By: Grace Brown

In the summer of 2022, a small but powerful idea came to life along the York Road corridor—a bright yellow wooden structure with a simple mission: take what you need, leave what you can. The Govans Community Fridge, created by the York Road Initiative (YRI) at Loyola University Maryland’s Center for Community, Service, and Justice (CCSJ), was built to improve access to fresh food and reduce food waste. Inspired by community fridges in areas like Denver, Houston, and Baltimore, the fridge sat inside a wooden enclosure, stocked with dry goods and perishable items—always open, always free.

But like many community projects, the fridge’s story is not linear.

By fall 2024, the team that originally launched the fridge had moved on. A new generation of CCSJ and YRI staff inherited the vibrant, well-used resource in need of attention, yellow paint peeling. The structure had weathered more than a few storms, but commitment of the community remained rock solid.

Even during periods of mild neglect, the fridge rarely sat empty. Farmers market vendors dropped off unsold produce. Gardeners from neighborhood plots made regular donations. Residents stocked canned goods and dry items; Govans Presbyterian Church’s Soul Kitchen delivered warm, home-cooked meals. The fridge had become part of people’s routines—and for many, part of their survival.

For the new YRI team, the task wasn’t just about repair. It was about understanding the deeper value of what they had inherited. Who built it? Who used it? What did it need now?

One clue came from an engineering student working as a CCSJ student intern. They recalled that the original structure had been a student project. That sparked an idea and a collaboration.

An AmeriCorps VISTA at YRI connected with Loyola’s American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) student chapter. Together, they imagined what a redesigned enclosure could look like: more durable, more functional, and more welcoming. Throughout the fall semester, student engineers met with CCSJ staff to explore options, learn new modeling software, and fine-tune every detail. In just two months, they produced a polished design and a detailed list of materials.

Then came the building.

Loyola’s Facilities Department offered guidance and support—reviewing plans, offering recommendations, and eventually pouring the concrete slab for the new structure. The frame rose quickly from there. While the enclosure took shape, Loyola’s Marketing and Communications team got to work on something just as important: branding. They created a bold new logo, clear signage with donation guidelines and food safety tips, and eye-catching banners that now hang proudly along York Road.

All the while, the fridge kept humming.

Every week, staff sorted produce and hygiene items, cleaned the shelves, and logged donations. People came and went—neighbors, students, volunteers—and shared stories about the fridge. That feedback shaped every phase of the renovation, ensuring that the final structure wasn’t just a facelift, but a reflection of what the community wanted.

By May 2025, the transformation was complete.

The Govans Community Fridge now stands as a beacon of mutual aid and community resilience. It features weatherproof wood, expanded shelving with cabinet doors, a vibrant vinyl wrap, new branding, a barcode system for feedback, and a log to track donations. Everything—from design to delivery—was the result of many hands, perspectives, and conversations.

It’s easy to call it a “community fridge.” But more than that, it’s a community effort—rebuilt and reimagined by the very people it serves. 

This effort and collaboration shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.