Stolen community refrigerator in Oak Cliff becomes call to action

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — In Oak Cliff, the Pan African Connection bookstore is an art gallery, a resource center, and for the past two and a half years, a pandemic-inspired sidewalk pantry.

Founder and owner Akwete Tyehimba walks along the sidewalk table showing off the packets of oatmeal, packaged fruit and other foods. “Just very simple… like cornflakes, right?”

“This helps everybody,” says Jasmine Gibson.  “You don’t have a house? You don’t have anything to eat? This is here.”

The “take-what-you-need and leave-what-you-can” pantry provides help, says Tyehimba, no questions asked.

“It blesses a lot of people in this neighborhood,” says Richard Griffith, “you don’t see this everywhere.”

And that’s the gratitude that keeps Tyehimba going.

“A lot of times the refrigerator will hold milk and eggs…veggies and things.”

At least it did until early Sunday.  That’s when surveillance cameras captured three men stealing the refrigerator and hauling it away in a van under the cover of darkness.

“These refrigerators were being used to serve the people,” says Tyehimba, “so you’re not only hurting me, you’re hurting those that need this food.”

Tyehimba admits to being disappointed. But she knows that when evil closes doors, good souls deliver… refrigerators?

“Oh my gosh!” exclaimed Tyehimba as she walked outside mid-morning.  “Somebody brought two refrigerators! They must have delivered them this morning!”

The donated refrigerators arrived stocked with nothing but goodwill, but more good stuff for those in need is already filling the shelves.

“Yeah, I come here to donate,” says Tammy Armour with Victory Outreach of Grand Prairie, while unloading donations on the sidewalk table, “spread it out here so they can take what they can carry.”

“It seems like a small thing, because it’s just a small table of food,” shares Tyehimba.

But that small table becomes a banquet if you’re hungry.

 And then while Tyehimba continues, behind her a man pulls an empty box from underneath the sidewalk table and begins to fill it with the donated food, adding “this is for four families… and this helps tremendously.”

Another anonymous donor has already promised to deliver a larger commercial refrigerator next week. Another supporter has promised to provide a way to better secure them, while also keeping the food stuffs easy to access. 

And Tyehimba says she will make sure the donated refrigerators find good homes.

“It is amazing how such a simple act has grown,” she adds with a smile, “so many opportunities have come just from the awareness of this refrigerator being taken. So, we are expecting bigger things, not just for us, but for the community.”