Frequently Asked Questions

Although there are many community fridges throughout New York City, they all run autonomously of each other.

Friendly Fridge BX has partnerships with several nearby organizations who work together to redirect good food.

• Perishable items: Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and bread.

• Non-perishable items: Canned goods, pasta, rice, and sealed snacks.

• Prepared foods: Homemade or store-bought meals. Please label with the date and ingredients whenever possible.

Anything you would feed yourself and/or your family.

Expired or spoiled food.

• Opened or partially used items.

• Alcohol or highly processed junk food.

• Items requiring strict temperature control, like raw meat or seafood.

If possible, yes. Labeling is often encouraged. Include:

• The name of the item.

• The date it was prepared or donated.

• A list of ingredients for those with allergies.

Yes! This is highly encouraged as events and parties often have an abundance of food left over. Whenever possible, please package food up into smaller to-go containers.

The law protects:

• Individuals

• Businesses (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, farms, manufacturers)

• Nonprofit organizations (e.g., food banks, community fridges)

• Food recovery organizations

The Friendly Fridge BX is a non-profit which ensures food donation is protected under laws like the Good Samaritan Act. This reduces liability for donors as long as the food is safe and donated in good faith.

Yes, donors and nonprofits are protected from civil and criminal liability as long as the food was donated in good faith and there was no intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or reckless behavior.

The Act protects persons who donate food and grocery products that meet all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and local laws and regulations. The Act also extends liability protections to donors of food and grocery products that do not meet all quality and labeling standards if the donor informs the nonprofit organization that receives the items, the nonprofit organization agrees to recondition the items to meet all quality and labeling standards, and the nonprofit organization is knowledgeable of the standards to do so properly.

The Act covers donations by school food authorities and institutions of higher education. These entities are expressly included in the definition of “qualified direct donors” in the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983, as amended by the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Act expressly covers donations by restaurants, retail grocers and manufacturers. Donations by a food service company also would be covered under the broad definition of “person,” which includes corporations, partnerships, organizations, and associations.

The Act applies to donations to nonprofit organizations for ultimate distribution to needy individuals. It does not cover direct donations to needy individuals or families.

You can usually donate as often as you like. Many partners, groups and individuals donate multiple times a week. If you are in a position to redirect food every day, contact our team and we can help arrange, if needed.

The Friendly Fridge BX fills up and empties several times a day throughout the week as over 1,800 visitors come through.

Even if the Fridge is momentarily full, place your redirected donations on the shelves or with a volunteer as it will only be a matter of time before your donation is happily picked up.

Yes, the Act allows the donation of food past its labeled date (e.g., "best by" or "sell by") if it is still safe for consumption, but donors should verify local regulations.

Absolutely! The Act encourages businesses to donate surplus food instead of discarding it, helping reduce food waste and support communities in need.

• It reduces food insecurity by redirecting edible food to those in need.

• It lowers food waste and supports sustainability efforts.

• It builds stronger connections between businesses and local communities.