BOSTON (WHDH) - A community fridge in Mattapan is all thanks to one high school senior who was looking for a way to give back during the pandemic.
High school senior Nikkia Jean-Charles is the founder of the Mattapan Community Fridge and said the Red Sox were among the first to donate to her cause.
The fridge is located on Blue Hill Avenue, right in front of Cafe Juice-Up, a businesses Jean-Charles said donates the electricity to run the fridge.
The sign in the front reads, “Take what you need, leave what you can.”
A steady stream of donations has kept the fridge well stocked over the past several months. Jean-Charles said it is truly an all-around community effort.
“You don’t know who’s going to bring more food to their families or friends, we’ve had neighbors come to help the people in their apartment building who are sick to try to get more food for them,” Jean-Charles said.
Neighbors seem to appreciate what Jean-Charles and her classmates have started. She said every time she fills the fridge it empties out in about an hour or two.
She and her friends volunteer constantly to make sure the fridge is stocked up.
Jean-Charles would like to get two more fridges up and running in the Mattapan neighborhood. Right now, she is focused on getting the word out to neighbors.
“There are communities of people that depend on this and can come here whenever they need to. It’s bigger than myself, that’s really what motivated me,” Jean-Charles said.
Donations to the community fridge effort can be made by visiting the following website: https://linktr.ee/mattapancommunityfridge/
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