USL has partnered with Sustainable Connections and the Food Recovery Program to bring a Community Freedge Upriver!
What’s a Freedge? Good question! A Freedge is more than just a refrigerator; it’s a movement towards sustainability and compassion within our community.
A Freedge is a community-based refrigerator that allows community members to get free, ready-to-eat, individually portioned food; take what you need and leave what you can for others! Our partners – as well as the Washington State Department of Ecology, who helps fund the program – hope that having community Freedges can help communities reduce food waste and fight food insecurity.
Is your garden more abundant than you need to sustain just yourself or your family? Bring what you’ve grown to the Freedge to share it with someone who needs it! Going on vacation and don’t know what to do with the food you just bought and haven’t opened yet that will expire before you get back? Share it with someone else so you don’t have to deal with it! Are you a local restaurant owner that has too much food waste at the end of the day that could still be used to stop someone’s hunger? Put it in our Freedge!
Our Freedge will thrive with the support of the commmunity!
Your community needs your help!
You can get involved by:
- Donating: If you’re a local restaurant, grocer, farmer, business, or individual with surplus food, consider donating to the Freedge. Your generous contributions can directly alleviate hunger and support those in need in our community. Donations should be individually packaged, ready to eat, and have the date they were prepared on a label.
- Volunteering: We’re actively seeking volunteers to help manage and maintain the Freedge by keeping it clean, organized, and in good shape! This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to give back and get involved in a meaningful community-wide effort.
- Spreading the Word: Raising awareness is crucial. We encourage you to share information about the Freedge with your friends, family, and anyone and everyone you know (or don’t!). Your efforts in spreading the word can help us reach more people in need and those who can help.
Why help?
- Reduce business/personal waste!
- Get tax incentives for your business!
- Enjoy community recognition!
- Discover what foods are commonly wasted in your business and make adjustments to your business plan!
If you are interested in donating your time or food to our Freedge, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us at 360-853-7716 or email us at [email protected].
Flexible shifts – one-time or recurring – are available for those transporting food, as well as mileage reimbursement for those with financial hardship.
Your involvement is vital to the success of this project, and we appreciate any support you can offer!
Our Donors
Huge thanks to our regular donors – we couldn’t do this without you!
- Concrete MarketFresh (website, Facebook)
- PeaceHealth
- Community Action of Skagit County/Concrete Community Center
Our Partners
FAQ
- As much as we would love to be able to take farm fresh egg donations, we are unable to accept uncooked eggs in the Freedge. If you would like to donate eggs, you may hard boil them and then package and label them with the date they were boiled.
- Please don’t take individual food items out of multi-packs – please just take the whole container and all of the food items in it. This enables us to keep items in the Freedge sanitary!
