What are the hours?

24/7. The community fridges are located outdoors for accessibility at all times.

Do I need to register or qualify in order to take food?

Nope! Everyone is welcome to come take whatever they need, at any time, no questions asked.

How do I donate?

Come by any time and place food directly inside the fridge, freezer, or pantry. If your donation is packaged in bulk/multiples, it’s especially helpful if you can disassemble it and take excess packaging away with you.

Please follow COVID safety procedures, such as handling items with clean hands, wearing a mask, and keeping distance from others sharing the space. Feel free to use the hand sanitizer on site.

What should I donate?

Just some examples of wonderful donations are – fresh or frozen fruit & vegetables, bread, eggs, dairy & alternatives, commercially produced frozen meals, canned goods, grab-and-go snacks, cereal, baby formula, menstrual products, and hygiene items.

Please note that we do not accept home cooked food, raw meat (in the fridge OR freezer), or food that is expired, opened, or going bad.

The Hamilton Community Fridge donation guidelines and free food resources has been carefully chosen to allow for a wide variety of foods to be donated, while also eliminating the most high-risk items, in accordance with Food Donation Supplemental Materials, and in partnership with Public Health.

What’s in the fridge right now?

Stock updates can be found on Instagram.

Can I donate unsold goods from my restaurant/licensed kitchen?

We would love that! Please simply ensure that items are labeled with the kitchen name, ingredients/allergens, prepped date, and best before date. Feel free to contact us with any further inquiries.

I’d like to donate, but I’m not able to drop off. Do you pick up?

In instances such as food rescues and larger donations, we will do our best to have a volunteer pick-up whenever needed. While we value even the smallest donations, we likely won’t be able to send our volunteers out for them. Coordinating with your friends, neighbours, or posting your donations on a local free Facebook group (such as H-Recycling), may be a good alternative.

How can I help?

This initiative is sustained entirely by community efforts. You can help by:

• donating food directly to the fridge
• pooling funds together with friends and doing a grocery run for the fridge(s)
• donating unsold goods from your certified kitchen
• taking a picture while you’re at the fridge, and posting on social media and tag us!
• spreading the word in your circles (online and off)
• joining our volunteer crew (fridge cleaning, social media support, etc.)

What are the volunteer jobs?

• Fridge Checkers – check fridge, clean up any messes, remove expired or bad food, reorganize, share on social media what items are requested (there is a whiteboard where people can request items)
• Social Media Support – post pictures from fridge checkers
• Admin Support – help maintain the Locke Street Fridge by answering emails and supporting volunteers as needed

Where can I sign up to volunteer?

Sign up with this form

Volunteer orientations will be held at a later date as well as schedule sign ups.