Cambridge Savings Bank Partners with Food For Free to Box Food

On April 24, Cambridge Savings Bank employees spent the morning boxing fresh produce and pantry staples for neighbors in need through Food For Free’s Just Eats grocery box program. Volunteers formed a production line to fill 320 grocery boxes, each adding an item, such as sweet potatoes, collard greens, bags of rice, or apples, to each Just Eats box. Food For Free then loaded the boxes onto trucks for delivery to food programs across eastern Massachusetts communities.

For over 15 years, Cambridge Savings Bank has been a strong corporate partner of Food For Free. The Foundation and the bank have donated over $335,000 in grants and sponsorships to Food For Free throughout the partnership.

“At Cambridge Savings Bank, our heritage is built on a commitment to focus on the needs of our under-resourced neighbors, caring for our customers, and supporting our colleagues,” says Jeri Foutter, First Vice President, Community Partnerships & Foundation Officer at Cambridge Savings Bank. “We are dedicated to strengthening our relationships with the communities we serve and the people within them. Since the establishment of our Charitable Foundation in 2003, we have awarded over $15.5 million in grants, making a meaningful impact in areas such as food security, affordable housing, and community development. We are proud to continue our tradition of giving back and look forward to making a positive impact in the years to come.”

This corporate volunteer day provided a special opportunity for employees to make a positive impact while working together to give back to the community in a tangible way, getting their hands on the nutrient-dense food that will make its way to the plates of community members who need it most through food pantries, low-income housing sites, and other food programs. Each box contains enough fresh produce and pantry staples to make an estimated 21 meals.

“At Food For Free, we are thrilled to join forces with Cambridge Savings Bank in our shared mission to alleviate food insecurity in our community,” said Jessica Cantin, Food For Free CEO. “This partnership signifies a powerful collaboration between two organizations that are deeply committed to making a positive impact. With Cambridge Savings Bank’s support, we are able to expand our reach and amplify our efforts, ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry. We are grateful for Cambridge Savings Bank’s dedication to making a difference and look forward to seeing what impact we can have towards a healthier, more resilient community as our partnership continues.”

Food For Free’s Just Eats grocery box program was developed during the pandemic to meet an increased demand for food in the community that has not diminished. The program relies on 125 volunteer hours to pack boxes each week and delivers over 65,000 grocery boxes annually.

As one of the nation’s first food rescue organizations, Food For Free now serves more than 150,000 Massachusetts residents who are food insecure and distributes over 6.2 million pounds of nutritious fresh and prepared foods annually. For more information, visit: www.foodforfree.org.

About Food For Free

Food For Free is a Somerville-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing eastern Massachusetts with reliable access to fresh and nutritious food. Food For Free accomplishes its mission through food rescue, partnerships with schools, colleges, and community food programs, and our own direct service programs. In the last year, Food For Free distributed over 6.2 million pounds of nutritious food to 25 communities throughout eastern Massachusetts. To learn more, visit us at www.foodforfree.org, or follow Food For Free on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @foodforfreeorg.