Food Programs Food Programs

Food Programs

The YMCA of Greater Boston Hunger Prevention Programs plays an important role in fighting food insecurity for people living in Greater Boston. Every day we partner with others to provide nutritious, culturally appropriate meals to children and families to end hunger for the most vulnerable among us.

Need Food? The Y is here to help

Below are some resources for you or to share:

Find a Food Pantry Near You: Greater Boston Food Bank

Visit the YMCA’s Mobile Market – 29 site visits in November

YMCA Grocery Bag Distribution Sites – 15 sites a month

Neighborhood Food Resources: Vital Connections Food Resource Guide

Senior Nutrition Programs

Call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline for help: (800) 645-8333
Hours: Mon–Fri 8am–7pm | Sat 10am–2pm

Donate to the Y’s Hunger Prevention Program

food drive

ymca food warehouse
 
roxbury food distribution warehouse

Greater Boston Collaborative Food Access Hub

Total Partner Investment from the City of Boston, Mass General Brigham (MGB), The Greater Boston Food Bank and Liberty Mutual: $5.3 million

The Y’s Hunger Prevention program now operates from a new 26,700 sq. ft. warehouse in Roxbury, featuring large-scale refrigeration and storage. This centralized hub expands our capacity to source, store, and distribute fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant food. Located near the Greater Boston Food Bank, local neighborhoods, and major highways, it streamlines rescued food distribution and strengthens the city’s food access network.
 
 
Mayor Wu, Mass General Brigham, and the YMCA of Greater Boston Announce New Cold-Storage Infrastructure and Food Hub
 
Read More
 
The Boston Globe announced the opening of our Collaborative Food Access Hub Opening.
 
Read More

 
 
Food Security Initiatives
Watch this video to learn more about how the YMCA is Supporting Food Security.
 

 

 
 
YMCA Mobile Market
Our highly demanded Mobile Market is our wholistic approach to caring for our community. Watch this video to learn more.
 

SNAP Outreach and Enrollment

 
What is SNAP?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a nutrition program that gives you money for food. Previously known as food stamps, eligible individuals receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to buy food at grocery stores, convenience stores, and farmers markets.

Want to know if you are eligible?

If you are interested in SNAP or wondering if you are eligible, email snap@ymcaboston.org.

Need help with the recertification process?

If you need to recertify your SNAP enrollment, we can also help. Email snap@ymcaboston.org.

Year-Round and Afterschool Food Program

All children, but especially your youngest cannot learn, grow, or thrive when hungry. Our year-round and after school food programs make sure all children have access to nutritious foods while in our care.

The YMCA of Greater Boston is an active participant in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) as a sponsor for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Nutrition.

The YMCA of Greater Boston’s Families in Transition (FIT) housing shelter participates in the CACFP program and after school programs.

CACFP YMCA Early Education centers include:

  • East Boston
  • Wang
  • Roxbury
  • Woburn (Sylvan Road)

Our afterschool food program sites include:

BCYF Gallivan Community Center

BCYF Hennigan Community Center

BCYF Marshall Community Center

BCYF Mildred Ave Community Center

BCYF Paris Street

BCYF Tobin

BCYF Vine Street Community Center

Bird Street Community Center Inc.

Brookview House

Funtime Academy

Greenwood Shalom Tutoring Zone

Kwong Kow Chinese School

Salesian Boys & Girls Club

YMCA – Ashley Street

YMCA – Charlesview

YMCA – Conservatory Lab Lower

YMCA – Conservatory Lab Upper

YMCA – Dorchester

YMCA – Huntington Ave

YMCA – Joseph Tiernery Learning Center

YMCA – Hyde Park/Menino

YMCA – Match Community Day

YMCA – Neighborhood House Charter School

YMCA – Roxbury

YMCA – Wang

YMCA – Washington Beech

YMCA – Whittemore

YMCA SUMMER EATS

When school doors close for the summer, the Y opens its doors wider and works with the City of Boston and other partners to make sure all children have access to nutritious meals all Summer long. This program is active June through August only.

To learn more about our Hunger Prevention Programs, contact Eilisha Manandhar at EManandhar@ymcaboston.org or 617-433-7532.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-ED)

The SNAP-Ed program provides nutrition and physical activity education and other valuable resources to youth and adults who receive or are eligible for SNAP benefits. SNAP-Ed’s goal is to help SNAP eligible individuals make nutritious food choices on a limited budget and choose a physically active lifestyle. Our SNAP-Ed team offers education lessons at community partners sites, YMCA after school programs, and Early Education Centers. Administered lessons focus on topics such as reading food labels, eating local, healthy substitutions, and increasing physical activity. Activities for SNAP-Ed include food preparation demonstrations, cooking classes, recipe cards, taste tests, and physical activity routines.

SNAP ED logo

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online
at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (833) 620-1071, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. Link to discrimination complaint instructions: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:

mail: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA 1320 Braddock Place, Room 334 Alexandria, VA 22314; or

fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email: FNSCIVILRIGHTSCOMPLAINTS@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.