One of the most disastrous effects of the COVID crisis is food insecurity, which could affect up to 50 million Americans this year.
But for Daniel Zauderer (M.A. 鈥�17), a sixth-grade humanities teacher at the American Dream School (a Bronx-based charter founded by fellow TC alumna Melissa Melkonian to serve English language learners), one of the most indelible images is from before the pandemic began: the sight of a student鈥檚 grandmother rummaging in a trash bin for cans and bottles.
鈥淢y student told me her grandmother had to do this every day to get enough money to provide the family with food,鈥� recalls Zauderer.
This past September, after watching food insecurity reach crisis levels in American Dream鈥檚 Mott Haven neighborhood and other areas of the city, Zauderer and fellow teacher Charlotte Alvarez launched the , a food distribution center which operates outside a 141st Street bodega.
The response has been overwhelming.
People come out in droves when a food drop happens because there is so much need.
鈥� Daniel Zauderer (M.A. '17)
鈥淧eople come out in droves when a food drop happens because there is so much need,鈥� Zauderer says, adding that the center 鈥� which is, literally, a refrigerator surrounded by boxes of produce 鈥� typically distributes 600 or more pounds of free fruit, vegetables, dairy, bread, meat, poultry and other essentials on any given day.
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE People have 鈥渢urned out in droves鈥� to use the Mott Haven Fridge, underscoring depth of food insecurity in the neighborhood. (Photo: Mott Haven Community Fridge on Facebook)
The Mott Haven Fridge is one of nearly 70 fridges that have popped up this year in neighborhoods across all five New York City boroughs.
The projects, though independent, operate in partnerships with neighborhood and citywide non-profits.
The Mott Haven Fridge receives support from the Bronx Community Foundation and donations through a page. Youth artists have also contributed their talents by transforming the Mott Haven Fridge's fridge from an appliance into what Zauderer calls 鈥渁 piece of public art that has become part of the fabric of the community in a way that supersedes basic needs.鈥�
Zauderer says the project has also become a model of a community engagement in which neighbors go the extra mile to take care of one another.
MODELING ENGAGEMENT Mott Haven residents have responded to the Fridge project by 鈥済oing the extra mile for one another,鈥� Zauderer says. (Photo: Mott Haven Community Fridge on Facebook)
鈥淥ne of our best people is a woman who is battling cancer and has an autistic child, yet shows up every single week to do a full-on cleaning of the fridge just to pay it forward,鈥� he says. 鈥淪he uses food from fridge and, in return, makes sure the fridge is clean and the deliveries run smoothly.鈥�
In general, he adds, 鈥渢he families that struggle are the families that help out. Everyone is on an equal playing field. There is no hierarchy 鈥� everyone gives what they can and takes what they need.鈥�
The families that struggle are the families that help out. Everyone is on an equal playing field. There is no hierarchy 鈥� everyone gives what they can and takes what they need.
鈥� Daniel Zauderer (M.A. '17)
Zauderer says that his decision to launch the Mott Haven Fridge grew directly out of his experience in TC鈥檚 program in Applied Linguistics & TESOL (the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages).
鈥淚 chose the program because it had an excellent academic reputation, but it also stressed the importance of a holistic, educational response to the communities we serve,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he philosophy is that teachers need to step outside the traditional role by becoming stewards in our communities. Or to put it more simply, 鈥榳e need to reach them to teach them鈥� 鈥� and it鈥檚 hard to reach your kids if they鈥檙e hungry.鈥�
In fact, Zauderer鈥檚 former professors and mentors have backed those words with financial support for the Fridge 鈥� as has the , which Zauderer sang in as a student, and to which he still belongs.
鈥淲e support one another鈥檚 projects that affect the broader, global community,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the way an ideal society should be 鈥� caring about one another鈥檚 causes as much as we care about our own.鈥�
To date, Zauderer and Alvarez have raised just over $30,000 through and other sources 鈥� a gratifying response, but far short of what鈥檚 needed for warehousing capacity and other measures that would enable the Fridge to expand its reach.
鈥淲e desperately need support to sustain and grow this network to keep reaching families and feeding families,鈥� Zauderer says. 鈥淭he work of a community fridge is only as sustainable as the support the community gives it.鈥�
鈥� Steve Giegerich
TC community members interested in learning more about how they can become involved in fighting food insecurity should contact the Mott Haven Community Fridge or