4 Ways The Salem Pantry Works With Our Local Community to Rescue Food
While most of the food distributed through The Salem Pantry comes from The Greater Boston Food Bank and our farm partners, the large number of families we serve requires additional support.
Food rescue, a method of recovering surplus food and redistributing it to those in need, is crucial in maintaining consistent access to food, especially outside of the growing season, as the number of pantry visits continues to increase each month.
Here is a look at how we collaborate with local businesses to rescue over 30,000 pounds of food each month for our neighbors.
Bakery Donations:
A & J King and Lulu’s Bakery are two local bakeries that have been instrumental in our food rescue efforts. They generously donate excess bread and pastries daily, providing our guests with high-quality baked goods that we would not otherwise be able to provide.
Additionally, A & J King’s Neighbor Loaves program allows customers to purchase additional loaves of bread specifically for donation to The Salem Pantry.
Collaborating with Grocery Stores:
National supermarket chains, ALDI, Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, and Whole Foods are significant suppliers of food for The Salem Pantry. Through weekly donations, these stores help expand the variety of food The Salem Pantry can offer while also addressing the issue of food waste within grocery stores, which can be some of the nation’s highest producers of food waste. Additionally, two local chains, Daily Table and Henry’s, provide regular donations of product to support The Salem Pantry.
Large-Scale Donations:
Every two months, in partnership with The Greater Boston Food Bank, The Salem Pantry facilitates large-scale food rescue from Hannaford. The Salem Pantry receives a large shipment, an estimated 24,000 pounds, and coordinates with 15 peer organizations across the North Shore to ensure that this rescued food will reach food insecure community members throughout the region.
Partnering with Local Businesses:
Local businesses like The Cheese Shop, A & J King, and Root play a crucial role in the food rescue process. They generously provide resources to assist in processing and packaging donated food items, ensuring that they reach our shelves safely and ready to be received by our guests. Without their assistance, many food items would not be able to be distributed through the pantry.
Food rescue is a simple yet powerful solution to combat both food insecurity and waste in our community but would not be possible without the collaborative efforts of all these local businesses. We are grateful for every pound of food we receive and would not be able to impact so many in our community without it.