A community fridge is a publicly accessible refrigerator, where people can freely donate and take food. It's a type of mutual aid project designed to combat food insecurity and reduce food waste. This mutual aid initiative pops up in cities across the country. They usually have a shelter around the refrigerator to protect it from the elements. The community fridge shelter that I painted can be found in Chattanooga, TN. It was special to share my creativity for such a powerful project that directly impacted the community that I was living in. I believe everyone should have access to food. It’s powerful when local communities stand together to care for each other.

I wanted to use bright, happy colors for the artwork to draw families and children to it. As I was painting, I got to witness first hand the impact this fridge had on children living in the neighborhood. Throughout the day, people would stop by to fill up the fridge. After school, kids would jump off the bus and run to the fridge to see what snacks they could walk away with.