The Greater Boston Food Bank Receives $1 Million Grant from
The Yawkey Foundation to Upgrade Warehouse Refrigeration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Greater Boston Food Bank Receives $1 Million Grant from
The Yawkey Foundation to Upgrade Warehouse Refrigeration
Transformational Grant to Help The Food Bank Safely Store and Distribute More Fresh Food at GBFB’s Yawkey Distribution Center in Boston
Boston, MA (November 16, 2023) – The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, announced today that it has received a $1 million capital grant from the Yawkey Foundation. The grant was awarded to GBFB to help with much needed refrigeration upgrades to GBFB’s Yawkey Distribution Center, the food bank’s 117,000 square foot warehouse in Boston that serves as the hub of the charitable food system in Eastern Massachusetts.
The grant from the Yawkey Foundation, coupled with a state-funded grant, will strengthen the integrity, safety, and functionality of warehouse operations by nearly doubling GBFB’s capacity to store and distribute more perishable food such as fresh produce, dairy products and eggs, the items most commonly requested by GBFB food pantry partners and the neighbors they serve.
This generous capital grant from the Yawkey Foundation is coming at a critical time as Masschusetts continues to grapple with a persistent hunger crisis. GBFB’s latest research shows that 1 in 3 people experienced food insecurity in 2022. The food bank has also recently seen an alarming rise in demand for food assistance, as the average number of individuals served by its food pantry partners in 2023 increased by nearly 12% compared to 2022.
“We are so grateful for the continued support of the Yawkey Foundation who have once again come to our aid to expand our ability to serve those in need by helping us strengthen our food security infrastructure in the facility they helped us build 14 years ago,” said Catherine D’Amato, GBFB’s President and CEO. “Hunger is not an emergency – unfortunately, it’s a daily experience for too many of our neighbors across the Commonwealth. Thanks to great community partners like the Yawkey Foundation we have the power to end hunger here.”
“When Jean Yawkey first began supporting the Greater Boston Food Bank 35 years ago, she was acting on her and her husband Tom’s longstanding dedication to helping individuals and families access basic needs such as nutritious food,” said Maureen H. Bleday, CEO of Yawkey Foundation. “Our Trustees are grateful for this opportunity to perpetuate the Yawkey’s philanthropic legacy by working with GBFB to remove barriers to accessing fresh produce and perishable products by expanding capacity of the Yawkey Distribution Center.”
The Yawkey Foundation has a long history of supporting the work of The Greater Boston Food Bank with transformational gifts. The Foundation was the lead contributor to the campaign to build GBFB’s current facility with a $3 million grant in 2005 and has generously provided annual operating support; but long before that, the Yawkey family has supported the food bank’s efforts to end hunger. In fact, Jean Yawkey provided the lead gift to the GBFB’s “Second Helping Program,” one of the earliest food rescue hunger relief programs, by purchasing the organization’s first truck.
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 (@gr8bosfoodbank) and Instagram, or call us at 617.427.5200.
Media Contacts
Catherine Lynn
The Greater Boston Food Bank
M: 617-828-7422
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