Feeding the Neighborhood: Leaders for Life serves the South Ward with new community fridge

Leaders For Life (L4L) is expanding its outreach in the South Ward with a new community fridge, located at 84 Clinton Place in the South Ward. The 8-foot-by-3-foot refrigerator is regularly stocked with milk, juice, lunch meat, bread, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables and other grocery staples - free to the community at large.

Altarik White, Founder and Executive Director, said L4L provided free hot breakfasts to more than 6,000 families from March to June. During White’s time as an assistant coach and administrator at Malcolm X Shabazz High School, 90 percent of the student population qualified for free or reduced lunch. And today, 100 percent of students in LFL’s after-school program, its alternative high school, and its middle school transition program qualify for free or reduced lunch. 

“The need is there,” he said. “We have a very high poverty rate in this ward.”

Last summer, community partners like Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) and the Victoria Foundation helped provide additional funds for L4L to continue providing meals to the community. So when a resident approached White with the idea to create a community fridge that could feed the whole neighborhood, “I just took it from there,” he said. 

“I’m the type of person where you can’t tell me a good idea and not expect me to run with it.”

White spent a few months gathering funds and building partnerships to stock the fridge. And on August 11 - a few days after his 50th birthday - he gifted residents with the community fridge as a resource anyone can enjoy. No fees or sign-ups required, he said. All residents are invited to take what they need, and give back so future families can enjoy. 

“Everybody can help out. Everybody can support and everybody has. A $20 donation goes a long way, and it goes a long way with me in providing services to the people in our community,” he said. 

So far, Newark Beverage Inc., Mayor Ras. J Baraka, and Newark City Hall have all contributed along with donations from community members, allowing L4L to feed more than 575 residents within the first six weeks. Many residents in the South Ward have contributed to the community fridge with either food drop-offs or $5, $10 or $20 donations. “Every little bit helps,” White said.

In the first weeks of the fridge, White said young people can feel uncomfortable or insecure about getting food or asking for help, but he hopes to build more relationships in the community to break through that barrier. 

“I had it like that as a kid. I was homeless at one point and I still didn’t want to take from anyone and Lord knows I needed it,” White said. “At the end of the day, we have to do a better job in supporting families. We have to do a better job in removing those insecurities. We have to do a better job of letting families know we are all in this together.”

Leaders For Life is a member of the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative, a collective approach to creating a school-to-workforce pipeline. And as the backbone of the Collaborative, NOYN works to support its partner programs with data, strategy and fundraising.

“Like Altarik, there was a point in time that I was homeless and didn’t know where my next meal would come from,” added Robert Clark, Chief Executive Officer for NOYN. “By recognizing that wraparound services, like the community fridge, are necessary to serve young people holistically, Altarik is continuing to establish Leaders for Life as the go-to spot for education, job training, and support services in the South Ward.”

Residents can access the community fridge from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but he hopes to have it available 24 hours a day, in the future. L4L is not currently accepting dry goods or pantry items due to lack of storage, but those interested in donating can call LFL at 973-855-4950 to schedule a drop-off time, or visit leaders4lifenj.org/donation to make a one-time or monthly donation.

“If we can service 575 families in six weeks, what happens when we leave it out overnight?” he said. “That’s more and more families who’ll be able to enjoy the goods. We’re not there yet, but we’re going to get there.”

Correction: Altarik White was an assistant coach and administrator at Malcolm X Shabazz High School and head coach at Weequahic High School.