Press Release: Mobile Meal Partnerships

Open Table Partners with Nonprofits to Bring Prepared Meals to Minority and Immigrant Communities  

Investments in kitchen and transportation capabilities help double number of meals created and make a significant impact on those struggling with food insecurity

Concord and Maynard, MA (August 8, 2022) – Open Table, the Concord and Maynard charity dedicated to fighting hunger and building healthy communities, today announced that it is working with four separate programs to get 1000 prepared meals per week to elders and 300 fresh lunches per week to children in need through a variety of programs this summer. The participating programs include: The Food Project, IINE in Lowell, Mill City Grows, and the Kids Summer Lunch and Snack Program.

These four partnerships are in keeping with Open Table’s goal to significantly grow the number of individuals it serves through its mobile programs. Working with partners helps Open Table identify and serve unmet need, especially within minority and immigrant communities. For many people, lack of transportation, lack of information, shame, and stigma, along with limited access to food pantry locations and hours are obstacles. Innovative partner-based programming, focused on increasing information, access and choice allows Open Table to begin meeting critical food needs for “the invisible two-thirds” of food insecure households not currently accessing food pantry services.

Participants in the Open Table mobile food partnerships receive either pre-cooked and frozen meals made fresh in Open Table’s professional kitchen or kid’s packs, which contain meals and snacks for enjoying at summer camp or at home.

Food Project – Every Thursday, the Food Project picks up 75 frozen meals prepared at Open Table and labeled in Spanish. The Food Project then distributes the meals to seniors at La Alianza Hispana, a community-based organization providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health and education programs to the Latino Community of Greater Boston.

IINE, Lowell —  Building on its success in providing prepared meals for Afghani refugees, Open Tables is now providing IINE with up to 70 monthly meals for all the refugees and immigrants who come through its doors.   

Mill City Grows – Beginning the week of August 13, Open Table will deliver 85 all-vegetarian meals  to Lowell-based non-profit Mill City Grows (MCG), which includes them in their CSA farm shares to people in need. Meals are labeled in Spanish, Portuguese and Khmer.

Kids Summer Lunch and Snack Program – Open Table is preparing 265[JG1]  lunches a week for area children to eat at home or to take to summer camp programs. The kids’ packs must be reserved in advance and are distributed through the Acton Food Pantry and at the Open Table pantry in Maynard.

“The funds provided by a Massachusetts Food Infrastructure grant have allowed Open Table to upgrade both our kitchen equipment and transportation capabilities so that we can make and deliver more prepared meals to those in need,” said Jeanine Calabria, executive director, Open Table.  “Partnerships with groups like the Food Project, IINE, and Mill City Grows are a friction-less way to extend our reach further into communities where food insecurity is real and where Open Table can make a big impact.”