Trustees approve plan to place community "food fridge" at Danvers library

Trustees voted to move forward with a proposal to install a community food "fridge" at the Danvers library, a volunteer-run cabinet intended to hold primarily shelf-stable items and reduce barriers to food access.

The proposal, introduced by Johan Hunter, chair of the Human Rights and Inclusion Committee, recommended starting with a wooden, lockable cabinet near the library’s parking area or the sheltered side by the Gordon Room and engaging local nonprofits and businesses to rotate stocking responsibilities. "In our situation, we're looking at shelf-stable items, nonrefrigerated items," Hunter said, describing models she observed in Somerville and Lynn.

The library director described site constraints and said the town’s Department of Public Works would need to sign off on anchoring and placement; trustees discussed trade-offs between visibility and shelter from weather. Trustees also raised concerns about pests, vandalism and how to ensure regular restocking; Hunter suggested a weekly rotation among nonprofit volunteers and possible QR-code reporting for shortages. "That's a great idea to incorporate some sort of QR code where someone... can actually put a note in and we could get notified," she said.

After discussion about timing (installation would likely wait until soils soften in spring) and logistics, the chair called for a motion to work with the Human Rights and Inclusion Committee to place the fridge on library property. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The director said staff would coordinate with DPW on anchoring and propose a timeline for an April installation window.

The trustees did not specify a funding source at the meeting; members suggested starting small, using volunteer labor and seeking local donations until demand and capacity warrant refrigerated sites or expanded hours. The board directed staff to return with implementation details for a future meeting.