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The Sun News: MVFB launches ‘Feed & Nourish’ capital campaign
To read the full article, click here: https://www.lowellsun.com/2025/05/19/mvfb-launches-feed-nourish-capital-campaign/
$7.8 million goal to fight hunger in Merrimack Valley
LOWELL — The Merrimack Valley Food Bank was started by Jimmy Good and a bunch of his friends out of the back of a U-Haul truck in 1991. Over the years, the program has grown to meet the needs of the community, eventually moving into a new warehouse on Middlesex Street in early 2024.
On Thursday, Executive Director Debbie Callery announced the launch of the nonprofit’s $7.8 million “Feed & Nourish” public capital campaign to continue its fight against hunger.
“At the heart of our work is a simple but powerful belief that no one should go hungry,” she said in a room packed with supporters. “Every bag of food we distribute is more than a meal; it’s a message that says ‘you matter, and you are not alone.’”
Almost $4 million has already been raised though what Callery called months of “generous early commitments.” The monies will be used to purchase and renovate the new space, which has tripled MVFB’s capacity and storage.
“Demand has grown and with it the need for a larger facility, better equipment, more storage and an efficient system,” Callery said.
The food distribution hub on Middlesex Street in Lowell’s Highlands neighborhood collects, stores and supplies food to community-based emergency feeding programs and pantries that directly provide food to those in need.
Callery was joined at the podium by founder and Board President Good, and board members Sandeep Jain, of Lowell Five Bank, and Vichtcha Kong, of Washington Savings Bank.
In attendance were state Reps. Vanna Howard, Tara Hong and Rodney Elliott; a representative for state Sen. Bruce Tarr; leadership from the Parker Foundation and the Stevens Foundation; Rockland Trust; and others.
The organization’s work is even more critical in the face of growing need at the same time that the Trump Administration cut major federal funding to food programs like the MVFB.
“We lost $250,000 in food from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – about 5,000 cases of food over 6 months such as eggs, cheese and yogurt,” Callery said. “These were deliveries that were already scheduled between March and August. Food banks across the country felt that hit.”
The $1 billion in cuts were made in March by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to food assistance programs across both the commonwealth and the nation.
MVFB provides agency support largely through the bulk food it receives from the USDA and the state through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Huge metal racks are labeled with government supplies, as well as private contributions, such as pallets of peanut butter and jelly from the Sterling Corporation, part of its twice yearly donation.
On a tour of the facility after the campaign kickoff, Callery showed off a space organized to get food out the door as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Dozens of Uline bins were labeled with tags such as “Baby formula,” “Pasta” and “Canned goods.” A huge walk-in refrigerator led to an equally large walk-in freezer that was stocked with frozen meat, fish and seafood.
Boxes of prepared dinners made by Lenzi’s Catering & Function Facility, of Dracut, were awaiting pickup and delivery to low-income seniors. Through a grant, the MVFB supports the local business to prepare the meals-to-go twice a month. The microwavable trays were filled with either ham, turkey, chicken, meatloaf or meatballs, as well as potatoes and vegetables.
That program is in addition to providing food to the Greater Lowell pantry list, an extensive food program called Operation Nourish in area schools, as well as pantries in selected schools called Mill Markets.
Callery called the new building a “game-changer,” and also fortuitous, given the growing need in the community.
“The building provides room to grow our programming and offer a promise that no one in our community is forgotten or left behind,” she said.
She encouraged people to consider a one-time gift, a multiyear pledge or to simply spread the word about the nonprofit’s mission.
“Every action matters, every gift counts,” she said. “Together we can build a future, where no child, no senior, no neighbor goes to bed hungry.”
The MVFB offers free tours of its new facility at 1703 Middlesex St. Call 978-454-7272 to arrange a visit. To donate to or inquire about volunteer opportunities at MVFB, visit mvfb.org.
Thank you to Melanie Gilbert from The Sun News.
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USDA Cancels $208,323 in Food Deliveries To MVFB
in In The News
Governor Maura Healey’s office has issued a press release about the latest cuts to federal food programs, which impact MVFB. We have had $208,323 worth of food deliveries cancelled, totaling 3,806 cases of food. You can read the full release here:
As we shared in the press release: These cuts don’t just exist on paper or in a spreadsheet – they are taking food directly off the plates of families in Massachusetts who rely on food pantries for a little extra help to make ends meet.
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Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation Contributes $50,000 to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank
Thank you to Pentucket Bank for helping us in our fight against hunger. You can read the full press release from Pentucket Bank here.
The Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation has committed $50,000 over five years to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank to support the construction of its new food distribution center. This major project aims to raise $7.8 million to expand the organization’s capacity to combat hunger across the region.
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank is dedicated to ensuring the health and well-being of the community by providing critical access to nutritious food. Serving over 100 member agencies – including local food pantries and meal programs in 33 communities – the organization directly assists children, teens, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families in Greater Lowell.
“The Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation is very pleased to provide a $50,000, 5-year grant to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank,” said Pentucket Bank President and CEO Steve Jaskelevicus. “This funding will play a key role in building their new food distribution center, which is crucial to furthering their vital mission. We are proud to support their extraordinary work in the community.”
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The Sun News: Merrimack Valley Food Bank takes hunger off the table
in In The News
Link to article by Melanie Gilbert of The Sun News: https://www.lowellsun.com/2025/01/12/merrimack-valley-food-bank-takes-hunger-off-the-table/
LOWELL — Debbie Callery, the executive director of the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, has a lot on her plate.
She presented an overview of the numerous services and programs the nonprofit runs in the community to the City Council’s Nonprofit Subcommittee Tuesday night.
“We are a food distribution center to the emergency feeding program,” she told Councilors Erik Gitschier, Vesna Nuon and Corey Robinson.
The organization has been feeding families since 1981 through bulk food it receives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state. The nonprofit serves more than 30 cities and towns and distributes nearly 4 million pounds of food each year. MVFB serves an average of 70,000 persons each month through partnerships with over 100 member agencies including food pantries, meal programs, shelters and schools, as well as through several direct-service hunger-relief programs.
As the need in the community continues to grow, Callery said MVFB will continue to expand its mission.
“In addition to that food distribution program, we operate direct service programs,” she said. “Our mobile pantry serves 300 seniors in the Greater Lowell area, providing a monthly delivery of groceries containing enough food to prepare somewhere between 26-30 meals.”
The Lowell Transitional Living Center is a recipient of MVFB’s direct-service hunger-relief program. For more than 38 years, the emergency shelter on Middlesex Street has been the primary destination for any unhoused individual adult seeking shelter in the city of Lowell.
The largest homeless shelter and support organization north of Boston served more than 65,000 meals to its clients in 2024, and a lot of that food came from the MVFB.
“LTLC is a client,” Callery said. “They come to the food bank weekly to obtain food that they use to prepare meals.”
In addition to delivering food to area pantries and client-centered organizations like LTLC, the MVFB is an invaluable partner for the Lowell Public Schools. For many of the district’s students, school is the place where they receive the majority of their meals and snacks.
“This year, we hit a milestone with our children’s feeding program serving all 27 schools in Lowell,” Callery said. “We have two components to the program, one of which is called Operation Nourish. In the middle school and the high school, we have in-school pantries that are called Mill Markets that we stock monthly with healthy, shelf stable food items.”
The concept has since expanded, made possible in conjunction with the Greater Lowell Community Foundation and Catie’s Closet.
“There’s nothing worse than seeing a child go home or come to school hungry,” Gitschier said, while saying what the nonprofit did in the community was “extremely important.”
At the elementary school level, students receive a bag to take home Friday afternoon to get them through the weekend. The programs make it possible for Lowell students and their families to not only survive, but to thrive, said LPS spokesperson Jennifer Myers.
“Particularly today, when a dollar doesn’t go quite as far as it used to at the grocery store, many families are struggling to provide enough food for their growing, active kids,” Myers said by email on Friday. “These programs provide nutritious and delicious food for students to bring home, are not only life savers – but also quality-of-life savers.”
In partnership with the USDA, MVFB also runs a robust summer meals program at city parks and pools, serving 12 sites and preparing 16,000 meals in a six-week period during the school break.
As if that’s not enough on Callery’s plate, she and her team also run a seasonal program called the Community Market, a free farmer’s market-style program serving public housing properties in Greater Lowell.
“Right now, we have four sites in the city, and we’re hoping to add another one next summer,” she said. “We’re probably serving 1,000 people a month. We provide fresh produce, diary, proteins and supermarket gift cards.”
The organization’s work isn’t going unnoticed. In 2023, MVFB was selected to receive $225,000 over the next three years from the Cummings Foundation’s $30 Million Grant Program.
“Cummings Foundation has provided extremely generous support to our organization over the years,” Callery said in a statement announcing news of the award. “These unrestricted grant funds allow us to grow and adapt quickly to meet needs or respond to emergencies as they arise in our community. We are grateful for the confidence this grant indicates that Cummings Foundation has in our team and our vision at MVFB.”
In early 2024, MVFB expanded its footprint and moved to a new facility on Middlesex Street in the Highlands neighborhood. The one-level warehouse with administrative offices and several loading docks has streamlined MVFB operations.
“Everything is going well,” Callery said. “Come and take a tour to see what’s going on.”
The MVFB offers free tours of its new facility. Call 978-454-7272 to arrange a visit. To donate to or inquire about volunteer opportunities at MVFB, visit mvfb.org.
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Stocking Shelves, Changing Lives: How Recurring Donations Combat Food Insecurity
in In The News
For many years, a growing group of individuals have provided consistent support to those who are food-insecure. These dedicated donors are members of Stock the Shelves Club at Merrimack Valley Food Bank (MVFB).
The Stock the Shelves Club has 94 members across four different states. They each make monetary donations weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Because of this generosity, more than 67 thousand meals were supplied last year.
Mike Bowen, resident of Chelmsford, shared his experience as a recurring donor. With four years of donations, Bowen and his wife, Lisa, have helped feed numerous local families in need. “It’s one of the easiest necessities to give somebody that can make a major impact,” he said.
It was in 2020 when the married couple began annually donating to MVFB for the holiday season. But after touring the new facility this summer, they were surprised by the amount of food received in merely one day. Together, they made the decision to become monthly donors. “It was eye-opening,” recalled Bowen, “the level of need in our area.”
Food insecurity is quite common, affecting 47 million Americans annually. And while there is plenty of food production, it lacks accessibility. Whether this is due to cost or location, far too many individuals do not have enough to eat on a daily basis—let alone meet their nutritional needs. “Every day, there are people in our community who don’t know how they are going to provide a meal for their families,” shares Kelly Proulx, Director of Communications and Public Relations. “Knowing we can rely on our Stock the Shelves members gives us confidence that we will be able to continue meeting the needs of our neighbors.”
Children and elders are particularly at risk for food insecurity; therefore, MVFB has direct hunger relief programs for both age groups. Of the two, Bowen finds Operation Nourish to be especially admirable, “how [volunteers] put together all the food for the kids, and they get to take it home with them.” Operation Nourish was designed to feed children over the weekend when they are not receiving school meals. Donations from Stock the Shelves members, such as the Bowens, allow MVFB to purchase a variety of nutritious food for children from low-income families. This is in addition to individuals who are homebound, have disabilities, or simply need a hand. Life is unpredictable, and that is why organizations like MVFB exist.
Regardless, there are several misconceptions about those who require such assistance—Bowen does not believe in any of it. “They’re not lazy. They’re struggling, and they’re trying. And if we help take care of some of their problems, it allows them to better themselves,” he said. “If they can be fed, they can do so much more.”
According to Feeding America, food insecurity is linked to a number of chronic diseases, forcing people to choose between their own health, housing, or utilities. This difficult decision contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty that affects so many lives. Not to mention the toll it takes on one’s mental wellbeing; both depression and anxiety are common among those who are food-insecure. It is important to remember that food nourishes our minds just as much as our bodies. And without it, we cannot reach our full potential.
All together, members of Stock the Shelves are helping fight food insecurity in Greater Lowell. By making a recurring donation, you too can be part of this community of committed individuals who are making a lasting difference.
“You’re never going to realize that the money isn’t there. I’m donating at a level I can afford, and it doesn’t impact my bills or the way that I live. But I know that it greatly impacts other people.”
Learn more or make a donation at www.mvfb.org.
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MVFB Featured in the 2025 Edition of Massachusetts Grown!
in In The News
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank is proud to be featured twice in the 2025 edition of Massachusetts Grown. To read the full edition, click here: https://farmflavor.com/massachusetts/massachusetts-magazine/massachusetts-grown-2025/
Inside Lowell: MV Food Bank to Feed Thousands This Thanksgiving
in In The News
Thank you to Inside Lowell for their article about MVFB’s work feeding our community during this Thanksgiving season. To read the article, click here: https://insidelowell.com/mv-food-bank-to-feed-thousands-this-thanksgiving/
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