The Food Bank announces expansion of Mobile Food Bank
The Food Bank is dedicated to creating a Western Massachusetts where no one goes hungry and everyone has access to healthy food. One of the most effective ways we’re able to do that is through our Mobile Food Bank program, which brings free fresh, healthy food directly to underserved communities in our region.
On Friday, September 16, we were excited to announce that we will be expanding our Mobile Food Bank program thanks to a $125,000 grant from Our Family Foundation by Stop & Shop. The grant award comes as part of the grocery chain’s new three-year Fighting Child Hunger initiative to increase access to healthy, nutritious food for children in need of healthier diets.
Representatives from Stop & Shop presented The Food Bank with a $125,000 check to fund the first of a three year expansion of The Mobile Food Bank program.
See more photos from the announcement held at Brightwood’s Mobile distribution.
The announcement was made at a special ceremony at a Mobile Food Bank distribution in Springfield’s Brightwood community, where approximately 675 people receive free food twice a month.
“We are proud to provide this critical support to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts so they can increase access to nutritious food for families and children in need throughout the region,” said Mark McGowan, Stop & Shop New England Division President.
In 2015, the Mobile Food Bank program impacted more than 8,000 youths at 14 distribution sites, providing more than 62,000 meals. In the past 12 months, it has distributed more than one million pounds of food. The program will expand to 26 distributions over the next three years, providing more food to our neighbors in need. The $125,000 grant award will support the first year of this initiative.
“We are extremely grateful for the strong partnership with Our Family Foundation by Stop & Shop,” explains Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director at The Food Bank. “It is through their on-going support that our Mobile Food Bank program will be able to reach even more families and children in our community who simply don’t have access to fresh, healthy food.”
Additional funding for the program’s expansion was also provided by C&S Wholesale Grocers, the Red Nose Day Fund, and The Charles H. Farnsworth Charitable Trust.