RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) – When a group of Richmond City residents wanted to give back and help tackle food insecurity, they didn’t expect so many hurdles.
There wasn’t much in a big wooden box that stands outside of Craft Restaurant & Artistry, there wasn’t much Friday mornings. But owner Ashley Gallaher says that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“At the beginning of this week there were more things in it. We didn’t put it there, ”said Gallaher. “The community put it there and then community members came and took what they needed, and that’s how we want it to work.”
However, the pantry used to be a communal refrigerator before the people behind the project faced some hurdles. First, the refrigerator was stolen twice. Then Gallaher said the Madison County Health Department had concerns about the refrigerator model being intended for outdoor use. She says while there is a pushback there isn’t much clarity about what exactly the health department wants. She says she and others are trying to get answers.
“There really aren’t any laws specifically written for fridges for communal use to be outside, which means there are no real rules for or against,” Gallaher said. “So it’s getting to be such a gray area where it’s up to local officials to decide whether or not to allow this in their community, and I just think it’s a shame we couldn’t work with our health department to find a good solution. “
For now, the refrigerator was sold and a pantry takes its place. Gallaher says they will continue to work on bringing a communal refrigerator into town to help those in need and hopefully have a conversation about food insecurity in the area. Gallaher says anyone interested in helping with the pantry can email richmondcommunityfridge@gmail.com or contact them on Facebook.
The Madison County Health Department released a statement regarding its concerns about the project. Health Environmentalist III and Food Retail Specialist Woody Arvin say the community refrigerator would not be approved under current laws and regulations, including the inability to constantly monitor the unit to ensure there is no food tampering, conflicts with other authorities serving various foods how to regulate meat, and the position of the unit near garbage / waste bins, creating “an ideal environment for rodent, insect and bird infestation”. Arvin said this information is supported by the food safety division of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The health department is open to further discussions with project sponsors in order to move the project forward in a safe manner.