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History

1981 The Boston Food Bank is legally incorporated. Kristen McCormack is appointed first executive director. The Food Bank locates at 71 Amory St and distributes 100,000 pounds of food to 60 agencies. The Boston Foundation provides the first grant.

1982 The Food Bank becomes a member of Feeding America - The Nation's Food Bank Network. Larry Meyer is hired as the second executive director. A 20-foot straight truck is purchased to procure product for 220 agencies.

1984 A transportation system is put in place. A van and a semi-tractor-trailer are purchased. The Food Bank moves to a new location, 70 Amory Street, with a 23,000-square-foot warehouse and serves 330 agencies.

1986 A transition of leadership occurs. Georgia Mattison acts as the interim executive director.

1987 Westy Egmont becomes the third executive director. Member agencies total 590.

1989 Second Helping, a perishable food rescue program, is launched as a joint project with the Boston College Alumni Association.

1990 The Food Bank distributes five million pounds of food.

1991 The Food Bank marks ten years as a legally-incorporated organization and distributes 7.7 million pounds of food.

1992 The Board of Directors votes to purchase 99 Atkinson Street, and The Food Bank moves to this location in December.

1993 The Food Bank legally changes its name to The Greater Boston Food Bank, Inc. The summer of 1993 sees disastrous floods in the Midwest, and The Food Bank, in partnership with WBZ-TV, joins other food banks to provide disaster relief

1994 The Food Bank distributes 8.5 million pounds of food. The City of Boston provides the first of many grants for Boston pantries to expand their services.

1995 Catherine D'Amato is appointed Executive Director. The Food Bank has distributed a collective 75 million pounds of food since its inception. The Food Bank pays the entire mortgage for 99 Atkinson Street.

1996 The Food Bank holds a 15th anniversary celebration.  Dan and Betsy Nally, founders of Turkeys4America, donate their first 36 turkeys to The Food Bank.

1997 The Food Bank's newsletter wins a national award. The first formal annual report is issued. Ten million pounds of food are distributed. Catherine D'Amato becomes president and CEO, an appointed officer of the corporation.

1998 The first national hunger study is released by Feeding America.

1999 The Food Bank goes over the collective 100 million pound total food distribution mark.

2000 The Food Bank distributes more than 15 million pounds of food to the hungry, mobilizing 7,000 volunteers, partnering with 500 corporate and community food donors, and 30,000 financial donors.

2001 The Food Bank launches its Brown Bag and Kids Cafe programs

2002 The Food Bank distributes 20 million pounds of food and reaches 73 percent of the region's hungry.

2003 Governor Romney visits in recognition of National Hunger Awareness Day. The Board of Directors commits to a capital campaign called Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope with a goal of $25 million.

2004 The Food Bank goes over the collective 200 million pound total food distribution mark. 12,500 volunteers help to distribute 24 million pounds of food, including 3.5 million pounds of produce.

2005 Senator Edward M. Kennedy visits The Greater Boston Food Bank in recognition of National Hunger Awareness Day.

2006 The Food Bank celebrates its 25th anniversary. A new study, Hunger in Eastern Massachusetts 2006, is released. The Massachusetts Legislature conveys a nearby parcel of land for the site of the new Food Bank facility, projected for completion in the winter of 2008/2009. The Food Bank opens its fifth Kids Cafe at The Blue Hill Club George Robert White Youth Development Center and sixth Kids Cafe at the Yawkey Club of Roxbury.

2007 The Food Bank broke ground at the 2.8 acre site of its new home—a 117,000 square foot distribution center that will allow it to double its food distribution. The Board of Directors approves an increase in the "Fighting Hunger Feeding Hope" capital campaign goal to $35 million. The Boston Foundation provides a technology grant to allow The Food Bank to create a web-based ordering system for member agencies and support a warehouse management software system for the new distribution center.

2009 The Food Bank moved into its new facility, the Yawkey Distribution Center of The Greater Boston Food Bank in April 2009.