New North Shore Food Distribution Hub To Help Fight Hunger Crisis

SALEM, MA — A new regional food distribution hub in Salem, near the borders of Peabody and Lynn, will help The Salem Pantry and Greater Boston Food Bank better address the increasing hunger crisis on the North Shore.

Food bank officials, political leaders and community partners gathered on Monday to celebrate the initiative that will allow The Salem Pantry to source, store, and distribute greater quantities of fresh, healthy food, while supporting other food-assistance organizations across the North Shore.

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"Recent crises, from the SNAP funding uncertainty to COVID, have made clear that systems-level resources are essential to meeting both emergency needs and the ongoing realities of hunger," said Robyn Burns, Executive Director of The Salem Pantry. "This new hub will bring more fresh, nutritious food into our distribution network and strengthen the region's ability to respond in moments of crisis and every day."

The Salem Pantry will lease the 20,000-square-foot warehouse in the city to better serve those in need on the North Shore through a $2 million grant from The Greater Boston Food Bank.

The warehouse will increase The Salem Pantry's food storage capacity by five times, and provide infrastructure for up to 20 additional emergency food distribution partners in lower Essex County, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank. The Food Bank said food distribution increased by 8 percent in the past year, but is still lagging behind increasing demand.

This grant is made possible by state funds dedicated to creating a networked infrastructure to combat rising rates of food insecurity.

The Salem Pantry distributes more than 275,000 pounds of food each month through its market, mobile pantries and home delivery programs. The hope is that the new facility will represent the next step in building a more resilient, equitable regional food system.

"This is an important location for eastern Massachusetts, and it will bring healthy produce, proteins, and dairy closer to the neighbors who rely on us," said Catherine D'Amato, President & CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank. "We're grateful to work alongside The Salem Pantry, who is on the ground every day doing the work."

State Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem) and State Rep. Manny Cruz (D-Salem) co-hosted the event.

"This collaboration will bring more food into our region and strengthen our ability to reach the people who count on us," Cruz said. "I'm grateful to The Salem Pantry for having the vision to make this new space possible, and I look forward to supporting this work (on Beacon Hill)."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)