With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic affecting many Wichita families this winter, due to the limitations of shelters and job offers, many in the community have come together to create a project to help families and individuals get food and other supplies they might need. 

The ICT Community Fridge Project, which is located at Dead Center Vintage, was organized by Tajahnae Stocker, a friend of the owner. In an interview with KAKE-TV, Stocker said that “This is something I wanted to adopt into Wichita because we do have a huge food insecurity issue.” 

According to the USDA’s latest Household Food Insecurity in the United States report, more than 35 million people in the United States struggled with hunger in 2019. 

“I want people to stop framing Wichita community members as less fortunate and start looking at each other as neighbors.” Stocker went on to say in her interview with KAKE, emphasizing the importance of helping each other especially during a pandemic. 

Shania Trann, who organizes the social media posts, believes that the people who make the project run are just normal Wichita residents. “This project is really what the community makes it to be,” Trann said. 

Both Stocker and Trann understand the importance of having a reliable source of food and see their project as a “little band aid over these issues … this fridge does provide a temporary relief,” Trann stated.

The fridge has two host locations: Dead Center Vintage located at, 626 E Douglas Ave and at CHD boxing club at 2505 E. 9th St N. At both locations the process of accessing the donations is the same, “it’s a no-questions-asked, literally anyone can go in and access the fridge,” Trann explains, “it’s kind of like if you wanna do it then do it.”  

Kenzie Borlend is the co-owner of Dead Center Vintage. She says she is “honored to be a part of it.” Borlend says that the location of her business makes it a good fit for the project. “It was a project very much needed in this area,” she said. 

“I am just looking for people to lend an extra hand to your neighbors especially during a pandemic,” Stocker told KAKA-TV. There are no requirements needed to donate, just go down to Dead Center Vintage during store hours, which are 1pm-6pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 12pm-7pm on weekends.