PORTLAND, Oregon — A longtime community free fridge that has helped feed Portland residents for years now needs help itself.

Neighbors say years of outdoor exposure and wear have taken a toll on the shed housing the fridge and pantry. The fridge itself recently stopped working, prompting efforts to renovate the space.

“I reached out to the neighborhood association, and they had actually just recently submitted a grant through Southeast Uplift to get the fridge and everything else replaced, because it just needed some revamping,” said Clare Schmidt, a neighbor who started a GoFundMe fundraiser.

Schmidt said the grant timeline would have taken too long. “It looked like the timeline for the grant was a Dec. 15 approval, and then the grant application stated that it would be replaced by J

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