Fresh Access Franklin is a collaborative project, maintaining three solar-powered community fridges in Franklin, North Carolina. We provide 24/7, no-barriers access to free, fresh food, purchased from local farms.
Our Three Fridges
Vecinos Health Hub
LIVE! Vecinos provides free, bilingual healthcare services to low-income and uninsured adults in Western North Carolina. Find their FAF Fridge in their parking lot.
First United Methodist Church
LIVE! FUMC’s work includes food drives and an existing free little pantry. Find their FAF Fridge in their lower parking lot. Walking distance from downtown Franklin.
Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction
LIVE! SMHR provides substance use harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery support through their health hub in Macon County, NC. Find their fridge in the parking lot.
Free, Fresh Food!
Free, Fresh Food!
Food at the kiosks is available for free, for anyone that needs it.
This is 24/7 no-barriers access. The fridges are not monitored for policing purposes. We just ask that guests take only what they need, and know they will use.
Each kiosk is equipped with a fridge for fresh and frozen food, and a dry goods pantry. Franklin Farm Hub purchases food from local farms to stock the fridges. Each host location maintains their own fridge, keeping it supplied with dry goods and other essentials.
How can you help?
Spare food, spare time, spare change, & your support.
Food Donations
Cooked up an extra pot of soup? Baked a loaf too many? Grown a ton of tomatoes? We gratefully accept donations of fresh produce, store-bought meals, and home-cooked food. Please have a read through our simple food donation guidelines below:
Volunteering
Fresh Access Franklin will be running regular Volunteer Events in the future. Follow us on social media for updates!
In the meantime, Franklin Farm Hub, who stocks the fridges weekly, is looking for volunteers to aid in aggregating and distributing food. This includes stocking the FAF Fridges. Interested? Read more here.
Clean up & Reporting
Basic cleaning supplies are stored in each kiosk. Spot a mess? We appreciate you wiping down the fridge, throwing out expired food, and collecting trash.
See any damage at the kiosk? Let us know us at info@freshaccessfranklin.org
Have any suggestions for improvements, or things you would like to see more of? Each kiosk will be equipped with a comment box, but until then, let us know by email!
Our Partners
This project is made possible with the aid of Dogwood Health Trust.
In late 2025, we were awarded an Innovation & Collaboration Grant by Dogwood Health Trust. This has allowed us to build the three kiosks, secure solar equipment, install and maintain the fridges. It also provides funding for stocking the fridges for two years.
The Collaborative
Fresh Access Franklin is a collaborative project between five Western North Carolina organizations:
International Friendship Center
IFC serves as lead applicant and fiscal agent for Fresh Access Franklin, overseeing grant administration, kiosk procurement and installation, partner coordination, and reporting. IFC provides bilingual signage and inventory tools, convenes partners regularly, and leads evaluation and problem-solving across the project.
Franklin Farm Hub
Franklin Farm Hub serves as Fresh Access Franklin’s food systems and kiosk operations partner, helping design the kiosks, coordinate key components and construction, and source and aggregate fresh produce and proteins for distribution. FFH also stewards the FUMC kiosk, works closely with IFC and site partners, and helps ensure reliable, community-centered food access.
Vecinos Health Hub
Vecinos hosts one Fresh Access Franklin kiosk, provides power and on-site oversight, and designates staff to monitor, clean, and coordinate stocking. Vecinos engages Latine families and patients, promotes the kiosk, and participates in meetings, evaluation, and reporting.
First United Methodist Church
FUMC serves as the host site for one Fresh Access Franklin kiosk, providing a trusted, accessible location and ongoing support for its presence in Franklin. In partnership with Franklin Farm Hub, FUMC helps steward the site through basic oversight, communication about maintenance or safety issues, and shared commitment to welcoming, low-barrier community food access.
Smoky Mountain Harm Reduction
SMHR hosts one Fresh Access Franklin kiosk and provides on-site oversight needed to keep it functioning well. Through harm-reduction and recovery programming, SMHR promotes the kiosk as a trusted, stigma-free resource, coordinates daily monitoring and restocking, supports outreach, and contributes to evaluation and shared learning.