Open Table, the MetroWest charity dedicated to fighting hunger and building healthy communities, was awarded a Food Security Infrastructure Grant in the amount of $168,529 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Open Table was one of 165 organizations selected from across the state to receive funding to help promote food security and resiliency.
The grant will be used to help renovate the Open Table Annex at 39 Main Street in Maynard and, specifically, to purchase a walk-in freezer and refrigeration. Located adjacent to Open Table’s existing pantry and offices, the new annex space will enable Open Table to keep more food onsite and, in turn, better support its growing client base with both on-site food distribution as well as its prepared meals and its growing mobile programs.
“This grant will be used to strengthen Open Table’s infrastructure and ensure that individuals and families throughout the MetroWest area have access to food,” said Alexandra DePalo, executive director, Open Table. “We are most grateful to the state for its commitment to fighting food insecurity by partnering with local organizations like Open Table. We, like many other food pantries, are seeing a significant increase in demand, and are working hard to make sure that everyone has food on their table.”
Almost 50 percent of food insecure households in the MetroWest area are not accessing a food pantry. With the added capacity from this grant, Open Table hopes to expand programs and partnerships with local organizations that serve individuals and families in need.
Open Table distributes bags of groceries, which include fresh produce, proteins, dairy, baked goods, and shelf-stable products, to over 300 households each week and provides over 1000 prepared meals to clients that hail from the Metro West suburbs. The organization offers food through its on-site drive-through model as well as a number of delivery programs.
