As the recent U.S. government shutdown disrupts vital food assistance programs and November as National Homelessness Awareness Month, Love Beyond Walls announced the launch of Project Open Fridge, a campaign to provide direct, stigma-free access to fresh food for families and children impacted by hunger. In honor of the 42 million Americans facing loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Love Beyond Walls founder Dr. Terence Lester will sit atop a refrigerator for 42 hours throughout the week at the Love Beyond Walls national headquarters in College Park, Ga. Dr. Lester encourages those who are able to donate nonperishable food items such as pasta, rice, pasta sauce, canned goods, cereal, ramen, granola bars at the Love Beyond Walls office.
To observe National Homeless Awareness Month (November), Dr. Lester is calling for food donations, donations to Zion’s Closet, the purchase items from the Amazon wish list for Love T. Nolan Elementary in Fulton County School District and to share his mission on social media.
For many Americans, the shutdown has exposed the silent crisis of food insecurity impacting 1 in 5 children in the U.S. The burden is overwhelming school districts, educators and principals who witness students coming to school for their only meal of the day.
The campaign builds on Love Beyond Walls’ mission to amplify the voices of people experiencing poverty and homelessness through practical love and community action. Love Beyond Walls initiatives like Project Open Fridge, Love Feed and Zion’s Closet restore dignity, hope and while empowering communities with accessible and healthy groceries for students and their families.
Project Open Fridge operates under a “take what you need, give what you can” model, ensuring the refrigerator pop-up is stocked with fresh produce, meals, and pantry staples in neighborhoods most affected.
https://www.instagram.com/imterencelester/
“We’re seeing the increase firsthand through our Love Feeds program,” says Dr. Lester. “The need is growing by the week. We’re getting more calls even from working families. Principals in our partner schools are telling us that resources are drying up food-wise. Dr. Spencer from our first Zion’s closet just told me they have run out of food. She and other principals say students are coming to school hungry. Zion’s Closet is our direct response to this crisis, and this campaign helps draw attention to what’s really happening in schools that are trying to do more with less.”
Every hour Dr. Lester spends on top of the refrigerator, doing his typical work as founder of Love Beyond Walls, is tied to students who are missing school because they don’t have food, clean clothes, access to hygiene, or stable housing. It’s not just symbolic, it’s a spotlight on crisis.
“I’m giving up the comfort of a traditional office space to welcome discomfort because the truth is, this is what many students live with every single day,” says Dr. Lester. “Instead of sitting behind a desk, I’ll be spending my workday on top of a refrigerator to bring attention to how many students live without the basic food security that so many take for granted. The goal is to create space to talk honestly about poverty, hunger, education, and how systems continue to fail our most vulnerable students.”
RLC welcomes and encourages individuals who engage in critical thinking at the intersection of faith and justice to contribute to our blog. The views and opinions expressed by our blog authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of RLC, its staff, members, or officers.
