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Food Insecurity in Massachusetts
In response to the dramatic upswing in statewide food insecurity, our Food Pantry has now tripled its prepandemic capacity. Up to 350 women per day are able to visit us, Monday through Friday, and receive groceries, including fresh food, household goods and toiletries. By year’s end, the Pantry accommodated 63,965 visits. The Pantry continues to be a critical vehicle for distributing masks, at-home COVID-19 tests and vaccine information in a community that is high-risk for serious illness from the virus.
We serve thousands of women healthy meals and celebrate events to build community in our Dining Room, 365 days each year. The increased demand on our Food Programs has climbed along with growing food insecurity across Greater Boston.
In addition to offering sanctuary, our emergency programs provide something much more intangible, but as important—a sense of community. It is through this bond of connectivity that trust develops and steps toward stability can be identified.
In the last year, our Dining Room served almost 62,000 meals, a 23% increase from the previous year.
*The Boston Globe and the Greater Boston Food Bank, June 2022 **Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2022
