Boston Hunger Prevention Programs
Fighting Food Insecurity is our #1 Priority. The YMCA Greater Boston Hunger Prevention Programs partner with others to provide nutritious, culturally appropriate meals to children and families to end hunger for the most vulnerable among us. You can join us by supporting these essential programs.
Hunger Prevention by the Numbers
July 2025 - June 2026
2,882,652
Meals provided (Grocery distribution, vended meals, fresh produce & rescue)
798,432
Food items distributed at mobile markets
272,041
Pounds of food recovered by the collaborative food access hub
398
Nutrition education sessions
Why the Roxbury Warehouse Matters
In 2024, Mayor Michelle Wu, Mass General Brigham, and the YMCA of Greater Boston announced a partnership to develop a collaborative food storage and distribution hub. Today that plan is a reality. This unique collaboration, led by the YMCA of Greater Boston, offers physical space for organizations that distribute food throughout Boston, to tackle food insecurity. It allows fresh, refrigerated food to reach food pantries, soup kitchens, and other food distribution sites throughout Boston, particularly in neighborhoods with the greatest need. Located in Roxbury in a 27,000-square-foot warehouse, the Collaborative Food Access Hub boasts 5,500 square feet of state-of-the-art refrigeration and freezer space.
Year 1 Collective Impact
Weekly Recovered Produce (Avg)
Families Served
Weekly Fresh Produce (Avg)
Individuals Served
A Growing Collaborative January - March
Individuals Served
Weekly Recovered Produce (Avg)
Families
Weekly Fresh Produce (Avg)
Collaborative Funding Partners
The YMCA Food Hub
Watch this video to learn more about how the YMCA is Supporting Food Security.
December 30, 2024
Mayor Wu, Mass General Brigham, and the YMCA of Greater Boston Announce New Cold Storage Infrastructure and Food Hub.
December 14, 2024
The Boston Globe announced the opening of our Collaborative Food Access Hub.
Our nutrition team was out in the Charlestown community on Valentine's Day spreading the love with free food to the community and beat juice made right on site with delicious, healthy, and local ingredients.
In honor of #HispanicHeritageMonth, our Nutrition team did an in-person cooking demonstration at the Ashmont Farmer's Market! Try it out yourself at home for a delicious, healthy snack.
How well did you do? Learn more about how the YMCA of Greater Boston is feeding our community.
Wally the Green Monster joined us at Mattahunt Elementary to celebrate our School Food Pantry Partnership. We're feeding it forward this holiday season by delivering 22,000 meals to food insecure Boston Public School students this winter break ❤️ 💚
Testimonials
Help Us End Hunger in Our Communities
Support the YMCA of Greater Boston in our joint efforts to fight Food Insecurity with your donation of needed funding, products and services. With your help, we can meet our goal of ending hunger in our communities.
DonateYGB Mobile Markets
The YMCA of Greater Boston operates two trucks that provide free fresh produce and shelf-stable items at sites across the Greater Boston area. Open to the public, all are welcome to shop and fill a grocery bag at no cost. Our schedule of dates and locations is updated weekly and is accessible in five languages.
People Served
Food Items Distributed
Y Mobile Markets
|
Y Mobile Markets |
Neighborhood |
|
Boston International High School |
Dorchester |
|
Carver Lodge |
Dorchester |
|
Church of the Holy Spirit |
Mattapan |
|
DSNI |
Roxbury |
|
East Boston YMCA |
East Boston |
|
Egleston Square YMCA |
Roxbury |
|
Haynes EEC |
Roxbury |
|
Holland Tech School |
Dorchester |
|
King School |
Dorchester |
|
Margarita Muñiz Academy |
Jamaica Plain |
|
Mario Umana Academy |
East Boston |
|
Mather School |
Dorchester |
|
Mattahunt Elementary School |
Mattapan |
|
Mildred School |
Mattapan |
|
Ollie Preschool |
South Boston |
|
Roxbury YMCA |
Roxbury |
|
Ruth Batson Academy |
Dorchester |
|
Sarah Roberts Elementary School |
Roslindale |
|
Shaw Taylor School |
Mattapan |
|
Trotter Elementary School |
Roxbury |
MGB Mobile Markets
|
MGB Mobile Markets |
Neighborhood |
|
Amy Lowell Apartments |
West End – Seniors |
|
Blackstone Apartments |
West End – Seniors |
|
Brookside Community Health Center |
Jamaica Plain |
|
Charlestown Community Health Center |
Charlestown |
|
Chelsea Community Health Center |
Chelsea |
|
Cooper House |
Egelston Square – Seniors |
|
Edward M. Kennedy Academy |
Health Careers – BPS |
|
Halleck Street Apartments |
Mission Hill |
|
Hyde Park Physicians |
Hyde Park |
|
Mattapan Community Health Center |
Mattapan |
|
South Street BHA |
Jamaica Plain |
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The YMCA is now offering SNAP application and case support services.
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.
If you are interested in SNAP or wondering if you are eligible for SNAP, or need to recertify your SNAP enrollment email or call us for more information.
Community Organizations and Partners:
We are also available to provide SNAP outreach activities, including staff trainings, community presentations, enrollment support events, and tabling opportunities. If you are interested in partnering with us, please complete our Outreach Request Form, and a member of our team will follow up with you shortly.
SNAP OUTREACH AND TRAINING
Phone No
857-291-2027
snap@ymcaboston.org
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.
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 ensure that 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 are located in:
- 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
Awards & Recognitions
The Greater Boston Food Pantry Food Bank bestowed their Healthy Pantry Champion Award on the YMCA of Greater Boston in 2025 in recognition of our commitment to providing nutritious food and creating a welcoming, client-centered pantry experience.
Healthy Pantry Champion
We are proud to be recognized as a 2025 Healthy Pantry Champion by The Greater Boston Food Bank, reflecting our commitment to providing nutritious food and creating a welcoming, client-centered pantry experience.
Collaborating Partners
Community Resources
Greater Boston Food Bank pantry
Find Food Assistance Through the Greater Boston Food Bank Pantry Finder using your zipcode.
Vital Connections Food Resource Guide
Neighborhood Food Resources is a compilation of trusted, free and reduced-price food resources in ten neighborhoods and is written in five languages.
Project Bread Food Source Hotline
The MA Department of Public Health, through its Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline, promotes the health and well-being of all residents by ensuring access to high-quality public health and health care services. Call 800-645-8333 Monday – Friday 8 am – 7 pm; Saturday 10 am – 2 pm
Groceries are distributed at more than 15 sites around the area to those in need.
Groceries are distributed at more than 15 sites around the area to those in need.
Mass General Brigham Community Care Vans
The Mass General Brigham Medial Community Care Vans offer a range of mobile medical services, including screenings and interventions for chronic health issues like hypertension, diabetes, and substance use disorders. Launched during the COVID19 pandemic, the vans are staffed with multilingual and multicultural clinicians and support staff to better connect with the communities served by Mass General Brigham.
Join the Fight Against Food Insecurity
Support the YMCA of Greater Boston in our joint efforts to fight Food Insecurity with your donation of needed funding, products and services. With your help, we can meet our goal of ending hunger in our communities.
DONATEIn 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:
Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
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.
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