Augustana Lutheran Church at 55th and Lake Park started hosting a Love Fridge food-sharing collective after a group of University-affiliated parents and staff worked with community partners to build on food insecurity support offered during the University Community Service Center’s Martin Luther King Week of Service in 2021. The refrigerator provides food to community members facing food insecurity and a chance for others to donate food to neighbors. Food is available for anyone to pick up as needed, without cost or registration. This effort launched as food security has emerged as a major challenge brought about and worsened by the pandemic. The Love Fridge at Augustana is the closest location to UChicago’s campus but there are locations across the city. 
Volunteers are needed for: stocking the fridge with staples like vegetables, rice, and rice or treats like ice cream; checking on the fridge’s temperature and freezer function; organizing food by expiration date; sanitizing the fridge; cleaning up spills; and distributing food. Each fridge has an AM and PM fridge manager sign-up slot here and donation guidelines can be found here. Please use this link, https://signup.com/Group/618224832037/. 

If you are interested in volunteering with this organization, contact Intern@augustanahydepark.org.