“Restaurant Feeds Community With Free Fridge — Then Gets Paid Back When Business Faces Closure in Austin, Texas

Hey, y’all! I have an amazing story to share with you today. It’s about a couple of heroes who run a restaurant in Austin, Texas, and how they helped feed their community with a free fridge. And guess what? The community paid them back when they needed it the most.

Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi are the owners of Nixta Taqueria, a place that serves delicious tacos and more in East Austin. This area is not very well served by grocery stores and fresh food options, so they decided to do something about it.

They joined the Austin Free Fridge Program, which is a grassroots initiative that places fridges around the city where anyone can take or leave food for free. Edgar and Sara put one outside their restaurant and started filling it up with all kinds of goodies, from homemade meals to drinks and snacks.

They didn’t do it for publicity or profit. They did it because they care about their neighbors and want to make sure they have enough to eat. They even made special hydration packs during the hot summer days to keep people cool and hydrated.

The free fridge became a lifeline for many people who were struggling with food insecurity, especially during the pandemic and the winter storm…