Designed to support access to country food, community freezer programs act as a central community repository of country foods that are re-distributed throughout communities in Nunatsiavut. Such programs increase access to country foods and reduce the risk of travel in a changing climate, while also increasing mental wellness and the transmission of cultural knowledge. In Nain, the community freezer program includes a fuel and hunting resources program, where harvesters are provided essential supplies (such as fishing rods, GPS, camping equipment, etc.) in return for sharing a portion of their catch with the freezer. This addresses barriers to harvesting created by increasingly expensive costs of equipment, as well as the risks to individual safety posed by the increasing unpredictability of travel on the land and ice. In several communities, community freezer programs also operate youth and mentorship initiatives. These programs train youth in essential harvesting and food security skills and knowledge, while also providing harvested foods to the freezer programs.
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