Mariabella Rivera-Todaro is working to make sure her town joins a growing trend by establishing a free community fridge.

“It’s really big in the South, really big in the city," said Rivera-Todaro, the founder of non-profit Millions of Butterflies. "And they’re spreading all across the country, especially as food insecurity also spreads all across the country.”

According to Feeding America, food insecurity was projected to increase from 2018 to 2020. The organization expects 16% of people in the U.S. were affected by food insecurity in 2020, an increase of 4% from two years earlier. And that number includes 17 million children. Rivera-Todaro has seen it first-hand.

“I know people. I have friends who I consider family in this community, who I know fall on hard times and … need food, we all need food. I need food sometimes," she said.

With the support of the New Paltz village board, the community’s first free fridge will soon be available to all at village hall. Rivera-Todaro said the fridge should be up in the next month or two. And this spot, right next to village hall, is a perfect place to make food accessible to those in need.

“You’ll be able to get the food, get whatever else we might have," Rivera-Todaro said. "I kind of want to put literature, some local art, some business cards, some things.”

Millions of Butterflies will oversee operation of the fridge, and ensure it is stocked and cleaned. But it is a community fridge, so she hopes locals and visitors alike will help out and donate homemade or store-purchased food for the fridge.

“Encourage people to take some initiative, you don’t have to necessarily contact anyone to donate," Rivera-Todaro said. "You can just show up with food and make sure it follows the list of rules that will be posted in multiple places.”

You can find more information on the Millions of Butterflies social media, on Instagram and Facebook.