This street-side refrigerator is helping feed New Bedford's homeless community

NEW BEDFORD — Dartmouth resident Brooke Araujo and Dartmouth native Lindell Baptista joined forces after meeting three years ago with a common goal in mind: helping those in need, one charitable act at a time. 

“We’ve always had a passion working against social injustices, not just in the community but in the country,” Baptista said. 

A year ago, Araujo and Baptista launched “Take Back NB,” a community organization to help aid homeless and low-income people and families. Growing up in New Bedford and surrounding communities, both women said they have seen the impacts of income inequality. 

So much so that Araujo said that when deciding where to start, she acknowledged the large homeless community seen every day in the downtown area. 

“It pushed it right to the forefront,” she said. 

This kickstarted their research. According to the New Bedford Homeless Service Providers Network, there are 372 adults and children in New Bedford living in shelters or on the streets in 2021, a slight decrease from 2020’s statistic of 398 people. 

“Brooke and I have seen it: there’s architecture created to deter them,” Baptista said in reference to the cobblestone blocks that were reconfigured in the median. “People don’t believe it exists in their area.” 

First step: care packages for homeless 

Araujo and Baptista first addressed the issue by creating care packages after researching what might be best for men and women. For women, they included menstrual products since that isn’t something accessible to all who need it. They used their own money to create roughly 20 packages at a time, including socks, underwear, water, juices and granola bars and handed them out to those on the street while driving through the city. Each package cost between $10 and $15. 

After posting online about their project, the women received contributions from community members through the Cash App. Soon, the the people of the city opened their wallets to Take Back NB. 

“Seeing people on the same wavelength, it’s something bigger than us,” Araujo said. 

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Last winter, the pair created a “Community Coatrack” downtown filled with donations of winter outerwear and a box of mittens, scarves and other accessories. Unfortunately, the coatrack and box were stolen the next day, but the owner of Beauty Union on Barker's Lane offered to post the rack next to the store. 

“With these community projects, we just assume that if someone’s taking it, it’s because they need it,” Araujo said. “It’s utilized by those in the city who need it, and we can’t let this incident keep us from giving back.” 

The coatrack will return as temperatures begin to drop. 

Free food in the refrigerator 

Take Back NB’s most recent project has been the community fridge and pantry located behind the Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction building on Coggeshall Street in the North End. Adorned with artwork by local artist Jessica Alexandrite, the refrigerator/freezer combo holds water, sports drinks and juices while the pantry holds fruit, bread and non perishables. The freezer can hold frozen meals or vegetables. Take Back NB recommended pre-packaged goods rather than homemade snacks and meals for safety concerns. The public will have 24/7 access to the fridge. 

Originally, the women wanted to partner with another organization, but when that plan fell through, Carl Alves from PAACA stepped in to help. Currently, this is the only community fridge available, and the duo will wait and see about expanding. 

The largest issue is partnering with local businesses and farmers for fresh produce for the fridge. Because most of the fridge is donation-based, they are searching for a consistent donor to keep the fridge stocked. 

“We are looking to partner with any local willing to donate on a regular basis,” Baptista said. 

“We’re pushing to meet with farmers, even people with their own gardens,” Araujo said. 

Take Back NB future projects 

Take Back NB received a grant just shy of $200 from United Way of Greater New Bedford to offer free haircuts for homeless and low-income people on Oct. 3. More information on the event and additional grants will be announced over the next week. Depending on its success, Araujo said it could be a recurring event. In November, the duo will hold a food drive for the holiday season. For now, they’re just taking it one day at a time. 

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With their organization just being the two of them, Araujo and Baptista are working hard to brainstorm more ideas. They said there is a possibility of inviting local high school students to volunteer at events. 

“It’s super eye-opening to see it on a first-hand basis,” Baptista said. “We can join together as a city and work toward this.” 

To donate money for supplies, the women request donations via Cash App to their handle $TakeBackNB. 

Standard-Times staff writer Kerri Tallman can be reached at ktallman@s-t.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kerri_tallman for links to recent articles.

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