The Too Good to Go app, which aims to help fight food waste, launched in Connecticut this past week. The free mobile app connects its users to local businesses with surplus food. When using the platform, consumers are able to access unsold food at a fraction of its retail price. Instead of businesses throwing away perfectly good food at the end of the day, they list a ‘Surprise Bag’ on the Too Good to Go app that users are able to purchase. According to the app’s website, the ‘Surprise Bags’ are sold at 25-50% of their contents' original retail value — a win-win-win for businesses, customers, and the environment.
In 2020, local food advocate, Reggy Saint Fortcolin, and Kingdom Builders Impact Ministries, launched Fridgeport, a mutual aid food initiative, based in Bridgeport. Fridgeport is a free food fridge, or community fridge, located at at 219 James Street. It’s open 24/7, and is a way to get free resources to people in the Bridgeport community, at any level of need. These types of fridges have been popping up all over cities and towns, many of which were launched during the pandemic when food pantries were struggling to meet the needs of their recipients and donations were at a low point. Since opening, additional CT locations have been launched in New Haven (@fridgehaven) and Hartford (@fridgeford)..
Why is this different from a food pantry? Reggy states that while food pantries provide a useful resource, their assessment and allocation amounts will vary based on an equation of “need,” but sometimes that allocation simply isn’t enough to keep families fed. Fridgeport is a take what you need resource.
