Astoria Fridge Closing Friday After Unplugging Incident

ASTORIA, QUEENS — During the past year, neighbors have opened and closed the Astoria Community Fridge doors countless times, taking free produce and packaged meals, and dropping off extra bulk items.

This Friday, however, the fridge’s doors — painted with pink accents and emblazoned with the words “take what you need, share what you can” — will close once and for all, organizers announced, citing sanitation issues and their ongoing attempts to figure out how to best serve Astorians.

Several weeks ago, someone, who was frustrated about sanitation issues, unplugged the Astoria Fridge, leaving the food inside to rot, according to organizers. This was a turning point for the group, who were no longer able to keep the fridge in the condition that they needed for operating, organizers explained in a statement.

“This is not how we operate. We have been adamant that food in the fridge be a reflection of the dignity and respect that people deserve,” they wrote.

The unplugging, however, isn’t the only reason for closing the Astoria Fridge, organizers said, noting that they’re still in the process of figuring out how to best serve the community.

“From the beginning [we] understood that a community fridge was never going to be the solution to artificial, systemic injustice. However, it has been one of the many ways that people have collectively organized to find alternative solutions to these oppressive systems that continue to harm us,” they wrote.

After the fridge closes, organizers will take time to reflect and then share a longer plan about next steps, according to the statement.

News of the Astoria Fridge’s closure was met with an outpouring of support from community members.

“Thank you for all of your vision and hard work and organization. Astoria fridge was part of my weekly routine. I will move my donations over to the Ravenswood Fridge and urge others to do the same,” commented one.

Another, who plans to bring food to the other local fridges as well, thanked the Astoria Fridge for being at the front of the mutual aid movement in the neighborhood.

“Systemic problems can be confounding, props to y’all for putting a good foot forward and being good neighbors. I look forward to hearing about your collective next steps,” they wrote.

Many others echoed the sentiment that they will keep an eye out for news of the fridge’s next steps, including local community fridges and other nonprofits that work on food distribution.

In the meantime, organizers behind the Astoria Fridge encouraged community members to support other free fridges in northwest Queens.

“We believe that food is a human right, and while we figure out our next steps in this work we ask that you support the other fridges in Astoria / LIC who we collaborate with,” they wrote, pointing to the Astoria Halal Fridge, Nexus Street Fridge, and Ravenswood Fridge.