NYACK − The principle behind the village's new Community Refrigerator is simple: People can come by with food and put it in the fridge. People who need items can come by and take them, for free, from the fridge.
Nyack Center hosts the refrigerator, donated by Proyecto Faro, a nonprofit that supports and is led by immigrants.
Nyack's Community Refrigerator is the third in Rockland County. The first was opened in July 2021 in Pomona, outside the Seed of God Church on Old Route 202. Another is located outside St. Joseph's Church off North Main in Spring Valley.
The refrigerator, buffeted from the elements by a hutch, is accessible 24/7. It sits near the back entrance of Nyack Center, where people can drive up in a vehicle, walk over and place or take food.
"Access when you need it," said Kim Cross, Nyack Center's executive director, "with dignity."
Fresh fruits and vegetables, and packaged food with original labels, as well as juice and milk, are typical donations. Homemade meals can't be accepted. "We have to be confident that they're getting what they think they are getting," Cross said.
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Local organizations can help coordinate keeping the refrigerator stocked and cleaned. Nyack Community Garden, just down the street on Franklin Avenue, has already pledged extra produce, Cross said.
Nyack Center supports various efforts to help community members. That includes a program called "It's in the Bag," through People to People, which supplies 150 bags of weekend food and snacks for kids who attend Nyack Center's after-school program.
The need, though, remains. People may be underemployed, or earn a wage that leaves them unable to meet needs in one of the most costly places to live in the country. Inflation pushes up food costs, but wages for many remain stagnant.
According to Feeding America, 15.8% of Rockland's children were food insecure − and that was in 2020. Since then, more families have entered food insecurity, lacking reliable access to a sufficient amount of adequate, nutritious food.
While many organizations exist to help, people with undocumented immigration status may be concerned about paperwork.
While the fridge is tucked away, it's clearly welcoming when spotted. Kiara Knight, Nyack Center's expressive arts facilitator and community resource coordinator, designed and painted the refrigerator with a beckoning lighthouse and monarch butterflies. She was assisted by Tarah Franck, who works with Nyack Center's after-school program.
The monarch butterfly symbolizes the beauty of migration, and the right of living beings to traverse borders in search of safer habitats. Proyecto Faro means Lighthouse Project. The side of the hutch is decorated with children's self-portraits.
"I'm also an immigrant," Knight said, recalling how she moved to the U.S. at age 5. "I know that story, even though it's different for everybody."
Nancy Cutler writes about People & Policy. Follow her on Twitter at @nancyrockland.
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