Evanston's free-food fridge network is adding two church locations, with one opening in July and a second still in planning, as organizers say demand is outpacing supply.

Evanston Community Fridges, a mutual-aid network founded in 2021, will open a new unit at Grace Lutheran Church, 1430 South Blvd., on Sunday, July 12. A second fridge at St. Andrew's Pentecost Episcopal Church, 1928 Darrow Ave., near the Fifth Ward, is planned but has no confirmed date yet.

The expansion comes as committee member Anna Grant-Bolton says fridge use has risen sharply. Grant-Bolton told the Evanston Roundtable she attributes the spike partly to federal changes to SNAP eligibility under the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which raised work requirements.

The three existing fridges — the Soul Fridge on Payne Street, the Sunrise Fridge on Madison Street, and the CNE Fridge on Dodge Avenue — are accessible around the clock. The organization lost its Freedom Fridge on Howard Street in October 2025, prompting outreach to local congregations for replacement sites.

"Grace Lutheran is a natural fit because of their pre-existing food pantry, as well as their commitment to justice and service," Grant-Bolton told the Roundtable.

Meanwhile, volunteers who stock the fridges with rescued dining-hall food from Northwestern say supplies have dropped. Carol Muskin, a Northwestern alumna who has delivered food from the university's Campus Kitchen program almost every Friday for about four years, told the Daily Northwestern that donations from the student group have declined over the past year. Lori Cui, a Northwestern sophomore and Campus Kitchen volunteer, said she noticed fewer shift openings during Spring Quarter 2026 and was told dining halls were providing less surplus food.

No official explanation from Northwestern or Campus Kitchen leadership is on record.

Allison Farnum, an Evanston resident who has donated to the fridges since 2021, told the Roundtable that a fridge is always empty when she does her drop-offs. "There's no power structure to deal with," Farnum said. "You just go and get what you need."

The organization has about 150 volunteers, according to the Roundtable, and offers a reimbursement program for home chefs who spend their own money cooking for the fridges. Residents can donate food, volunteer for meal prep or grocery runs, or contribute financially. Details are at evanstoncommunityfridges.com.

The Grace Lutheran fridge opens July 12.