Evanston Community Fridges opened its fifth location Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the alleyway near the Evanston Public Library off Church Street. The new installation includes a commercial fridge, freezer and food pantry.

It is the group's first fridge in downtown Evanston, first reported by Evanston Now. About two dozen volunteers gathered to stock it with food and goods before the doors opened.

The fridge is a partnership with the Woman's Club of Evanston, which hosted the ribbon-cutting at its building at 1702 Chicago Ave. Ald. Clare Kelly, who represents the 1st Ward covering much of downtown, helped cut the ribbon.

Woman's Club president Michelle Salazar told the crowd the effort "took an army."

Adrianne Edwards, an organizer with Evanston Community Fridges, called the downtown spot the group's "dream location." The organization has long wanted a presence in the commercial core because of the foot traffic and the density of nearby restaurants, which organizers hope will donate unused food.

Susan Bedard, a Woman's Club member and architect, designed the fridge and its shelter. Liz Weislogel, another club member, led the project's implementation. The partnership began after the Woman's Club awarded Evanston Community Fridges a grant, according to the Evanston Roundtable.

The group grew out of the activist movement Evanston Fight for Black Lives and opened its first fridge at the Childcare Network of Evanston in 2021, according to the Daily Northwestern. Edwards estimated the network feeds between 200 and 300 people each month across all locations. The fridges empty within hours of being filled, she said.

The organization follows what Edwards called a "non-surveillance" policy. There are no sign-ups and no tracking of who takes food.

ECF's four other fridges are at 1928 Darrow Ave., 1335 Dodge Ave., 620 Madison St. and 1601 Payne St. A sixth location at Grace Lutheran Church has been delayed, with no set timeline as of a Sept. 4 Evanston Roundtable report.

The Woman's Club, founded in 1889, has historically sponsored third-party charities. Deborah Chernoff, who serves on the club's marketing committee, said the direct sponsorship of the downtown pantry marks a shift toward more hands-on work. She called the downtown location "critical" because of the area's density.

Anyone can take food from the fridge at any time. Anyone can donate.