The Troy Scott Community Fridges are a neighbours helping neighbours initiative to increase access to nutritious food for all Innisfil residents. Everyone is welcome to take food from the fridges and pantries at any time, in any quantity, as often as they need. The community fridges rely on donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. Every little bit helps!
Locations
There are three outdoor Troy Scott Community Fridges across Innisfil, accessible 24/7.
Donation guidelines
If you'd like to donate food but are unable to visit a fridge, you can donate online and we'll purchase groceries on your behalf.
If you’re able to donate food, please do! Every small donation has a big impact. Please follow these guidelines when donating to the community fridges.
Acceptable
- Fresh, washed produce
- Dry goods
- Prepackaged breads and pastries
- Meals prepared in public health inspected kitchens, labelled with ingredient list, location prepared, and date prepared or best-before date
- Frozen foods
- New personal care items for the pantry
All items must have visible best-before dates and ingredient lists and be unopened and unused. Donors who are interested in donating pasteurized dairy, dairy products, or Grade A eggs must email communityfridge@innisfil.ca.
Unacceptable
- Meat or seafood, even frozen
- Cracked eggs or eggs that are below Grade A, domestic, or ungraded
- Homemade food
- Expired food
- Dented cans
- Moldy produce
- Opened prepackaged goods
- Alcohol
If you wouldn’t eat it, feed it to your compost—not your neighbours!
Community supporters
If you're looking to support the fridges, it can be as simple as spreading the word with friends and family, sharing a post on social media using the hashtag #FeedInnisfil, or joining a Neighbours Helping Neighbours program to cook meals for the community fridges in the Horodynsky Community Kitchen at the Rizzardo Health and Wellness Centre.
We’re so grateful for our community fridge donors and supporters, including Alcona Home Hardware, Big Cedar Gold Men's League, Church Street Bar and Grill, the Cookstown Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Cove Café, Friday Harbour Fine Foods, Innisfil ideaLAB & Library, the Innisfil Pop-up Market, the Innisfil Rotary Club, Nantyr Shores Secondary School, RioCan (Tanger Outlets Cookstown), Stroud Foodland, the Scott Family, and the many fridge champions that help us maintain the fridges.
Fill the Fridges donation drive guide
Hosting a food or fundraising drive increases awareness and sustainability of the Troy Scott Community Fridges, community food security, and how collaborative efforts can affect great change for our community. The Fill the Fridges donation drive guide can help you plan and promote a successful donation drive. The guide also includes downloadable assets to share.
Download the Fill the Fridges Donation Drive Guide
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The story behind the community fridges |
| Learn more about the history of the Troy Scott Community Fridge project. |
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Innisfil Community Fridge project launches |
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In June 2021, we launched the Innisfil Community Fridge pilot program to help address rising community food insecurity. A fridge was opened outside of the Innisfil Recreational Centre to remove barriers to accessing nutritious foods and reduce stigma associated with food insecurity. |
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Project was renamed in memory of Troy Scott |
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In October 2021, the community fridge project was renamed in loving memory of resident, business owner, and community builder Troy Scott, who tragically lost his life in June 2021. Troy was a beacon of the community, known for his generosity and community support. The Troy Scott Community Fridges (TSCF) aim to carry on Troy’s legacy of generosity and kindness, which reached every corner of Innisfil. |
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Two new community fridge locations opened |
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In 2022, two more community fridges and pantries were opened at the Lakeshore and Cookstown branches of the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library. These additional locations further increase resident's access to nutritious foods. |
Frequently asked questions
Browse our list of frequently asked questions about the Troy Scott Community Fridges for more information. If you don't see your question answered, please contact us at communityfridge@innisfil.ca.
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What is a community fridge? |
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A community fridge is a public repository of fresh, donated foods that anyone can take from for free. Community fridges are designed to facilitate access to nutritious foods and reduce food waste. |
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What is food insecurity and how is it impacting our community? |
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Food insecurity happens when people/households do not have enough money to buy food. In February 2023, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported that 1 in 8 Simcoe Muskoka households are food insecure. Learn more about reducing household food insecurity from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and how you can take action. |
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How are the community fridges kept safe and clean? |
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The food and other donation items, temperature, and cleanliness of the Troy Scott Community Fridges are regularly monitored. They are cleaned regularly, and expired and unacceptable donations are removed. To further support food safety, donation guidelines must be followed. If you have questions or concerns, please email communityfridge@innisfil.ca. Locations may be monitored by staff or video surveillance. |
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What should I do if I see something that shouldn’t be in the Troy Scott Community Fridges? |
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Please email communityfridge@innisfil.ca to notify us. If you can, include a photo. |
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Can I donate produce from my garden? |
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Yes. Please wash all homegrown produce before donating to the Troy Scott Community Fridges. This helps the fridges stay clean and tidy. |
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Can I make meals in my kitchen to donate them to the Troy Scott Community Fridges? |
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No. Only meals prepared in health unit inspected and approved kitchens (or grocery stores) can be donated to the Troy Scott Community Fridges. This ensures proper food handling was followed and reduces the risk of food borne illness. These meals must be labelled with ingredients, name of the kitchen it was prepared in, and date prepared. |
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How can I make a financial donation? |
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You can make a one-time or recurring financial donation to the Troy Scott Community Fridges:
The Town of Innisfil can issue official donation receipts to individuals or organizations that made the donation. We cannot issue an official donation receipt in the name of anyone but the true donor. This means, if you’re collecting cash from individuals to donate to the Troy Scott Community Fridges, the Town can only issue official donation receipts to the individuals who made the donations. To do this, individuals and organizations should ask donors if they want a donation receipt, and if so, collect their name, address, and donation amount and submit this to the Town with the financial donation. |
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How are financial donations used? |
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Financial donations are used to purchase food and other items for the Troy Scott Community Fridges when they’re low and to purchase materials for the Town’s Health & Wellness programs that prepare meals for the Troy Scott Community Fridges. |