MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — According to Feeding America, 5,400 folks are facing food insecurity in Baldwin County. That's 1 in 8 people. Milly Free Fridge, a mutual aid organization, stocks a fridge with free food to help fight this need. But if they don't get more help, they'll shut it down.
If Baldwin County is your home, then this is your fridge. Stephanie Jett with Milly Free Fridge helps stock the fridge with free food and says it is open to anyone.
"Absolutely not need-based. Anyone can access it, 24/7, 365 days out of the year," she said. "It is based on the premise of neighbors helping neighbors and sharing what you can."
And there is a great need for food in Milledgeville as the resources are few and far between, according to Jett. Most of the diverse and cheaper options are on the north side of town. The fridge provides a bit of help to a problem in Milledgeville.
"We have no homeless shelter; we have very few resources for unhoused and for people who are living in food insecurity," Jett said. "It's a bandaid for a gaping wound."
Jessica McQuain with Milly Free Fridge says they still want to try to curb hunger. McQuain says in three years, they have partnered with over 20 organizations to pre-make food, package it, stock and clean the fridge, and they say it's helping folks.
"We throw away so much food, so if we can redirect that and put it somewhere people can have access to, that's a double win," she said. "It says god bless you; without the little free fridge, me and my friends would go hungry some nights. May you have an amazing life, sincerely a homeless addict. This resource, to lose it, would keep me up at night."
The thing that threatens to keep McQuain up at night could be a reality if they can't get more help by the end of the year, as they will have to shut the fridge down.
"Without the sustained support to keep the site clean and safe and to keep the food that's available, we need a larger group," she said.
Because this is everyone's fridge, free for anyone to take food, but it is also free to give.
"Even if it's just a few hamburger buns. Just pop them in a ziplock bag, date them, throw them in the fridge. Somebody could use that. We all have ownership in this, so we all succeed when it succeeds, and we all fail when we all fail." Jett said.
Anyone can clean, stock or check on the fridge without permission. The best kind of food donations are individual-sized, like sandwiches in separate baggies or cans. It can be cooked food as long as it has a clear date and label again. The fridge is located on South Wilkinson Street.