Warsaw: SiltaNews – News Desk
Four such fridges appeared in Krakow in southern Poland this week, almost doubling their number across the city. The city first launched the project in 2021, opening three community refrigerators that year and adding two more in subsequent years, with Monday’s four new additions bringing the total of such fridges to nine.
Krakow’s Municipal Social Welfare Center said in a statement that the “community fridges are located in a way that ensures their accessibility to residents of all districts” of the city. “The basic idea behind the community fridges is to create a space for Krakow residents to engage in charitable activities, giving them the opportunity to share food products with people who need such support,” it added.
Residents are encouraged to leave foodstuffs in the fridges that they themselves would like to receive, with guidelines suggesting people drop off vegetables, fruit, bread, cakes, preserves and prepared meals in sealed packaging. Home-made products are also allowed to be deposited, but should be marked with a list of ingredients and the date of preparation.
Raw meat, products containing raw eggs, spoiled foods and alcoholic beverages are not permitted for donation. Data published last month showed that Poland is among the most food-secure countries in the EU, having the fourth lowest share of people at risk of poverty who could not afford a protein-rich meal in 2024.