REGINA -- At any time, the Regina Community Fridge can see several people stopping by to take some much needed food.
"We work on the honour system, so people come here they take what they need and there's no judgment to be made. There's nobody monitoring or telling others what they need. They take what they need and leave what they can,” Amanda Schneider, a volunteer with the Regina Community Fridge said Saturday.
The fridge opened in December to help support those experiencing food insecurity, but lately, those who use the fridge are finding they're sometimes being judged.
“Just a few days ago, we were kind of treated pretty much like animals,” Chancie Holtskog, who uses the fridge said.
Some people believe those using the fridge are taking too much, or that if you drive a car you shouldn't be using it. According to volunteers that's simply not the case.
"Trauma responses with food insecurity often kick in and when there is food, people might take a lot. People may be taking a lot of food but they may be taking it if they have large families, have people in their community that they need to feed, elderly people, people with disabilities. We just don't actually know why people are taking a lot of food but it’s not our responsibility or up to us to judge or tell people what they can or cannot take," Schneider said.
Volunteers say they want the fridge to be a place anyone can utilize, and their hope is no one will feel stigmatized when they do.
“Ask yourself what does greedy mean when you actually don't know where your next meal is coming from?” Schneider said.
Those who utilize the fridge say they appreciate the generosity of those who donate each day.
"It just makes people happy knowing they can have a meal or some sort of food that day.” Holtskog said. “For people who have addictions this is their resource at night, it just makes them feel good in the morning or in the evening when they have something.”
The fridge is accessible 24-hours a day and is always looking for donations.
