The first free fridge in Northern Kentucky
Nobody should go hungry while good food goes to waste a block away. That's the idea the Covunity Fridge was built on.
The Covunity Fridge, short for the Covington Community Fridge, launched in 2021 in partnership with Redden Gardens, which gave it a home in the alley off 909 Scott Blvd. It was the first free community fridge in Northern Kentucky, built with help from the Cincinnati Fridge Project and neighbors who pitched in their time, tools, and know-how.
It's more than a fridge. Under one roof there's refrigerated and frozen space, shelf-stable pantry goods, a microwave, drinkable hot and cold water with a bottle-refilling station, hygiene supplies, and a bilingual list of other resources nearby. Everything is free, and it's all there whenever you need it. A second, smaller pantry on Banklick Street carries the same idea a few blocks over.
Day to day, it runs on trust and small acts: a neighbor grabs dinner on a hard week, a restaurant drops off labeled meals, someone wipes down the shelves on their walk home. People call that mutual aid. We just call it looking out for each other.
“Take what you need, leave what you can. That's the whole rulebook.”
- Year founded
- 2021
- Locations
- Two
- Always open
- 24/7
Year founded
Locations
Always open