North End Waterfront Health (NEW Health’s) Community Fridge in Charlestown that was launched last fall gained some extra attention last week thanks to the efforts of five-year-old Quincy Pagan and his mother, Rosie.
Quincy’s mother explained that her son recently noticed the community fridge while running an errand in Charlestown to buy chalk.
Seeing a fridge out on the street the quiziacle boy asked his mom why someone would put a refrigerator outside on Tufts Street.
After Rosie quickly explained to Quincy what the fridge was and its purpose to provide free and healthy food to Charlestown residents in need – the mother and son opened the fridge only to find it was empty.
Quincy immediately wanted to fill the fridge with food so those in need wouldn’t find it empty as well.
Quincy and his mom decide to take a trip to the nearby grocery store and buy four packages of multiple goods – eggs, milk, and cheeses. Others in the grocery store, overhearing the five-year-old talk about what he and his mom were planning to do, began encouraging Quincy about his good deed.
With groceries in hand the mother and son returned to the community fridge to fill it up.
Quincy then asked his mom, “How will people know about it?”
Rosie posted about the day on the “Charlestown Townies” Facebook group page and her post instantly ‘blew up’ with numerous people liking the post and offering comments.
Rosie, who said she has experienced homelessness and hunger herself, simply wanted to help her son’s desire to draw some more attention to the fridge.
After the post was up for a while others began heading down to the community fridge to offer donations.
The Community Fridge is located just outside the NEW Health health center in Charlestown and is open at all times and stocked with free, healthy food for everyone in need.
Like the efforts of Quincy and Rosie, NEW Health encourages contributions from the community and acceptable food donations. These acceptable donations include whole fruits and vegetables, commercially packaged refrigerated foods like eggs, milk, cheese, butter, tortillas, bread, bagged salad, etc. and commercially packaged frozen foods like frozen vegetables, fruits, and prepared meals.