Community Fridges Toronto

CFTO is a mutual aid organization that sets up and maintains public fridges and pantries around the city so that neighbours can donate and access food 24/7, sharing freely without judgment or policing. Our fridges and pantries are typically hosted by small businesses and community centres who supply a power source and an accessible space. Our volunteers maintain and clean the fridges, do repairs, and facilitate participation with local restaurants and farmers’ markets. We operate under a "take what you need, leave what you can" philosophy.

Community fridge networks like ours exist because, while access to food and personal care items is a basic human right, many people face barriers to this access. 

We are a mutual aid organization, so there are no CEOs, no bosses, no managers, and no for-profit incentives. Unlike charities who operate using a "top-down" model, the community fridge network operates laterally. All roles are valuable, and anyone can change roles depending on their capacity and their needs. Whatever your role is, whether it’s distributing food, cleaning locations, organizing events, or taking food from the fridges, everyone is equally valued because we are all in this community together.