Senator West teams up with Whirlpool Corp. to provide refrigerators to Dallas community organizations addressing food inequality

State Senator Royce West and the Whirlpool Corp. are collaborating to bring “Feel Good Fridges” to Dallas, in partnership with local community organizations. Through donations of refurbished “community fridges” by Whirlpool Corp., the organizations chosen to receive the donated refrigerators will be able to continue their food pantry, nutrition education and food giveaway programs.

The collaboration has been joined by the North Texas Food Bank, who has agreed to help stock the refrigerators with additional nutritious food items, adding to the healthy meal options now provided by the local organizations.

The program launched in Southwest Michigan in 2021 with Whirlpool Corp. placing fridges in areas near its Benton Harbor (MI) headquarters. Next was Atlanta, and now Dallas. Future community fridges will be placed in other major urban centers in the U.S., including Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

“The pandemic has given us all a glimpse into what it’s like when life’s necessities are not within reach. Now, imagine what it’s like for those who are not sure where their next meal will come from,” said Senator West. “I commend the Whirlpool Corp. for its initiative to address hunger and food insecurity across the country and for bringing this program to Dallas. I would hope that others will follow their lead.” 

Whirlpool Corp. has teamed up with Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, and its network of food banks to attack food insecurity in underserved communities across the country.

“Food inequality is a serious issue in the U.S., and that’s why we’re excited that this program continues to grow and expand into additional cities across the country,” said Whirlpool Corp. Product Marketing Manager Gerrod Moore. “We’ve already placed 70 fridges across the country and plan to place 200 more before the end of the year.”

In addition to these refurbished refrigerators placed from Whirlpool Corp.’s second channel sales program, Maytag brand is also placing fridges in Boys and Girls Clubs.

The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center is one of the first recipients of several Whirlpool Corp. refrigerators, which the Center will use to serve families in Oak Cliff and surrounding neighborhoods through food giveaways, catered meals and healthy living programming for children.

Community fridges are planned for multiple locations in the state of Texas and locally, in cooperation with organizations that have programs designed to close the hunger gap. Local programs include:

●             Soul For Christ Ministry, Inc.

●             Faith Formula Human Services of FWBC

●             The Chocolate Mint Foundation

●             Empowering the Masses

●             Carver Heights Baptist Church

●             The Metropolitan Dream Center

●             Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center

“We appreciate Whirlpool and Senator West for inviting us to be a part of the Dallas launch. The two refrigerators we have received from Whirlpool will be utilized for our current Center Table food-distribution and meal programs, grilling and cooking programs with our kids, and for our families, neighbors and seniors,” said Trina Terrell-Andrews, CEO of the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center.