Community fridge looks to help those in need in Kingston, Ont.

Parry and Penny’s Community Fridge in Kingston, Ont. is a place where the door is always open. 

The fridge door that is. 

Saeid Tahamtan says that’s because the fridge is for anyone in the city who needs a helping hand. 

"We just want to make sure that nobody in Kingston goes hungry," he explains.

Set up by Saeid and Merola Tahamtan, it’s a fully functioning fridge, freezer and pantry, set up outside the Tahampton’s Family News Stand convenience store on 506 Days Rd.

The concept is a "simple one," says Merola.

"Take what you need. Give what you can."

Residents can come by and take anything that is inside the refrigerator, freezer, or shelves, free of charge.

You can also leave food or money if you wish to donate, sharing food with someone who could use it.

The couple filled the fridge with fresh fruits and vegetables, while the shelves are stocked with things like pasta, cereals and canned goods. 

There are also menstrual products, and hygiene products for people to grab.

Saeid says they had heard of the concept in other cities and wanted to bring it to Kingston. 

"Simple fact that we want to be able to help as many people as we can because a lot of people these days are finding, they’re having difficulty. Losing a job, or a loss of income," he explains.

Merola is a teacher; she says she has seen first-hand what having good fresh food can do for kids and parents.

"We’re in an area of Kingston where there’s sort of a lot of schools around us, and if we can support those families that works as well," she explains. 

It’s named after Saeid and Merola’s mothers to honour them, they explain. 

"Parry is my mother, and Penny is Merola’s mother," Saeid says. "They have been amazing and (an) important part of our lives and showing us how to be caring to their neighbours, so in their honour we named the fridge after them."

Resident’s can also drop off food or money to donate. Saeid says to bring it into the Family News Stand store and give it to the employees, so it can be checked and stocked when there’s space.

Written on the fridge is a set of rules to help people understand what they can and cannot donate.

They say they can take fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, and pre-packaged products, like canned goods, peanut butter, jams and pasta and pasta sauces.

While they can’t take things like raw meat or seafood, milk, cheese or yogurt, home-made food and leftovers, rotting food, or expired products. 

They also say they don’t take clothing donations.

The Tahamtan’s say they worked closely with Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health, as well as the city of Kingston to set the stand up.

Amanda Mallory and her 14-year old son Ethan, dropping off boxes of food donations, say they wanted to contribute when they heard about the project because they loved the concept.

"There is no judgement. Anybody that needs it, you don’t have to meet a criteria, you just come here and you help yourself," says Amanda Mallory.

Restocking the shelves every day, the couple says for them it’s about keeping at least one person from going hungry.

"If (we) can do (a) small part… to achieve that goal, that’d be awesome," says Saeid.