Nonprofit & Community
How to add a community fridge to the map
A fridge listing only helps if someone can find it, trust the details and reach it at the right time. This guide walks through adding one entry clearly, using a worked example.
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Step one: confirm the location details
Start with facts a visitor can act on. Record the exact address or a nearby landmark, the access times, and whether the fridge is indoors, outdoors or behind a gate. Example: a fridge beside a neighborhood bookshop, reachable from the sidewalk, open daily from morning until early evening. Add the host name or group that looks after it, if they agree to be listed. Place the pin on the door side, not the building center, so people arriving on foot are not left guessing which entrance to use.
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Step two: describe what can be left and taken
Visitors and donors need different guidance. For donors, list accepted items such as sealed produce, packaged food and labeled prepared meals, plus anything the hosts ask people not to leave. For takers, say whether anyone may take freely and whether there is a limit. In the bookshop example, a short note might say fresh fruit and sealed goods are welcome, while open containers are not. Keep the language kind and plain. Link to the host's own food safety guidance instead of paraphrasing rules you cannot verify, and flag that the host sets the final policy.
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Step three: set a review and update routine
A listing grows stale quickly, so decide who checks it and how often. Name a contact method for the host, add a last-confirmed date, and give visitors a way to report that the fridge is closed, moved or full. In the example, the bookshop volunteer could confirm details each month and mark seasonal changes in advance. If a report arrives, a reviewer verifies it before editing the pin. Archive entries that cannot be confirmed instead of deleting them, so an organizer can restore the location if the fridge returns.