Allerton Allies community fridge restored after vandalism incident – ​​Bronx Times

The Allerton Allies community refrigerator has been restored after it was destroyed by a group of teenagers on June 11, according to Jen Figueroa, a founder of Allerton Allies.

Donations for the restoration of the refrigerator went to a GoFundMe campaign following the incident, which exceeded the organization’s goal of $1,500. Allerton Allies has now replaced the damaged refrigerator after a new one was donated to the organization.

“That bad moment was somehow trumped by the huge outpouring of support we had when all these people reached out. It really showed that the number of people who care about the refrigerator, who love it and who want to support it far outweighs this little incident and this disrespect,” Figueroa said.

Allerton Allies is a community organization founded in 2020 by Allerton residents to provide more resources to the neighborhood during the COVID-19 pandemic. The community fridge is located in a food desert, a neighborhood where there is limited access to affordable and nutritious food, according to the National Institute of Health. The Allerton Allies community fridge is one of 12 in the Bronx.

Unlike a food bank, the community fridge is open to residents 24 hours a day and does not require ID or membership. For the past four years, resident and local businessman Ignacio of Affinity Tires & Co has operated the fridge, while community members share the cost of electricity and garbage collection. The fridge is stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables and bread every evening.

Figueroa said a group of teenagers were seen on video footage destroying the fridge on June 11 by throwing it on the ground. The damage included a broken door, cracked acrylic drawers and shattered shelves. The organization asked the people who caused the damage to volunteer and learn how the fridge works as a community model of mutual aid.

Figueroa called the community’s support for the refrigerator “an encouraging moment.” Allerton Allies is now looking to install a larger commercial refrigerator after surpassing its fundraising goal on June 16, Figueroa said.

“I’m just really optimistic about the future of the refrigerator. A lot of people have volunteered and it looks like our ranks are actually growing. So this is a weird event that seemed really bad at first but could actually be good for us in the long run,” Figueroa said. “I think it reminded people why this is so important to them.”

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