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Your guide to food access in East Boston
We've compiled a list of resources in East Boston for those facing food insecurity in the neighborhood.
Grace Church Federated Food Pantry in East Boston has been working to provide for families struggling with hunger for over 20 years, and the work has only increased in recent years.
The food pantry is open the first and second Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and East Boston residents are welcome once per month to take a few bags of food, said the Rev. Liz Georgakopoulos of Grace Church Federated in a phone interview.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased the number of families coming to the pantry. Now, the need is triple what it was pre-pandemic.
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“Pre-pandemic, we were serving maybe 50 to 60 families a month through our food pantry,” Georgakopoulos said. “With the pandemic we saw a drastic increase and now, with inflation, we are serving upwards of 200 families a month. It has become very challenging for us to really make sure that we have food on the shelves.”
The phenomenon of increased food insecurity due to the pandemic is happening statewide. In May, the Greater Boston Food Bank released a report stating that one in three households in Massachusetts experiences food insecurity. The GBFB’s report mentioned that overall rates in the state increased from 19% in 2019 to 33% in 2022 and households with children are particularly in need, with 36% affected by food insecurity, according to the GBFB.
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The church has recently partnered with organizations such as Eastie Farm and the East Boston branch of the YMCA to obtain fresh produce and goods for the food pantry.
Georgakopoulos says the most important thing people can do to support their local pantries is to “donate time, money, or nonperishable food items.”
See Boston.com’s list of food access resources in East Boston. Share any resources we missed in the form below or e-mail [email protected].
Food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens
- BU Outreach Van Project, Central Square Park, 197 Border St.
- Central Community Church Food Pantry, 50 Bennington St.
- East Boston Community Soup Kitchen, 28 Paris St.
- Grace Church Federated Food Pantry, 760 Saratoga St.
- YMCA Food Distribution Center, 370 McClellan Highway
Grocery stores
- East Boston Farm Stand, 75 Meridian St.
- Family Dollar, 22 Bennington St.
- Shaw’s, 246 Border St.
- Super Ahorro Grocery & Food, 300 Bennington St.
Community gardens and urban farms
- 294 Sumner Street Community Garden, 294 Sumner St.
- Aligheri School Garden, 37 Gove St.
- Bradley School Garden, 110 Beachview Road
- Corner Stalk Farm, 101 Condor St.
- Donald McKay School Garden, 122 Cottage St.
- Eagle Hill Community Garden; Annual fee: $40, $20 for raised beds; 339 Border St.
- Eastie Farm, 294 Sumner St.
- Garden at the Rockies Community Garden, Annual fee: $25; 144 Marginal St.
- Joe Ciampa Community Garden; Annual fee: $40; 124 Marginal St.
- Our Garden, 293 Border St.
- Sam Adams Elementary School Garden, 165 Webster St.
- Secret Garden Geothermal Greenhouse, 6 Chelsea Terrace
- Shore Plaza East Garden, Shore Plaza East, 408-826 Border St.
Correction: This story previously misstated the food pantry’s open times and misinterpreted the food available for residents. Boston.com regrets the error.
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