Food And Holiday Drives
Food drives tend to ramp up during the holidays, with many donations going towards local pantries and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Well be updating this running list of food drives as more are announced throughout the season.
Boston Public LibrarySpice Bank CollectiveHoping to clean out your spice cabinet? BPL recently announced a partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank to launch the BPL Spice Bank Collective through 2022. Round up your unopened spices and dried herbs and bring them to participating branch locations, where theyll be donated to local food pantries. Spices dropped off at Central Librarys Newsfeed Café in Copley Square will be matched by the Café.
Harpoon BreweryThroughout November, Harpoons Boston brewery in the Seaport is collecting food donations through YouGiveGoods, asking for staples that range from canned green beans and peanut butter to granola bars and coffee. Items will be delivered to the Greater Boston Food Bank at the end of the month.
Hunger Free Holidays at the Greater Boston Food BankThe Greater Boston Food Banks annual holiday drive in partnership with Stop & Shop asks individuals to donate $25 to provide a healthy holiday meal for a family in need. The campaign runs until Dec. 31.
Aiming To End Hunger In Massachusetts And Beyond
GBFB is far more than a distribution operation and has a philanthropic track record that dates back decades. The organization is also an education and training provider and a policy advocate at state and federal levels.
On the education front, a team of registered GBFB dietitians ensures that more than 80% of the food the organization distributes meets the highest nutrition standards. The team provides nutrition education programs and resources directly to communities and assistance in obtaining SNAP benefits.
GBFBs Click N Cook recipe program encourages households to cook meals at home. Click N Cook is an excellent source for wellness information, and GBFB produces a newsletter and a blog to provide more knowledge.
As a policy advocate, GBFB is a member of coalitions, including the Food Bank Coalition of Massachusetts, that maintain a presence at the state legislature in Boston. GBFB advocates for increasing the budget for federal assistance and increasing resources for critical state-based assistance programs, including the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program.
GBFB also conducts research and analyzes data on hunger relief efforts in Massachusetts and provides transparency as to its own financial status. Donors have peace of mind knowing their contributions help extend relief and build stronger communities.
Were an organization that is very smart at what we do and we are always looking to innovate and be better, Degnan said.
Boston Public Library Accepting Herb Donations For Spice Bank In Partnership With Gbfb
Home » Blog » Boston Public Library accepting herb donations for Spice Bank in partnership with GBFB
Donate unopened spices and dried herbs at BPL branches listed below.
The Boston Public Library and The Greater Boston Food Bank teamed up in 2021 to launch the BPL Spice Bank Collective to bring more flavor to our neighbors. This successful program has been extended through 2023!
Improving access to cooking spices helps individuals and families maintain their cultural identity, uphold family food traditions, and discover new, delicious and nutritious recipes.
When you donate at the Newsfeed Café in the central library in Copley Square, they will match and double your spice donation! Spice donations will be accepted from November 2022 through May 2023.
HOW TO DONATE SPICES
Donate unopened, spices and dried herbs at the BPL branches below and the GBFB will provide them, along with high quality nutritious food, to families and individuals across Eastern Massachusetts.
Herbs and spices add flavors, aroma and health benefits to our food.
Please drop off your unopened spices and dried herbs at your local participating Boston Public library Branch:
- Central Library in Copley Square
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Building Healthy Lives To Empower Communities
GBFBs origins stretch back to 1974 when founder Kip Tiernan started distributing food to people who needed it from her car. Tiernan was inspired by her grandmother, who opened her home kitchen to feed people in need during the Great Depression. In keeping with that spirit, GBFB operates direct service programs designed to reach people where they are.
We figure out whats needed for each community, Degnan said.
GBFBs Brown Bag Program provides free supplemental groceries to nearly 10,000 seniors each month. The organization delivers food to senior and community centers, and their staff fills grocery bags for residents with about 15 pounds of food, including meat, dairy, and vegetables.
The School-based Pantries program leverages public schools as distribution centers in areas of need. The nonprofit sets up food on tables, farmers market style, and the GBFB Community Impact Department ensures each site receives the right mix of nutritious and culturally appropriate food.
Watch on
Mobile Markets work in much the same way, but they are set up in family and community health centers and veterans hospitals chosen for their proximity to underserved populations. The program targets community health center patients, veterans, WIC program participants, and even community college students.
Were a significant part of the fabric of our communities and a source of the resources and expertise they need, Degnan said.
Food Banks Pantries And Shelters
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
These food banks and pantries, along with a number of local shelters, accept donations all year long. While monetary donations are encouraged, shelf-stable pantry items and other cooking necessities are also accepted at many locations just be sure to check with each pantry to determine what theyre looking for and when donations can be dropped off.
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Ner Spotlight: The Greater Boston Food Bank
The Greater Boston Food Bank is the hub of the emergency food network of Eastern Massachusetts. With 17,000 square feet of warehouse space, they provided 97 million meals to food pantries across the region last year and distributed $1M in grants to help with partner operations. For them, the network is everything. All the food we have in our warehouse is no good if we dont have strong relationships with agencies that can get it to the people who need it most, says Gary Roy, Assistant Director of Public Relations for The Greater Boston Food Bank. The food pantries and meal programs are the partnerships that make it all work. People give us the credit, but the partners are the ones who get the job done.
In addition to being the Newton Food Pantrys largest supplier, GBFB provides a valuable service in our community that many dont even realize. With all of their communications about food insecurity, they have elevated the issue and normalized asking for help, says Dr. Regina Wu, President of the Newton Food Pantry. They have made our job so much easier because people arent afraid to come to us. The communications have been invaluable for fundraising as well. They have been so good about blasting the need to help people, says Regina. They have such a wide audience, and when I approach donors or potential partners they have already heard the message.
Greater Boston Food Bank
Working together to provide at least one meal a day to those in need
As a member agency of The Greater Boston Food Bank , the Franklin Food Pantry is vital to the GBFB objective of providing at least one meal a day to those in need. This partnership has helped the Franklin Food Pantry:
- Increase capacity to meet the need in Franklin
- Launch the Mobile Pantry to bring food to people who have difficulty getting to the Pantry seniors, disabled individuals, and families with small children
- Leverage buying power to acquire quality food that is otherwise unaffordable, such as frozen meats and other high-protein, high-nutrient items
- Implement a nutritional food ranking system to ensure the provision of healthier, more balanced food
Our mission to end hunger in Eastern Massachusetts depends on the strength of our partnering agencies to get nutritious food into the homes of those in need. The Franklin Food Pantry is one of our strongest allies in the fight against hunger. We are impressed with all that the Pantry achieved last year and believe its impact will continue to grow.
Catherine DAmato
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Staff Shortage At Greater Boston Food Bank Impacting Hundreds Of Food Banks Statewide
May 16, 2022 / 5:46 PM / CBS Boston
BOSTON — A shortage of staff at the Greater Boston Food Bank is causing food supply issues at the hundreds of food banks across Massachusetts that GBFB serves.
Staff at Hebron Food Pantry in Attleboro say their food supplies from GBFB have decreased by 1,500 pounds in the last month. That is nearly a 20% decrease.
Hebron’s supply of food is typically split between donations and food from the Greater Boston Food Bank. Hebron has also seen an increase in families and individuals reaching out for food assistance.
“With the increase in our client base and the decrease in food available from the Greater Boston Food Bank we’re really finding ourselves in a challenging position,” said Heather Porreca, Vice President of Hebron’s Board of Directors.
Catherine Lynn, vice president of communications for the food bank said its warehouse is operating at less than half of its full-time staff.
“The market is competitive, people are moving around to different jobs, and that’s what we’re experiencing,” Lynn said, “We’re up against every box store. You know, your major retail names, you name them.”
Lynn is hopeful that benefits offered by the non-profit will attract more people to work there.
“These are well-paying competitive salaries. We offer benefits, day one. You have education reimbursements, health reimbursements,” she said.
- In:
Slowly We Have Been Converted Into A Survival Center So You Get A Little Bit Of Everything And We Try To Do The Best That We Can
Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
Tanairi Garcia, director of La Colaborativas food pantry, doesnt just consider the community resource a food provider. She considers it a survival center.
La Colaborativa, which offers housing security, economic advancement, and other resources to Latinx immigrants in the Greater Boston area, didnt have a food pantry prior to the pandemic. But Garcia said the organization saw an immediate need for one when the pandemic hit Chelsea, a city that was once considered an epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak.
After it launched in March 2020, the pantry spent months serving 11,000 families on a weekly basis. While that number has slowly come down it now serves roughly 3,500 to 5,000 families each week, and makes home deliveries to those who cant leave their house Garcia said the communitys needs have grown.
The demand is still there for food, but now we have more demand on rental assistance, she said, noting that they have seen a rise in evictions. Our huge focus is food sustainability, but because of all the evictions that have been going on, we have been trying to provide shelter for these families. Slowly we have been converted into a survival center, so you get a little bit of everything and we try to do the best that we can.
I think that if they can taste something and see the recipe and see the process, we can get closer to creating healthier habits, she said.
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The Greater Boston Food Bank Uses Donations To Help Alleviate Food Insecurity
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In a Nutshell: Food insecurity can be the root cause of social inequality and unrealized promise. Without consistent access to nutritious food, people often struggle to survive, much less achieve their full potential. In Eastern Massachusetts, The Greater Boston Food Bank works with hundreds of partners to distribute millions of meals to community members each year. The nonprofit strives to fill systemic gaps in the food distribution system, and it relies on donations to feed hungry people in nearly 200 communities.
Its become clear to me that if you feed people, then they can begin to thrive. Its the first step towards a heathy and happy life, Degnan said.
Working Smarter Not Harder With The Greater Boston Food Bank
Bulk Food and a Strong Partnership between Hunger Relief Organizations Means Opportunity for Countless Pantries Across Greater Boston
In the last two years, we saw greater, unprecedented growth in need than ever before in Food For Frees 40-year history. According to Project Bread, hunger in the state of Massachusetts has doubled during the pandemic. And through state-wide survey findings published in June 2022 by The Greater Boston Food Bank , new data shows that at least 32% of the states population is food-insecure. That equates to 1 in 3 adults struggling to get enough to eat as the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with significant inflation continues to put economic pressure on household budgets, disproportionately affecting Black and Latinx communities and families with children.
Hunger is here, and Food For Free has grown to meet the need. We quadrupled our distribution and adapted to support this new reality by moving into a 12,000-square-foot warehouse space in July 2021.
There continues to be a high demand for access to fresh fruit and vegetables in our community. With the increased space, which includes our own loading dock, storage space, and walk-in refrigerator and freezer units, we knew we could do even more to support the hunger relief network across Eastern Massachusetts.
One of the projects this new space has enabled us to pilot is The Greater Boston Food Banks the produce direct delivery program!
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Hundreds Of Agency Partners And Distribution Sites
Food acquisition is a central aspect of the operation. GBFB acquires food through food industry partners and financial donations, and in 2021, took in 117 million pounds of nutritious food, the equivalent of nearly 97 million meals. The organization has grown considerably since the 1970s and operates on a much larger scale. GBFBs 117,000-square-foot Yawkey Distribution Center in South Boston is the starting point for resources that journey to more than 600 distribution sites across Eastern Massachusetts in more than 190 communities.
And transporting food to all of those destination points is a complex process. At the Yawkey Distribution Center, GBFB staff and volunteers sort, store, and pack resources that have either been purchased with financial donations or acquired directly through industry partners. These include local providers of fresh produce and farm products.
Then the food goes out on the network, taking various paths depending on the destination and cargo. Sometimes, the organization delivers resources to strategically located satellite locations closer to agency partners. GBFB also delivers directly to partners.
GBFB helped partners develop creative ways to deliver more food safely as the COVID-19 crisis increased vulnerability along the network. For example, it helped set up drive-through distributions for certain populations and implemented social distancing rules.