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Chorey Park residents struggling to buy food or who do not have reliable transportation to get it will soon have a community-wide pantry to get what they need without leaving their building.

The Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the non-profit Healthy Suffolk have partnered to set up the Chorey Park Apartments community fridge and safety net pantry to provide fresh produce and shelf-stable pantry items for the 110 senior and disabled residents to meet emergency food needs.

Regina Brayboy, Healthy Suffolk’s executive director, said the pantry and fridge would be restocked every month with items such as produce, eggs, butter, canned goods and other items to help finish off a meal or hold a resident over until they can get to the grocery store.

The fridge and pantry will be available daily to residents during daytime and evening hours on the honor system.

Housing authority and Healthy Suffolk officials say residents need the fridge and pantry due to unreliable transportation and not being able to afford groceries.

“Improving food access is a critical need and will contribute to improved health outcomes, reduce hunger and reduce disparities related to food,” Snipes said. “In addition to food, the community room will also have available literature on food, health and nutrition.”

As the program grows, it will offer residents cooking classes and health information workshops.

The Lou & Mary Haddad Foundation and other community donors contributed to the project.

Anyone looking to contribute to it can contact Healthy Suffolk at info@healthysuffolkva.org, call its office at 757-414-7652, mail a donation to Healthy Suffolk at 425 W. Washington St. #4, Suffolk, VA 23434 or make an online donation at healthysuffolkva.org/donate.

Last year, Healthy Suffolk partnered with churches and organizations to offer healthy food to the city for Thanksgiving and Christmas, setting up three pop-up produce stands in different parts of the city. It has worked for the past 16 years to advance wellness and livability in Suffolk.