'Take what you need, leave what you can': Five Community Powered Fridges are now open on Milwaukee's northwest side

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Local organizations are working together to find new ways to keep neighbors nourished.

A ribbon cutting ceremony Friday, Feb. 27, in Metcalfe Park launched the expansion of an initiative called "Community Powered Fridges."

Five refrigerators stocked with fresh food and produce are now in place at community locations throughout Milwaukee's northwest side.

"This is an opportunity to help with food waste, create community connection and solidarity," said Mellody McCurtis with Metcalfe Community Bridges.

The idea was sparked last fall, after the closure of the only full-service grocery store near the Metcalfe Park neighborhood. 

"We're like, hey, what if we get a fridge, and folks can stock it," McCurtis said.

Community organization One MKE funded the first fridge, which opened in September at Sherman Park's Tricklebee Cafe.

"It's constantly being used," said Maddy Day with One MKE. "It's constantly being refilled, and then constantly being emptied as well, which is exactly what we want."

"You can take what you need, and leave what you can," said Mabel Lamb with the Sherman Park Community Association. "All people deserve the right to eat."

After the first one opened, Alderman Russell Stamper jumped in, along with FEED MKE, a city project focused on food access. Together, they secured funds for four more.

"It's really beautiful to see everybody working together to create some short term and some long-term solutions," McCurtis said. "We know these fridges can't replace a grocery store, but it's a great way to have something in the meantime."

For Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the long-term goal is to open community-owned markets.

"Where every community has a butcher, has a deli, has a fruit market, where they can walk to it," McCurtis said. "We really want to get away from these corporate, larger grocery stores that just leave with no notice."

For now, this step exemplifies what can be possible with collaboration.

"Milwaukee can do what we need to get done on our own, if we do it together," said Danell Cross, executive director of Metcalfe Community Bridges.

The Community Powered Fridges are now open at Rooted and Rising in Washington Park, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges office, Tricklebee Cafe in Sherman Park, the Sherman Park Community Center, and the Dominican Center in the Amani neighborhood.