Families For Impact
Welcome to Families for Impact at
The Greater Boston Food Bank.
Families for Impact is a program for donors of The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) that engages the entire family in serving the community. On four special weekends a year, GBFB opens its doors to our youngest supporters (ages 5+) and their families for an exclusive volunteer event in our warehouse. Together, we sort healthy, seasonal food items like squash and watermelon, and introduce children to the work of caring for our neighbors in need.
Each family volunteer experience involves a behind-the-scenes look at how over 60 million pounds of food are distributed every year to members of our community experiencing food insecurity. We encourage questions from volunteers before, during, and after the sorting activity. Each session runs for two and half hours.
Session Overview
Through a brief speaking program, we discuss concepts like food insecurity and invisible populations, and explain questions like why some people who are hungry might be just like the families who support us. Awareness is the first step in creating change, and it’s incredible to see how creative, empathetic, and proactive children can become when they understand the needs of those around them and what they can do to help. We often see the change when children are packing newly harvested produce or inhaling the aromas of fresh breads.
After the introduction we move into the warehouse to begin our sorting project. Project leaders train and supervise volunteers as we sort and pack food to go out into our community.
A closing ceremony invites each child to become a Super Hunger Hero, joining us in the fight to raise awareness and support for our neighbors in need. Our Super Hunger Heroes collect a certificate and special gift to help them take our mission beyond the walls of our warehouse.
View photos from our June 15, 2019 Families for Impact event >
Members of the Families for Impact program give $1,000 or more annually, combining a gift of time and resources to double their impact in the community. As an organization, GBFB is passionate about healthy food and creating healthy futures for our neighbors. We have made a commitment to end hunger by 2028 and we’d love to have you and your family join us as member of our Families for Impact network.
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: 70 South Bay Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
“We want our children to recognize that food insecurity is something that happens right here in Massachusetts, and we’re all responsible to ensure that no person goes hungry.” – Families for Impact parent and participant
To join or for more information, please contact Laney Zuerlein at lzuerlein@gbfb.org or 617.598.5035