The Greater Boston Food Bank Provides Grants to 38 Hunger Relief Organizations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Greater Boston Food Bank Provides Grants to 38 Hunger Relief Organizations
Community Investment Grants Support Eastern MA Hunger Relief Organizations Amidst Rising Demand for Emergency Food
Boston, MA (June 21, 2023) – The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) today announced $975,000 in Community Investment Grants awarded to 38 hunger relief organizations across Eastern Massachusetts. With the demand for emergency food reaching an all-time high across the region, fueled by the persistently high cost of living in Eastern Massachusetts and the ending of COVID-era SNAP benefits, this annual grantmaking initiative is important so that GBFB partners can expand their services, increase capacity, and deliver even more healthy food to those in need.
The GBFB grant program, originally begun in 2013 as the Capacity Expansion Grant program, has provided nearly $6 million worth of financial assistance over the past 10 years to GBFB partner agencies that serve all 190 cities and towns in Eastern Massachusetts.
GBFB received 113 grant applications this year, the most in the program’s 10-year history, another indication that the need for emergency food is rising in Eastern Massachusetts.
This year GBFB made a concerted effort to focus on centering client voices, enhance inclusion and access to nutrition resources, and increase services to communities disproportionately impacted by food insecurity including communities of color, families with children, and the LGBTQ+ community.
“After 10 years of providing grants to our partner agencies, this program continues to evolve to better meet the specific needs of the communities our partners serve,” said Catherine D’Amato, GBFB President and CEO. “We remain hopeful that our continued grantmaking efforts will have the intended impact of supporting these essential partners and easing the burden of food insecurity for our neighbors in need.”
During the 2022 holiday season, to counter rising costs and inflation, GBFB offered $2,000 in direct funding to all GBFB agencies. Agencies used these funds however they deemed most beneficial to their community needs. Agencies reported applying their funds toward specialty foods, household and personal care items, transportation costs, and infrastructure improvements, among other things.
The grants follow the release of GBFB’s third annual statewide report on food insecurity. The study, “Opportunities to Improve Food Equity & Access in Massachusetts: Ending Hunger – Together,” reveals persistent rates of food insecurity in the state, estimating that 33 percent of adults experienced household food insecurity in 2022. The study also highlights sustained disparities and barriers in food access for communities of color, with Hispanic and Black households experiencing some of the highest rates of food insecurity. Understanding the severe need for increased food resources in these areas, 32 of the 38 grants made were awarded to agencies serving communities of color, according to the American Community Survey.
2023 Community Investment Grant Awardees:
Acton Community Supper and Food Pantry, Acton
Berea Church Pantry, Dorchester
Boston Missionary Baptist Community Center, Roxbury
Brockton Boys and Girls Club, Brockton
Canton Area Helpline, Canton
Catholic Charities – Yawkey Center, Dorchester
CEOC Food Pantry, Cambridge
Codman Square Health Center, Dorchester
Dwelling House of Hope, Lowell
First Congregational Church Pantry, Revere
Haitian Christian Social Union of New England, Inc., Randolph
Healthy Waltham, Inc, Waltham
HHS/Neponset Health Center Food Pantry, Dorchester
Holbrook Ecumenical Food Pantry, Holbrook
Interfaith Social Services, Quincy
Island Food Pantry, Oak Bluffs
La Colaborativa, Chelsea
Natick Service Council Food Pantry, Natick
North Taunton Food Pantry Outreach, Taunton
Medway Food Pantry, Medway
Medway Village Church Food Pantry, Medway
My Brother’s Keeper Food Pantry, Easton
Open Table Food Pantry & Community Meal, Maynard
Pilgrim Church Food Pantry, Dorchester
People Helping People, Burlington
Peoples Baptist Church, Roxbury
Project Just Because, Hopkinton
Salvation Army Chelsea Pantry, Chelsea
Salvation Army South End Food Pantry, Boston
Somerville Hispanic Association for Community Development, Somerville
The Salem Pantry, Salem
USCC/Christ the King, Mashpee
Wakefield Food Pantry, Wakefield
Walpole Community Food Pantry, Walpole
West End House Boys & Girls Club, Allston
Weymouth Food Pantry, Weymouth
YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston
YMCA/Germantown Neighborhood Food Pantry, Quincy
If interested in more information about specific grants or grantees, please reach out to GBFB at press@gbfb.org.
About The Greater Boston Food Bank:
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. As the food bank for Eastern Massachusetts, GBFB is feeding people in 190 towns across the region, distributing the equivalent of nearly 90 million meals through a network of 600 dedicated food distribution partners and programs. A member of the national Feeding America network, GBFB’s mission is to end hunger here. The organization remains committed to the belief that access to healthy food is a human right regardless of an individual’s circumstances. Through policy, partnerships, and providing free, nutritious, and culturally responsive food, GBFB is committed to addressing the root causes of food insecurity while promoting racial, gender and economic equity in food access. For more information and to help us help others, visit us at GBFB.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@gr8bosfoodbank), or call us at 617-427-5200.
Media Contact:
Catherine D. Lynn
press@gbfb.org
617.828.7422