Vandalized community refrigerator in Queens fixed, $35K donated

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Community refrigerator vandalized in Queens

A community refrigerator created to help people in a Queens neighborhood who are struggling with food insecurity was vandalized Friday, State Senator Jessica Ramos said.

EAST ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) -- A community refrigerator that was vandalized in Queens on Friday has been fixed, State Senator Jessica Ramos said.

Ramos said in a post on Twitter Monday evening that the fridge was fixed and that over $35,000 in donations will go towards feeding the Queens community.

She says in just three days the donations were received, and a surprise visit from owners of a family-run repair business, GB repairs, helped to fix the fridge.

The community refrigerator, which was created to help people in East Elmhurst who are struggling with food insecurity, was vandalized on Friday.

An unidentified flying object spotted in Hawaii caught enough people's attention to get the Federal Aviation Administration involved.

"So many of our neighbors depend on the generosity of other neighbors to get through these difficult times. Now this lifeline is gone. I'm heartbroken," Ramos said.

Following the incident, the New York senator encouraged supporters to donate to help replace the fridge and keep it stocked with groceries.

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