Feature Photo: The First Parish Church in Cambridge, where the Fridge in the Square presides (Reese Lincoln/NEHSJC)
In Harvard Square, there is a little shed with a big impact. The Fridge in the Square is a mutual aid operation fighting food insecurity through open food access and has been serving the area for years.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment, housing instability and food insecurity each rose significantly. Concerned Cambridge residents came to Denise Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, in December 2020 with the idea of the community fridge.
She knew it was a worthwhile pursuit and spearheaded the initiative.
“I will put up with the mess… because at the end of the day… we’re serving a need in the community,” she said.
Since then, the Fridge in the Square has been a major catalyst for community action. Donors stock the fridge with nutritious foods, including fresh produce, meats and pre-made meals. Jillson herself uses donation money to stock the supplies for individuals and households.
The fridge, initially placed outside The Sinclair on Church Street in early 2021, was relocated outside the First Parish Church in Cambridge on Massachusetts Avenue later in July. It has stayed there for the past three years.
It’s not just individual donors, either; many organizations have been eager to help the cause.
BREATHE Cambridge, a local yoga studio, held a free outdoor class and food drive from June 21-23. This past year, Lesley University’s Threshold Program, a class for young neurodivergent adults, partnered with Fridge in the Square, sending students to First Parish twice a week to drop off donations and make an estimation of 70-80 bagged lunches weekly.
Still, Jillson said food in the fridge leaves as quickly as it enters. “Food insecurity is real,” she said.
Jillson said the Fridge in the Square has done a lot of good for a lot of people. She said this is on par with the Cambridge community, which has always supported its people.
“I think Cambridge has always been a community [that is] all about social justice, social awareness," she said.
There have been struggles — due to outdoor exposure, for example, the organization had to replace the fridge three times. Still, the program perseveres, and Jillson believes it will for a long time to come.
“It has become part of the fabric of the community,” she said.