Who Supports Us
Open Table relies on the support of hundreds of volunteers, generous individual donors, funding organizations and community partners. We deeply appreciate everyone’s belief in our mission. Thank you!
Individuals, Families, and Community Groups
Some of our most important supporters are people like YOU! Individual donors who make donations, families who drop off a bag of groceries in honor of a child’s birthday, scout troops who pack kids’ bags, or the neighborhood that sponsors a fall food drive. There are so many of these generous and thoughful people in our community who support Open Table on a small, but ultimately significant level.
Sustaining and Contributing Partners
Many thanks to the many organizations that have made a significant investment in our work, enabling us to meet the growing number of guests who turn to us for assistance.
Funding Sources
Open Table relies on many different funding sources.
Cummings Foundation
One of the largest foundations in New England, Woburn-based Cummings Foundation currently has almost $2 billion in net assets, and it has awarded more than $200 million in grants to Greater Boston nonprofits alone.
Sustaining Partners
Acton Boxborough United Way
The Acton Boxborough United Way works to improve lives in Acton and Boxborough by mobilizing the caring power of community. The ABUW provides generous grants to Open Table to help provide fresh produce for our guests.
Concord Carlisle Community Chest
The Concord Carlisle Community Chest meets the evolving needs of local citizens and gives responsibly to a broad range of human service and other organizations that strengthen the Concord and Carlisle Massachusetts communities. The CCCC provides generous grants to Open Table.
Crawford Idema Family Foundation
Crawford Idema Family Foundation supports philanthropic causes through grants for curriculum development, and operating and other continuing programs. Crawford Idema Family Foundation provides generous support of Open Table.
First Parish in Concord
First Parish in Concord invites everyone into their Unitarian faith community, without regard to race, gender, age, color, national origin, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. First Parish provides space for Open Table in Concord, funding, and many volunteers.
Foundation for MetroWest
Foundation for MetroWest connects philanthropic opportunity with demonstrated need in the Boston Metrowest area. They provide funding and services for guests of Open Table.
Greater Boston Food Bank
The Greater Boston Food Bank has a mission to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts with the objective of distributing enough food to provide at least one meal a day to those in need. GBFB provides Open Table with 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of food every week.
Maynard Community Chest
Maynard Community Chest is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that works to strengthen the community by supporting local charitable agencies that provide a broad range of essential human services to people who live of work in Maynard, Massachusetts.
Middlesex Savings Bank Charitable Foundation
Middlesex Savings Bank Charitable Foundation carries out the philanthropic mission of Middlesex Savings Bank, assisting non-profit organizations that provide critical community services throughout Eastern and Central Massachusetts.
Project Bread
Project Bread is dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts.
Trinitarian Congregational Church
Trinitarian Congregational Church Concord is deeply engaged in social action, mission and outreach. TriCon provides regular donations of food and groceries to Open Table.
Contributing Partners
- Barrett Mill Farms
- Concord Academy
- Concord Flower Shop
- Concord Masons
- Concord Public Schools
- Concord-Carlisle Regional High School
- Concord Recreation Department
- Congregation Kerem Shalom
- Crosby’s Marketplace
- The Discovery Museums
- Donelan’s Supermarket, Acton
- Drumlin Farm
- Emerson Hospital
- The Fenn School
- First Parish in Lincoln
- First Parish of Sudbury
- Gaining Ground
- Holy Family Parish
- The Keel Foundation
- Lincoln Public Schools
- Metrowest Free Medical Program
- MetroWest Legal Services
- Middlesex School
- Minute Man Arc for Human Services
- Nashawtuc Architects
- The Nash Family Foundation
- Nashoba Brooks School
- National Charity League
- Newbury Court
- NuPath, Inc.
- The Osterman Family Foundation
- Roche Brothers Supermarket, Acton
- Ryan Family Charitable Foundation
- Stop & Shop, Acton
- St. Anne’s in the Fields, Lincoln
- St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sudbury
- TD Bank
- Trader Joe’s, Acton
- Trinity Episcopal Church
- Verrill Farm
- West Concord Union Church
Thank You for Your Recent Support
Maybe you’ve seen the new volunteer hut, placed your first online order at Open Table, or noticed that our ordering pages are available in Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. Did you know that all of these changes are due in part to a generous grant from the Foundation for MetroWest (FMW) through their recent 2020 COVID Relief Grant Program. The grant supported winterization of the drive-thru pantry, creation of the online ordering system, and translation of related materials for our linguistically diverse client base. Families now have more choice in what foods they receive, getting them the right type and amount of food, and thereby lessening waste. We greatly appreciate the continued support of the Foundation for MetroWest; together we can bring the MetroWest region more love, less hunger.
We love when our supporters pamper our clients! And that’s what Amanda Proia and her friends and colleagues did recently. Amanda, who is a Pampered Chef consultant, organized a Meal Kit Food Drive for Open Table. The result is 32 meal kits that include recipes and all of the ingredients to create two meals. Families will enjoy two night of not having to decide what to cook – and isn’t that the hardest part sometimes? We look forward to working with Amanda on future creative meal projects.
Sending a thank you to our friends at Advaita Meditation Center for their generous gift. We understand the importance of the physical and mental wellbeing of those in our community and appreciate the support from the Advaita Center.
The Acton-Boxborough United Way recently announced $175,500 in Community Impact Grants to 17 area nonprofits supporting the health, education and financial stability of the Acton and Boxborough communities. Open Table is honored to have been awarded one of these grants. The funds will be used to help purchase fresh food to be included in grocery bags and prepared meals available through our Food Programs. In the past year, well over 100 families from Acton or Boxborough have received groceries at our pantry, and we serve 55 prepared meals each week to seniors in our partnership with the Acton COA. Open Table is honored to continue our long-term partnership with ABUW, working together to help those in need in Acton, Boxborough, and beyond. Thank you.
Jeanine Calabria, Executive Director of Open Table, was delighted to receive a big check from William Lawler, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of Cambridge Saving Bank. The check represents a recent donation from Cambridge Savings Bank, funds that will help us food to the increased number of families who are now experiencing food insecurity due to the effects of the COVID crisis. We greatly appreciate the support of local organizations like Cambridge Savings Bank – together we can make a real difference in our community.
Open Table is thrilled to again partner with the Acton Chinese-American Civic Society (ACACS) to help families celebrate and/or learn about Chinese New Year. The ACACS provided 80 bags of treats and wishes of good fortune and health in the new year – we were able to offer a bag to all who came to our pantry on Thursday. Thank you to our friends Jian Yang & Jianying Shi who came on site to assemble the bags! Gong xi fa cai! Wishing you great happiness and prosperity in the New Year!
Open Table is proud to partner with the Maynard Anti-Racism Alliance in celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and work together to end systemic racism and improve the lives of all in our community. MARA has added this beautiful artwork to our window at 33 Main Street, Maynard. We hope you will come take a look – up through the end of February.
Way back in March, Bryce McKnight, the director of food services for the Concord school district realized that with schools closed because of the pandemic, some people might need food assistance. So he organized a food distribution service out of the high school for anyone in Concord or Carlisle who needed it. A few months in, Open Table stepped up to supplement the fresh produce from local farms with homemade meals, meat & dairy, and shelf-stable items.
But with the growing season over and cold weather on the horizon, we wanted to find a way to continue this successful program. Now First Parish in Concord has opened their doors, giving us space to operate our mobile pantry for residents and town employees. Beginning December 9th and on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month after that, Open Table will distribute groceries from 1-2 pm from the side entrance at 20 Lexington Road.
Our mobile pantries help seniors, individuals with disabilities, and those with transportation issues have easier access to food in a convenient location. The Concord location joins our other successful mobile pantries in Hudson and other pop-up locations as needed. We’re grateful to First Parish for generously offering space to continue this much-needed program.
Another huge thank you to State Representative Kate Hogan and State Senator Jamie Eldridge for their continued support of those in need in our community. Recognizing the significant impact that COVID has had on the number of residents facing food insecurity, they were able to earmark $40,000 in the state supplemental budget for local food banks, including Open Table. We were thrilled that Kate Hogan was able to drop by and deliver a symbolic check and check in on our operations.
Representative Hogan, Cortney Murray, Richard Fortier, and Open Table Program Manager Jill Tsakiris.
We are overcome by your generosity. Thanks to YOU, we more than tripled our goal on #GivingTuesday! Your support will help us feed hundreds more families. We could not do this without you — THANK YOU!!
Here is our Vice President, Mary Siegel with a few words of thanks:
Open Table and the families we serve have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the community and the generosity of so many organizations and individuals who are running food drives, organizing fundraisers, and donating groceries to help our neighbors in need. With friends like these we can all get through these troubling times – with a little help from our friends. THANK YOU!
Willard School: The fifth grade class at Willard School in Concord collected, sorted, and boxed over 1209 pounds of food. The kids even checked the expiration dates of all items, assuring that everything is safe and ready to be delivered to our guests.
Maynard Golf Course: A recent charity tournament brought in over $1300 in donations that can provide grocery cards to keep food on our guests’ tables during the last week in December when Open Table is closed.
Nashoba Brooks School in Concord held an Open Table Food “Fill the Bus” drive as part of their Harvest Festival Week 2020. They collected 1882 pounds of food!
Stow Family Chiropractic: Dr Todd and Office Manager Melissa display some of the over 60 grocery bags of food donated via Stow Family Chiropractic staff and patients.
Steps to Success Consultants of Concord hosted a Thanksgiving Giving Tree to benefit Open Table which allowed for clients to donate food, decorate kids bags, and reflect on gratitude.
Open Table supporter Luke decided to forgo birthday presents and asked for non-perishable food donations instead. Luke proudly displays his collection of over 92 pounds of food!
Last year Apellis Pharmaceuticals packed and delivered 100 Thanksgiving bags to Open Table. This year, with the pandemic, it was impossible to assemble the bags in person – so they took their generous spirit virtual AND increased their goal to 150 bags. The Apellis community stepped up and donated the equivalent of 160 bags to Open Table, exceeding their goal in less than a week! Open Table distributed splurge bags to families last week. The bags included special items such as coffee or tea, sparkling juice, baking mixes, and dried fruits and nuts. These items are harder to get through our normal free and low-cost sources, and may be considered luxuries to those facing food insecurity – but it’s little things like a comforting cup of cocoa or a tasty treat that make the holidays festive and help this unusual year feel a little more normal. Thank you, Apellis, for brining those feelings of joy to others in our community.
We are sending a big Thank You to our friends at Kerem Shalom – Vineyard of Peace for their drive-up food drive this past week. Special thanks to Nancy Kaplan and Susan Brager Murphy for their organizing skills. Donors gave a total of 835 pounds of food about $900 in cash. We are so grateful to spread #morelovelesshunger #withalittlehelpfromourfriends
This Thanksgiving we have volunteers creating special Holiday Splurge Bags to be distributed to our guests before Thanksgiving. These bags have high value holiday items in them that Open Table can’t normally provide; things that make holiday time special, such as fancy nuts, dried fruits, dried sausage, sparkling cider, etc.
We are sending a big thank you to our friends Laurie Cadigan and K.C. Winslow at Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty for their 24 bags and Pam and Wendy from the Dover Street Neighborhood in Concord for their 10 bags. We can only do these special programs #withalittlehelpfromourfriends !
and the items Concord’s Blueberry Lane neighbors put together. These bags will help our guests enjoy their holiday #withalittlehelpfromourfriends!
We are sending a big thank you to our friends from the Nashawtuc Hill neighborhood in Concord for their donation of 1310 pounds of food and a generous cash donation. Traditionally known as the Red Wagon Food Drive where neighborhood kids would go door to door collecting, this year the drive was adapted for Covid with a drive thru and drop off event. Thank you to all who participated!
On November 2nd, Elizabeth Cronin dropped off a donation of 165 pounds of food from the employees at Emerson Hospital, Lincoln Physician Group, Orthopedic Affiliates, and Emerson Primary Care of Bedford. donated 165 pounds of food today. We love help from our friends!
