Third community ‘Freedge’ opens in rural Whatcom County, expanding access to free food

A new "Freedge" is now open and operational in Whatcom County to help make free, nutritious food more accessible to community members.

The "Freedge," located on the west side of the North Fork Library in Kendall, is a community refrigerator stocked with surplus food from local businesses and farms. The location also features a dry pantry supplied with shelf-stable items.

The Kendall Freedge is the third location established by local nonprofit Sustainable Connections, which operates the program as an initiative to combat food insecurity and reduce local food waste.

"We have a lot of families struggling to put food on their plates. At the same time, the United States wastes on average 30 percent of the food it produces. So we're trying to bridge that gap by diverting material that would otherwise go to the landfill to people instead," Sustainable Connections' Toward Zero Waste program assistant manager Brandi Hutton said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald.

A look at the numbers Local data shows the need for increased food security and accessibility efforts in Whatcom County.

9,000 households visit Whatcom County food banks each week — a 127% increase since 2021 and more than double the average increase in statewide food bank visits. Nearly 35% of food bank clients are children, and 20% are seniors.

25% of Whatcom County households are eligible for SNAP benefits or food stamps.

Almost 40% of some Census tracts in rural Whatcom County are eligible for SNAP.

25% of all youth attending K-12 schools in Whatcom County are eligible for free meals.

More than 50% of students in the Mt. Baker School District are eligible for free meals. More than 70 percent of students at Kendall Elementary qualify for free or reduced lunch.

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Local Freedge success The other two established Freedges in the region have been incredibly successful, Hutton told The Herald.

"By establishing a Freedge, we've established a public distribution point and it gives us the ability to push out a lot more free food faster," Hutton said.

One of the community fridges is located near the RE Store in Bellingham, and another is at the Upper Skagit Library in Concrete.

Hutton said anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 pounds of food each year moves through the Bellingham location alone.

"We put food in there and an hour later, it's gone," Hutton said. "The reality is we need more donors. We always need more donors because we struggle to keep it full."

Hutton said the new location at the North Fork Library was chosen for its accessibility and community presence. She said she is hopeful it will serve a great need in rural Whatcom County.

"I hope the community really rallies behind this and sees it as their own. I hope they take care and donate and utilize it. It is what they make of it," Hutton said.

The Kendall Freedge is open during the library's operating hours. Donations are accepted from businesses and residents with pantry items or home gardens. Library staff will oversee the Freedge, which is expected to be restocked multiple times a week by Sustainable Connections volunteers.

Hutton says Sustainable Connections hopes to work with their community partners to be able to open a fourth Freedge by the beginning of 2026.