KIC SHARING FRIDGES

KIC Sharing Fridges & Freezers

Fighting Food Insecurity, One Fridge at a Time

The Kansas Impact Coalition (KIC) launched the Sharing Fridge & Freezer Program to provide 24/7 access to free, nutritious food for anyone in need across Salina. Founded and organized by Miranda Bachman and Zi Jensen, the project channels community compassion into action, ensuring that no family, individual, or neighbor goes hungry.

These fridges operate on a simple but powerful principle:

“Take what you need, leave what you can.”

There are no forms, no requirements, and no barriers. Just neighbors helping neighbors.

What the Sharing Fridges Do

Each Sharing Fridge and Freezer is stocked daily with a mix of:

  • Fresh produce and dairy items

  • Frozen proteins and ready-to-eat meals

  • Pantry staples and snacks

  • Water, juice, and beverages

Food is supplied by generous community members, local businesses, and partner organizations, including restaurants, grocers, and faith-based groups. The program also helps combat food waste by redistributing surplus food directly back into the community instead of landfills.

Volunteers and site hosts check and clean the fridges regularly to maintain safety and freshness.

Where to Find the Fridges

There are currently four Sharing Fridge & Freezer locations operating in Salina:

  1. Aubrey Jayne American Family Insurance

    1013 Albert Ave, Salina, KS

  2. Bravo’s Sliders & Bites (First Fridge Site Open 24/7)

     1400 E Iron Ave, Salina, KS

  3. Seventh-Day Adventist Church

    834 N 11th St, Salina, KS

  4. St. John’s Missionary Church

    215 S Chicago St, Salina, KS

Each location provides barrier-free access to fresh and frozen foods, ensuring that help is always within reach, whether you’re catching a bus, walking home, or helping feed your family.

Why It Matters

Salina has long struggled with food insecurity and limited grocery access in certain neighborhoods. Many residents live in food deserts, where transportation barriers make it difficult to reach affordable, healthy options.

As President Miranda Bachman told local media,

“Salina has already been a food desert for far too long.”

Through the Sharing Fridges program, KIC is changing that, building equity, trust, and shared responsibility in the community.

How You Can Help

You can be part of the solution by:

  • Donating fresh or non-expired food

  • Becoming a fridge sponsor or host site

  • Volunteering to help clean, stock, or transport food

  • Spreading awareness about food insecurity in Salina

Together, We’re Building a Stronger, More Nourished Salina

What began as a grassroots idea between two community advocates Zi Jensen and Miranda Bachman has grown into a life-changing network of resources. Supported by the Kansas Impact Coalition and the compassion of everyday Salinans, the Sharing Fridge program is proof that collective action can feed hope one meal, one fridge, one neighbor at a time.


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“Many people criticize SNAP recipients for buying less “healthy” food, but eating healthy is often a luxury many cannot afford.

Recently at Dillon’s, Annie’s macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper, and Rice-A-Roni were 99 cents. Progresso soup was $1.49, cornbread mix was 69 cents, and a frozen pizza was under $4. Meanwhile, apples were about $5 a bag or $1.50 to $2.50 per pound, and basic cuts of meat ranged from $4 to $8 per pound.

When I volunteered at the food bank, most of the food was highly processed, not by choice but because that is what donations and budgets allow.

When people are hungry, they need calories and buy what they can afford. The result is nutritional starvation, meaning enough calories to survive but not enough nutrients to stay healthy, leading to long-term health problems that strain our healthcare system.

Being able to make a healthy meal is a privilege many families simply cannot afford.

Regardless of opinions about the shutdown, let’s not let children be the collateral damage. Please continue donating to the Blessings Boxes, food banks, and Sharing Fridge and Freezers. Every bit helps.”

-REBECCA B

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