices, water and Gatorade
- fresh fruit and vegetables
- pastries, baked goods and bread
- cured sandwich meats and Lunchables
- prepared meal items made in a commercial kitchen
To view the full donation guidelines or learn how to volunteer, visit hopefridge.com. Donations are accepted through Open Collective, CashApp, or Paypal.
