After months of planning by the nonprofit Millions of Butterflies, New Paltz has plugged in a free community refrigerator that folks can donate to or access food from.

Millions of Butterflies founder Mariabella Rivera-Todaro said it's already been a success.

“People are getting food and giving food every day that I come and I visit," Rivera-Todaro said.

The fridge shares space with New Paltz Village Hall, and the central location makes it easy for Rivera-Todaro to take care of the month-old fridge each day.

But she’s not the only one paying visits to drop off food and other supplies. She said New Paltz residents are the biggest reason why the fridge has remained stocked since its opening.

“The donations come from the community," Rivera-Todaro said. "People go in their kitchens, it's not just like what they have extra of, but some people will go make stuff and bring it in.”

There’s plenty of food in the fridge, including cans and prepared meals. But it's not just food that’s stocked there.

“They brought tampons, the toothpaste is new," Rivera-Todaro said. "I've been really trying to get people to bring all kinds of things that anyone could need.”

Rivera-Todaro said the fridge is like a child to her, and she’ll continue to look after it every day.

But it won’t stop there. Millions of Butterflies is hoping to expand by making and distributing meals to homebound folks so everyone can get the support they need.

“To be able to make sure that people who need help are helped and not just turned away," she said.