b'Leadership MessageDear Friends and Supporters,Thank you for helping us distribute more than 56 million healthy meals this year. This is the most we have achieved in the history of our organization. We were only able to do it because of you, our partner agencies, our food and financial donors, and our volunteers.We have come a long way, yet we know there is still much more work to be done. This year we embarked on an ambitious strategic plan to create a Hunger Free Eastern Massachusetts by 2028. This means sustained, reliable access to enough healthy food for three meals a day for every person in need. Getting to Hunger Free will be built around three key strategies: increasing access to nutritious food, building the capacity of the agency network, and expanding research and policy initiatives. I am proud to say, we made progress in all three areas this year.First: In Fiscal Year 2019 we distributed more nutritious food than ever before. One-third of our total distribution was fresh produce23 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Nearly two-thirds of our distribution was protein, produce or dairy items, the foods our clients need most to lead healthy, active lives. Second: We strengthened the capacity of our agency network by delivering a record amount of grants to fund our partner agencies. With the help of Becky and Bruce Epstein, the Founding Donors of Hunger Free 2028, we were able to fund over 50 projects by providing more than $400,000 for the purchase of critical items such as extra shelving, refrigerators, freezers and refrigerated trucks. These additions helped our agency partners acquire, store and distribute more nutritious food.Third: We also led the advocacy effort to secure $20 million for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) in the state budget, one of our top annual policy priorities. It was the highest amount ever dedicated to this program, empowering the states food banks to purchase enough food to provide 25 million healthy meals. Your dedicated and generous support makes our work possiblehelping the nearly 500,000 people in Eastern Massachusetts who dont know where their next meal is coming from.We thank you for standing with us and supporting our mission to end hunger here. Together, we can create a Hunger Free Eastern Massachusetts. Sincerely,Catherine DAmatoJoanna TravisPresident and CEOBoard Chair1 THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK 2019 ANNUAL REPORT'