Budget Cuts Hitting Food SupplyIn the first quarter of 2025, demand for our grocery programs rose 8% compared to 2024 as our funding and food supply face new threats from federal budget cuts. In April, the Greater Boston Food Bank, our largest food provider, lost $3.3 million of funding used to purchase healthy foods like chicken, milk, eggs and fresh produce. The funding pays farms to produce fresh food for frontline food programs and local schools. These are items we will need to purchase if we can't access a consistent supply. The impact to our food supply is sustainable for now, but there are more dark clouds on the horizon. The prospect of rising grocery prices combined with further cuts to vital programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) could set up a perfect storm for our food safety net. Our community continues to step up in times of need, and this year local support is more important than ever. We can plan ahead when we know we can count on your donation each month. That's why one of the most impactful ways to support our work is with a recurring donation through our Breakfast Club. Together, we'll fill every table. Donations Make for Sweet HolidayAt Our Neighbors' Table, we believe everyone deserves great Easter and Passover memories. Together, we made that happen for hundreds of families across the region. We asked our community to donate candy and 1,100 chocolate bunnies, and you came through. Atria Merrimack Place donated four cases of bunnies to put us over the top. Local school kids decorated Easter bags, and a crew of volunteers filled each one. Local girl scouts donated cases of cookies, adding another special holiday treat to the shelves. Our program team made sure whole chickens and stuffing were available to any family who needed one, and invited the Easter Bunny to the Community Meal. By week's end, we provided a holiday with dignity to 2,400 neighbors, one of our busiest weeks ever. It's amazing what happens when we come together for our neighbors. There are so many ways to help. Join us! Calling All Schools - Start a Dollar Drive!Our Neighbors' Table has a new way to get kids involved in giving back to their neighbors while showing some school pride along the way. Already, Amesbury Middle School and Newburyport's Molin Upper Elementary School in Newburyport are holding "Dollar Drives" to support local food security. The school that raises the most dollars gets to watch a movie at school! While money is the most effective way to support our mission because we can purchase food at lower prices, schools can also opt for a condiment drive. Get your school involved today! Contact Community Engagement Coordinator Leanne Cavallaro at [email protected] to learn more. Save the Date - Let's Celebrate!At long last, we are ready to officially open the Seacoast Regional Food Hub and get it to work for the 17 communities we serve. This vital resource could not come at a better time. With a huge warehouse and and three giant cold storage units, we can increase the food supply and our partners' ability to access it. Join us and our partners on Thursday, June 5, at 9 a.m. as we celebrate the incredible community support that made this vision a reality.
0 Comments
Our Neighbors' Table (ONT) currently has 31% more people relying on us than during the historic pandemic crisis of 2020. Federal, state and local investments are more vital than ever to help ONT and our partners keep pace with the rising use of our services. Feeding our region requires number of different of resources, each vital to sustaining the system. These are 5 areas we all must prioritize in 2025 to meet the growing needs in our region in 2025: 1. SNAP Funding![]() The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a crucial layer to our local food safety net, providing qualifying households additional money in their food budgets. Last year, Our Neighbors' Table helped secure more than $440,000 in SNAP funds through our contract as a Community Outreach Provider. Cuts to this program trickle down to the local economy, taking money away from retailers and forcing these households to rely on grocery and meal programs. 2. Federal Food Support - TEFAP![]() Last year, the Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, provided almost 30% of the 1.5 million pounds of meats, produce, dairy products and other healthy foods distributed by ONT, valued at more than $580,000. The TEFAP program diverts surplus food at the national level to food banks and then us. Without it, we would have to purchase these products for our markets. 3. State Food Support - MEFAP
4. Tax Benefits for Charitable GivingAs federal spending is reduced, more reliance will build on state, municipal and private funding. State leaders are currently considering a cap on tax benefits for donations at $10,000, removing a key incentive for larger gifts. We must make sure that the budget package and policy changes don't do anything to discourage impactful private funding, including capping deductions for charitable contributions. Contact your state representative and ask them to stand up for our neighbors in need. 5. Prioritizing Food Security in Local Giving
On Tuesday, more than 250 local leaders, businesses, volunteers, donors and supporters came together at Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury Beach for a special morning to celebrate a transformational year for food security and carry forward our mission to create a community that serves with kindness and dignity.
Our Annual Breakfast is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and thanks to your support, we raised the most money in the event’s history. In one tightly-packed hour, we discussed the challenges and opportunities facing frontline food providers in Newburyport, Georgetown and Haverhill, and heard from our Executive Director Lyndsey Haight about all we have accomplished and set the stage for the year ahead. We also had the honor of celebrating our 2024 Community Champions - two tremendous examples how our community feels a sense of duty to meet the needs of their neighbors:
"I was raised to believe that every child deserves a chance, and every adult deserves a second chance regardless of where we come from, the color of our skin or the choices we've made." We have a growing community of people that stand with them. Thank you to everyone who joined together to take care of your neighbors. Learn more about our vision for a food secure region by 2029 here. Together, we’ll make every table full! We're Halfway to 20K! Can You Help us Make Our Match?![]() Time is running out! If Our Neighbors’ Table can raise $20,000 by Saturday, August 31, we have been pledged an additional $20,000 matching gift. This match provides the unique opportunity to DOUBLE your donation’s impact. Can you help us reach our goal? Since we launched this challenge on Sunday, we have already received more than $10,000 in donations, but we have a long way to go. The number of people struggling to keep enough food on the table continues to grow. Our most recent data shows visits to our programs have increased 25% over last year. The $40,000 can purchase 40,000 meals for neighbors. When you support Our Neighbors’ Table, you directly impact our must vulnerable in 11 communities across the region. Join us and make sure everyone has consistent, reliable access to healthy food. Our communities are stronger when our neighbors are full. Growing Our Services to Meet Region's Growing NeedWhen we provide services with kindness and dignity, we know more will accept the help they need. And due to the rising cost of living and public benefits that are barely keeping up with inflation, more people than ever are seeking our services. New registrations for our grocery program rose 58% in June over the same month last year. Of those new registrants, more than 75% said they feared running out of food in the past three months and 50% had to go without food with no money to buy more. Children are our fastest growing demographic, with as many as 1 in 3 students in many local schools relying on free breakfast and lunch - meals that go away during the summer months, adding to household food budgets. At Our Neighbors’ Table, the work never stops, and that’s why we continue to scale our work to meet the needs of the region. In June, we opened the Our Neighbors’ Table Salisbury Market at 114 Bridge Road to a line of smiling shoppers. The new market uses the same innovative model that helped make Amesbury the nation’s first food secure city in 2018, offering a variety of fresh foods in a bright and vibrant grocery store setting. For families, the market offers extra summer groceries that fills the school meal gap. We temporarily closed the market at the Jardis-Taylor Center in Amesbury for renovations and will reopen it in the fall, providing the region with two free grocery markets to serve people in need. And while it’s not yet complete, the Seacoast Regional Food Hub is already expanding resources for the region, and has distributed more than 546,000 pounds of food to partners across the region. Building community level food security requires a community-wide effort, and only happens when people like you donate time and treasure. Thank you for your continued commitment to our mission. Amesbury Renovation Nearly CompleteDonor Spotlight: The Dolan Family
Save the Date! Annual Breakfast Tuesday, October 22The Annual Breakfast is returning to the Blue Ocean Event Center this year! Join us on Tuesday, October 22, from 7:30-9:00 am to learn more about the growing need and how we are mobilizing our communities to create a food secure region! ONT Welcomes New StaffAs we scale our work to meet the growing needs of the region, we have added new members to our staff in recent months. Our new team members include:
The 'Mayor of the Meal' Honored for Service
At ONT, our volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds.
Two of those committed volunteers are Steven Roller (pictured) and Macy Sliwa from Coastal Connections, whose new site is located just steps away from the Jardis-Taylor Center. Coastal Connections, Inc. supports people with disabilities to achieve their full potential by creating personalized programs that promote living, working, learning and playing in the community. "By volunteering, our individuals get to assess their interests in various settings," said Executive Director Sheila Skane. "Individuals work on developing and enhancing not only vocational skills, but personal and social skills as well. We strive to provide the best support to our individuals, so that each person can become an essential contributing member of their community through dynamic programs that create an environment of lifelong learning." Each Tuesday, Steven and Macy visit the Amesbury Market and help with tasks like washing windows and dusting shelves. For ONT and Coastal Connections, it's a win-win. "Inherent in our mission is the need to give back and to contribute," Skane says. We must give as much as we receive, so we try to give back to the community." Become a volunteer today at ourneighborstabe.org/volunteer. Introducing the NEW Our Neighbors' Table Salisbury Market!Seacoast Regional Food Hub Ramping Up!Though the Seacoast Regional Food Hub won't be fully operational until the end of the summer, ONT and its partners are already benefitting from more efficient access to their food deliveries from the Greater Boston Food Bank. Currently organizations from seven communities across the Lower Merrimack Valley, including Newburyport, Newbury, Salisbury, Haverhill and Lawrence, are now getting their deliveries in Salisbury, rather than trucking into downtown Boston. This summer we hope to begin to open up the 7,000 square feet of storage and 3,000 square feet of cold storage to our partners. Once fully operational, the Seacoast Regional Food Hub will give us the added storage and distribution to transform the region's food safety net! We continue to raise money for our capital campaign and need our community's investment to operate the hub debt free. Go to our website and get involved today! Save the Date: Trail to Table Walk, July 21Our Neighbors' Table's new facility happens to be located adjacent to the Salisbury rail trail along Route 1. So it seemed only natural for us to make the most of it and hold our first-ever fundraising walk! The Trail to Table Walk will be held Sunday, July 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, and will feature music, family friendly activities and a summer stroll along the marsh. Watch our events page and social media for details! Introducing the ONT Card
ONT Welcomes New StaffAs we scale our work to support providers across the region, we have added new members to our staff this spring. Our new team members are:
Volunteer Spotlight: Coastal Connections
2023 Annual Report Offers Deeper Dive into ONT
From One Hub, We Can Feed a Region![]() Did you know 1/3 of all food goes to landfills? At the same time, in local school districts as many as 1 in 3 kids would not have reliable access to food to without help. IMAGINE if we could capture more of that food and get it to people in need. This summer, the Seacoast Regional Food Hub will open and immediately begin to do just that. With a large loading dock for Greater Boston Food Hub deliveries and pickups, and a spacious warehouse that includes 3,000 square feet of cold storage, the Hub will immediately increase the amount of food available to 17 cities and towns across the Lower Merrimack Valley. Behind this effort is the Lower Merrimack Valley Food Coalition, the collective group of food providers serving more than 30,000 food insecure neighbors, behind the leadership of ONT, which helped Amesbury become the first food secure city in the nation in 2018. Our region has a unique opportunity to build universal food access for all of our neighbors, but first we must to grow our community of support. If you have ever considered supporting or investing in food security for our most vulnerable, this is the time to join us. Thank you to those who have already invested! See the links below to explore this ambitious project and find out how you can make your impact today! Take 3 Minutes to Hear the Hub StoryTake a TourOperational Tour for Volunteers Tuesday, February 27, 5-6 p.m. Active volunteers can get a sneak peak at our growing program and ask questions. Hub Town Hall & Tour for Investors Wednesday, February 28, 8:30 a.m. Interested in investing in food security? Join current investors and our board to and see what your support can help us achieve. Learn More About the Project Looking Back: 2023 Was a Year of ChangeFor Our Neighbors' Table, 2023 will be remembered as a year of transition. What changed?
This only happens behind the power of more than 600 volunteers who filled more than 22,000 hours of their time. Get involved today! We need chocolate bunnies!
Volunteer Spotlight: Diane Casey, Amesbury![]() For Diane Casey of Amesbury, giving back to her community has given her another purpose in life and is what led her to Our Neighbors' Table. Diane began volunteering at ONT in 2022 because it offered opportunities that fit her busy schedule and a chance to work behind the scenes, while making an impact on an important mission. A Boston commuter during the week, she started working in the warehouse on Saturday morning with a group of regulars who became a tight-knit team. “It’s the same crew every Saturday morning. We work in the market, dry goods, freezer and warehouse,” she says. “It’s such a great group of people, and I look forward to volunteering every week.” One of the things she likes about the warehouse is it’s a role that lets you have an impact on all parts of the organization. After being asked to set aside supplies for the Community Meal, she was inspired to sponsor a meal in her late father’s honor, and now she has sponsored two Wednesday meals. Diane says the experience has broadened her view of her hometown and neighbors, and given her an opportunity to make a difference. “Food insecurity is real, and helping these people is fulfilling in so many ways.” she says. Join Our Community! Becoming a volunteer at ONT is as easy as:
Click here to get started!
The USDA has awarded Our Neighbors’ Table (ONT) a $400,000 grant for its work to expand food security and reduce the impacts of food loss and waste.
The highly-competitive Community Food Projects grant program, funded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), highlighted 12 food access programs across the country making a significant impact on the reduction of food waste and loss. Currently in the United States, more than one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste, according to the USDA. The grant, to be paid out over four years, will support the operation of the Seacoast Regional Food Hub in Salisbury on behalf of the Lower Merrimack Valley Coalition, a network of frontline food providers in 17 communities. The Hub will be owned and operated by ONT, a regional food access program based in Amesbury and Salisbury. Once complete, the 24,000 square foot facility will significantly expand the region’s ability to capture and store surplus food from grocers, wholesalers, restaurants and other sources. The Food Hub will include 7,000 square feet of dry storage, 3,000 square feet of cold storage, and a Greater Boston Food Bank cross-dock that will allow for larger and more efficient deliveries and distribution for frontline food providers. “We are grateful that USDA recognized the tremendous impacts of this important project, which is going to transform the food safety net for tens of thousands of neighbors across the region,” said ONT Executive Director Lyndsey Haight. “We still need significant community investment to get this project across the finish line, and we hope this grant will inspire others to join us in creating universal food access for all.” In its effort to build universal food access, ONT has convened the Lower Merrimack Valley Food Coalition, a group of more than 30 frontline providers from Amesbury to Lawrence to Rowley that includes the Seacoast Food Providers network, the safety net in 12 Essex County communities that ONT supports directly. ONT has raised $4.2 million toward the $7.8 million project, which will fully open in late summer of 2024. Fully funding the project will allow the Seacoast Regional Food Hub to operate debt free. The elimination of food loss and waste is an additional benefit of the project, and is a cross-cutting priority of the USDA’s food security work. While adding hundreds of thousands of pounds of food annually to the region’s food safety net, the Seacoast Regional Food Hub will keep that food out of landfills, where it creates greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. ONT’s grant, to be paid over four years, is part of a $25 million federal investment into the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program, which supports food and nutrition insecurity, particularly among our nation’s most vulnerable populations. “Grants supported by this investment will reduce the amount of excess food going to waste and help make wholesome and nutritious foods available to those who need it most. Now that’s a win-win,” said USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison Jean Buzby. Read more in the Newburyport Daily News
Our Plan To Keep All Of Our Neighbors Full
What will that look like? Our 3-year goals include:
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season, Lyndsey Haight Executive Director Progress Happening Fast at Seacoast Regional Food HubWe don't need to imagine much longer. Since final permits were secured and the official groundbreaking for the Seacoast Regional Food Hub was held in August, much has been accomplished at 114 Bridge Road in Salisbury. The construction team, led by Fishbone Project Management and Artisan Building Group, Inc., immediately began demolition in the market area and reframed it for the market refrigerators and office. In the warehouse, the floor preparation for the refrigeration units is complete and installation of the units has begun. SPS Construction is leading the outside work for the Cross-Dock, excavating the area and filling it with more than 42 truckloads of concrete — all donated — to mitigate the water table. By January 1, the loading dock ramps will be complete, the docks will be well underway, refrigeration and the freezer will be installed, and floors will be refinished! Learn more about the project here. Volunteer Spotlight: Mia Thurlow
Fill Your Neighbors' Plate at Local Businesses
Support your Neighbors on Giving TuesdayThe holiday season is the busiest time of year at Our Neighbors' Table as we work to make sure everyone's plate is full. This only happens thanks to your support. If you have considered giving in the past, or would like to donate again to support our efforts, Giving Tuesday on November 28 is a great time to do it. Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Every dollar of support pays for a meal for a neighbor in need!
|
Archives
April 2025
Categories
All
|