Yovina Miller and Misty LeCompte of Glenside launched the Abington Community Fridge at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (654 N. Easton Road) on Saturday, June 22.
The refrigerator and adjacent dry goods pantry are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for area residents to pick up or drop off food items. They are located just outside the church’s entrance from the back parking lot.
Yovina, an Indonesian native and owner/beekeeper at Miller’s Apiary, says the idea came from previous volunteering experiences.
“Two years ago, I started helping out with a similar concept in Germantown, and I wondered why we don’t have one in Abington. I thought it would help a lot of people,” she told Glenside Local.
After sharing the idea with neighbor Misty, they realized the first hurdle would be finding an ideal location. In the spring, they sat down with Reverend Barbara Ballenger and Rick DeKalb from St. Peter’s, who guided them through the process and have been a regular presence at the site since it opened.
“The fridge is its own entity and the church offered to host it for us. We sat down with them and they said they’d be involved as much as we need them to be,” Yovina said. “Rick’s been so willing to help and check on the fridge.”
St. Peter’s solicited and received a grant to fund the refrigerator, and Gerhard’s Appliances of Glenside sold it to the church at wholesale cost.
“It’s a fridge for everyone if you need food or if you have extra food,” Misty said. “It’s a mutual aid project. It involves gives and take with a lot of local businesses. It’s a way to help anyone in the community who’s in need.”
According to the organizers, Clean Plate Food Truck, Gerhard’s Appliances, Sam’s Italian Market and O’Neill’s Food Market have each been consistent donors. The recently relocated Dovetail of Glenside made significant donations after an event in July, and Shannon Collins Photo donated 10 percent of their revenue for the month of June.
Unbeknownst to Yovina and Misty, Gerhard’s Appliances’ Summer Slam Baseball Tournament on July 30 was held to benefit the fridge.
“We had no idea,” Yovina said. “We’re waiting to hear how much they were able to raise.”
Going forward, organizers hope to implement “$2 Tuesdays”. Donations can currently be made via Venmo (@AbingtonCommunityFridge).
As word spreads, Misty and Yovina are seeking helping hands to keep the cause going.
“We’re there whenever we can be, at least once a day between the two of us. We’re asking people from the community to sign up and stop by during the week so we know what we need,” Misty said.
To sign up as a volunteer, you can click here.
For more on Abington Community Fridge, you can visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.
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