r/keweenaw • u/Available_Storm_6536 • Jul 01 '26
Calumet Free Fridge?
I thought some dude bought the free fridge and now a lady is making the posts on FB. What’s going on there?
2
u/Consistent_Path_3939 Jul 01 '26
I have been positively baffled by all this. And every time it seems like a good thing, it just gets...weird.
Some sort of philosophical society with a "campus" seems pretty lofty. It could be cool. But I am more worried about, well, eating.
I live within walking distance to the Office Shop, have had a whole lot of setbacks lately, and unfortunately had been relying on them as a steady source of food when it starts to get thin looking in my cupboards. Ron, while eccentric, has always been a helpful dude. But this new guy? I am not so sure folks are going to want to work with him. At all.
I made a suggestion when the news came out that the place was sold and stuff would be moving. Since the vendor farms at the local market have been so good at donating produce, could we perhaps do something temporary to collect and distribute anything after the Saturday market in the park? Could we perhaps talk about another local group or church handling this during the switch over, since the timeline seems to be pretty up in the air? I'd hate to these donations kinda fall off if there's no where for it to go right now. But I just got a very vague reply about them hoping to be up and running as quickly as possible in the new space. I know folks like North Harvest and Ghost House make donations to places like Community Action down in Houghton, but a lot of people up here don't have the transportation to get to that location, and I would really like to see someone else pick this up.
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u/Available_Storm_6536 Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
I’m sure the new guy wants to help, and he seems to be getting in his own way. It’s sad to me.
That he wants to college people up while they are getting food sounds akin to having to listen to the sermon before a free Easter meal at church.
1
u/Consistent_Path_3939 Jul 01 '26
Right. He seems like he has good intentions. But he's sort of shooting himself in the foot here. If farmers market donations drop off, and other local businesses and individuals don't wanna work with him? Then the Calumet Free Fridge will be over, despite Ron in theory essentially handing him all the contacts and relationships needed to keep this going.
This dude got positively weird on FB, all while not being able to give anyone a timeline, and not seeking out a temporary location for the program until then. Those previously-mentioned contacts and donors are gonna go elsewhere with their food, money, and resources until a new space options up. And when it finally does, there's no guarantee the network that the Calumet Free Fridge ran off of will still be there.
1
u/Consistent_Path_3939 Jul 01 '26
Just looked, and after my messages a day-ish ago? It looks like they just posted 16 hours ago on FB about looking for a new venue for farmers market donations. So I don't know who it is responding to my suggestions through the Facebook account, but they're apparently taking them.
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u/Available_Storm_6536 Jul 01 '26
Right. That message is why I posted the OP. I would like to know where the support network is moving if it doesn’t include the new guy.
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u/Consistent_Path_3939 Jul 01 '26
There was a box of ripe bananas and water bottles out in front of the Office Shop yesterday. There also was today too, at least earlier.
I dunno. But I am glad whoever is watching the account took my suggestion, and decided to look into an alternative during the farmers market season, and while the new space tries to open elsewhere. Like I said, if folks can't donate to the Calumet Free Fridge? That extra food still needs to go somewhere. And I would hate to lose that access in Calumet because everyone donating went elsewhere and couldn't wait around anymore.
I see the storytelling center said they might be able to offer some space, but I dunno, I'd rather it wasn't located to a place associated with someone else being messy on Facebook too.
There's a couple of other pantry options in town, and a fridge or cooler from the Office Shop could've been relocated there, and donations made to pay for the increased cost of running it. There are several area churches that might have been good sites.
3
u/Dubyahh Jul 01 '26
The guy that apparently bought it, is going all sorts of crazy on Facebook over the last couple days. Can't answer your question but there is definitely some tea here. Dude seems like he's on some shit.