The Love Fridge was started by numerous co-founders[1] in July 2020 after seeing similar efforts in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic and completely operates on volunteer work and donations from local community residents.

[2] Besides food, these fridges are occasionally stocked with other necessities, such as hygiene products, clothing, and other essential items by partnering organizations.

[5] The goal of the painted art on each fridge placed is to help eliminate the social stigma surrounding food insecurity.

Each of the different art designs depicts ideas about maintaining "good health" for the surrounding residents through different cultural perspectives.

In Chicago, issues regarding food insecurity began to occur, especially in South and West side neighborhoods.

[7] The Love Fridge has food donation guidelines, allowing sealed packages of fruit, vegetables, and dairy products like cheese or milk, pastries, bread, and fresh eggs that have a visible expiration date.