A Refrigerator which Shares the Love between Neighbors
“I’m a single mother of three children. Due to being poor, I feel sorry for my kids that tell me hungry, but now I’ve reduced the worry about snacks for kids. I am going to raise my children well so that they can be people who practice sharing.”
“This refrigerator encourage me to live and stay.”
Two years ago, a refrigerator was placed in an open space in Wanju, Korea. The refrigerator was filled with fresh food and shared for people every day. No one recognized who brought the food and who took it. Instead, the small notes like “sorry for the small amount” or “cheer up” were left. Some people answered that “Thank you for letting me get help without revealing my poverty.”
The refrigerator is called “Happiness-filled refrigerator,” and it’s come from food sharing which is a food sharing movement for those who can’t have a meal by themselves in Germany.
In the beginning, the refrigerator was filled every 11 am and 5 pm with the fresh food which is donated by the food bank organization and local food. The anonymous donors began to appear when it’s known. Food and daily necessities were frequently brought from nearby rice cake shops, bakeries, food stores, markets. Then the freezer and display were donated.
An elderly from a senior center brought lettuce from her garden, and a newlywed brought rice which they got as a wedding gift. The local electrical safety corporation has started to donate milk from last year. Now it has 15 organizations donating, and 200 donors so far.
An owner of a franchising bakery said: “It has been a while since I started donating after discussing with my family after hearing that love can be practiced through a refrigerator.”
“It’s more proud since I’ve done it anonymously,” he added.
It has been two years after the refrigerator appeared; there is a new culture emerged. Between 11 am and 5 pm when food is provided from the food bank, people are queuing to get food, and a retired public officer arranges the area as a volunteer to provide the food evenly.
People from a nearby apartment, such as daily workers and disabled people are regular customers. Students from elementary school and high school also visit there to get snacks. Over the past two years, 21 local governments have visited the refrigerator to benchmark its sharing food system.
One of the staff said “As the number of apartments has been increased, poor people still use the food sharing refrigerator in deserted time. We want the refrigerator to be a spot where people can share their love with their neighbors and give hope to them.“
