Feeding America and the Greater Boston Food Bank have just released updated data on the rate of food insecurity across the US and Massachusetts. According to Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” report:

• The national rate of food insecurity dropped slightly from 12.9%of the total population to 12.5%;
• Nationally, the rate of food insecurity among children dropped from 17.5 percent of  to 17%.
• Across the Commonwealth, food insecurity has dropped almost to pre-recession rates.

So, that’s good news right? Well, unfortunately, the picture in northeastern Essex County seems to be bucking the trend.

First, let me provide a little context.  Since 2015, ONT has worked with data estimates of 6,000 food insecure individuals in northeastern Essex County (1 out of 8 children; 1 out of 5 seniors) across our service area (GBFB, 2015). However, the latest data provided to ONT from Greater Boston Food Bank indicates a regional increase to 6,500.  While that may not seem like a huge number, it’s a more than 15% increase in need across 5 of the 10 Massachusetts communities we serve.

​When you’re in a growing economy, there is a mindset that “a rising tide raises all ships.”  However, it’s important to remember that a growing economy can also result in the cost of living outpacing wage growth, especially for those living on fixed incomes or working in our local service industries.  Massachusetts, according to Feeding America, now has the highest food costs in the country, leaving local residents with an average $21 shortfall to afford 3 meals a day.
 
Let me rephrase that: A family of four would typically consume 84 meals in a week. But current wages, cost of living and food costs now force that family of four to live on only 61.6 meals for the week, meaning everyone can only eat twice a day, or, most likely, mom and dad will alternate days eating so their children don’t have to go without. “Sorry, Mom, it’s Tuesday – it’s Dad’s turn to eat.”

This rise in need likely does not come as a surprise to those of us providing food or financial assistance; teachers who see students come to school hungry every day; or emergency room physicians who see the spike in illness related to malnutrition. But for many, this need – right in our backyards - remains hidden in the shadows.
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So what can we do – collectively – to make sure that our friends and neighbors and colleagues are getting what they need to get on the path to food security?
 
Step 1 is understanding:
We must better understand the local barriers that prohibit people from accessing adequate, quality food to support a healthy lifestyle (the USDA definition of “food secure”). Last year, in partnership with members of its Food Security Advisory Group, ONT surveyed local residents to measure rates of food insecurity and understand its causes. In a diverse sample including individuals and households across the age spectrum, 25% (1 out of 4) tested positive for food insecurity. Among them, 55% reported employment as their primary source of income, yet 70% reported “not enough money” as the primary obstacle to keeping themselves and their family fed.
 
The other alarming statistic we’ve uncovered is the gap between those who need help and those who are getting it. In recent years, various organizations have begun measuring the SNAP Gap – the percent of people who are eligible for SNAP (aka food stamps) but are not getting it. Nationally, the SNAP Gap stands at roughly 15%. In Massachusetts, it’s about 25%. In ONT’s service area, it’s 60%! Sixty percent of people who are eligible for SNAP are not getting the benefits they need. As we work with our local partners who are also providing food assistance, that SNAP Gap is consistent with how many people in need in Newburyport are utilizing services and programs available.
 
Why is this important? It requires us to examine what services are available and how they are delivered. We ask ourselves these questions every day:

• Are services accessible to people in need?
• Do they provide meaningful assistance?
• Does our community culture support people in asking for and receiving help when they need it?

The mission of ONT and the Food Security Advisory Group is to ensure that the answer to these questions in our community is “Yes”, but we can’t do it alone.

Together, we are turning traditional “charity” on its head, bringing local residents, educators, health care providers and elected leaders together to stand in solidarity with our neighbors who have been struggling in the shadows, worrying if they’ll have enough food for their children. Back in February, I shared how fired up I was after a strong year of reaching more than 4,000 of our neighbors. And, you told me just how fired up YOU are too! Here, I share a couple quotes that have really stayed with me.
“Being blessed with more than enough, I live by the maxim ‘to whom much is given much is required.’"
“Living on one income again is not something I planned on. You never know when your circumstances could change. There are days I go without to make sure my son does not…Pride sometimes stops a person from asking for help. ONT makes it a bit easier. They are welcoming and allow you to keep your dignity while getting through the struggles…I cannot give money but I can give time. No one can do it alone it takes a village. If you need a hand, take it. If you can give one then do it! I appreciate ONT being a part of my village.”
These sentiments keep the ONT mission moving forward, guided by our values: Service with Dignity, Community, Respect, Quality, and Confidentiality. After 27 years, our ripple continues to spread. You may have heard our recent good news. We received a 10-year investment from the Cummings Foundation, putting $500,000 toward creating a food-secure region by 2029. Next week, we’ll compete with 7 other leading organizations for United Way’s Venture Fund to build city-wide change to ensure every Newburyport child AND parent is food-secure. These investments are important. But, the truth is, we can’t do any of this without the resolve of our local neighbors and businesses.
You’ve likely already received a letter from me in your mailbox and, over the next month, you’ll see more emails in your inbox than usual. We are in the throws of our Spring appeal as we head into the busiest season at ONT: Summer. Traditionally, we have all thought of Thanksgiving and Christmas as the time to reach out to our neighbors in need. But, today, families struggle every single day. And, every day, ONT is here for them, thanks to your generous spirit. To those of you joining the Breakfast Club  – thank you for ensuring our children and our seniors start every day right. To those digging deep for an extra gift in the Spring, to those who give their time and their voices – thank you for standing in solidarity with your neighbors to say “No one goes hungry on our watch.”
Gratefully,
Lyndsey Haight
Executive Director

​ONT was thrilled to be awarded a $500,000, 10 year sustaining grant from the Cummings Foundation! This investment of $50,000 a year for the next decade will help create a food secure region. Read more about this exciting investment. 

If you spend any time in the ONT Warehouse, you’ll be pleased to encounter the “dynamic duo” of Steve Ventola and Gary Arsenault. Both got involved in the ONT warehouse for their first shift and Steve jokes that “now they won’t let us out.” Their service in the warehouse, including picking up donations from food rescue partners, unloading food from our trucks, and stocking the warehouse shelves is crucial to our grocery program operations. "I love that I get to keep busy, give back something to the community, and get a positive feeling every day,” Gary, an Amesbury resident, says about volunteering with ONT. Steve, who like Gary is retired, said “I’ve been very blessed in my life and I want to repay that in some small way.” Read more about the dynamic duo in this month’s Volunteer Spotlight!

​Speaking of families, ONT's Fill Em Up Bags returns this spring as a way for kids to help their peers struggling with hunger. Kids will decorate their Fill Em Up Bag, then ask friends and family to help fill the bag. The goal is to collect $25, which provide breakfast and lunch to a child for a whole month! This a wonderful opportunity to instill the value of giving back and helping others in your children. Read more about Fill Em Up Bags here. 

​These Great Neighbors are making a big impact on hunger. Join their ranks and become a Great Neighbor today! 

​Our Neighbors’ Table is thrilled to be one of the local nonprofits sharing in Cummings Foundation’s $25 million grant program in 2019. We are honored to have been awarded a $500,000 Sustaining Grant, to be disbursed in $50,000 increments over 10 years.
 
In 2018, ONT declared Amesbury a Food-Secure City. Through years of building awareness of need, normalizing asking for help, and establishing a flexible, community-based network of food resources, ONT has been able to create and sustain universal access to nutritious food for all Amesbury residents. This 10-year partnership with Cummings will enable ONT to replicate this model across the other 11 towns we serve, reaching over 6,000 individuals each year throughout the second half of the grant term and ensuring food security in our region.
 
“To be able to project a vision for 10 years out was kind of cool,” said Lyndsey Haight, Executive Director. “When we thought out that far, we realized that by 2029, every one of our communities could be food secure. This grant will allow us to have the resources upfront so we can respond quickly and address needs as they are given to us by the community.”
 
Lori Townsend, Program Director, and Alice Tonry, Development Associate, represented the nonprofit at a May 2 awards night at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn with the other sustaining grant awardees. There the Foundation shared the following feedback from the Sustaining Grants Selection Committee about ONT.
 
“The staff and volunteers at Our Neighbors’ Table are knowledgeable and passionate about food insecurity and have an innovative approach to help families and individuals. Its strategic approach is impressive, and its model is replicable. It’s at the forefront of reducing stigma that prevents people from seeking and accepting food assistance. The staff is passionate about their mission, results driven, and willing to think outside the box to reach the people who need them the most. We left the site visit sufficiently wowed.”
 
The Sustaining Grants initiative builds on Cummings Foundation’s $100K for 100 program. First offered in 2012, $100K for 100 annually awards $10 million through multi-year grants of $100,000 each to 100 nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties. Grant recipients that received their final grant disbursements in 2018 were automatically considered for $15 million in Sustaining Grants.
 
 “We introduced Sustaining Grants to help alleviate the constant burden of fundraising so nonprofit professionals can spend more of their limited time and resources on actually providing services,” said Christina Berthelsen, grants manager at Cummings Foundation.
 
Cummings Foundation has awarded nearly $250 million to date in Greater Boston alone. Funds are generated through commercial properties that are owned by, and operated for the sole benefit of, Cummings Foundation. All of its buildings are managed pro bono by Woburn commercial real estate firm Cummings Properties.
 
Sustaining Grants winners were selected primarily by a 33-member volunteer committee, which included former state legislators, CEOs of local companies, and a retired justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, among many others. Committee members met with each nonprofit twice to learn how the $100K for 100 funds helped to advance its mission, and how it might put a 10-year grant to use.
 
“We are grateful to the Sustaining Grants Selection Committee, Bill & Joyce Cummings and the Cummings Foundation for this investment in service with dignity and food security,” Haight said.
 
About Our Neighbors’ Table
Hunger comes in many forms. Our Neighbors' Table's innovative approach to food assistance is aimed at providing flexible, personalized programs to individuals and families living in northeastern Essex County. Guests of Our Neighbors' Table have access to fresh, wholesome food and dignified experiences when and where they need it. ONT’s services include a weekly meal, a weekly market, four community-based mobile markets, a home delivery program, 24/7 emergency food assistance, a summer lunch program for children and their families, and three holiday grocery programs. The ONT grocery programs provided groceries, fresh foods, and toiletries to more than 4,100 individuals in 2018. Every summer, we provide breakfast, lunch and snacks to 1,000 children; each holiday season, we distribute special groceries and turkeys to more than 900 families.
 
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings and has grown to be one of the three largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date has been to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org. 

If you’ve spent any time in the ONT Warehouse, you will know the “dynamic duo” Steve Ventola and Gary Arsenault. Steve has been volunteering with ONT for two and a half years, Gary for over a year. Both got involved in the ONT warehouse for their first shift and Steve jokes that “now they won’t let us out.” Their service in the warehouse, including picking up donations from food rescue partners, unloading food from our trucks, and stocking the warehouse shelves, helps to ensure that we have the food needed to feed the 600 households that get groceries from ONT every week.

​Both Gary and Steve are retired and started volunteering to keep active and give back. When asked why he volunteers, Gary will tell you “addressing hunger is something you can do locally and have immediate success. I love that I get to keep busy, give something back to the community, and get a positive feeling every day.” Steve jokes that he only volunteers so he can “harass the two Garys” (the second Gary being Warehouse Manager Gary Terrio), but will also tell you “I’ve been very blessed in my life and I want to repay that in some small way.”

Gary lives in Amesbury, and grew up in Leominster. Steve now lives in Rowley but grew up in Malden. When they’re not at ONT, Steve and Gary are playing golf or grabbing a cup of coffee together at the Bakehouse in Amesbury. Steve and Gary met each other through volunteering with ONT, and have become close friends.

Thanks, Steve and Gary, for all you do to keep the ONT Warehouse running smoothly and for providing much needed comic relief!

Last year, Our Neighbors' Table fed 1,000 kids, including 541 kids through the Summer Lunch Program. That was a 45% increase from the number of kids served through Summer Lunch in 2017! 

Now entering its 9th year, ONT's Summer Lunch Program takes the fear of hunger out of summer by providing healthy meals and snacks to children across the region. Summer is a time of fun, a time to relax from the stress of school, a time to just be a kid. But for more than 2,400 children living in the Lower Merrimack Valley, summer means no school - and no school breakfast and lunch. 

Across the region, 1 out of every 8 school children lives in a food-insecure home. For these families, it is already a struggle to afford enough food to feed their children during the school year. At an average cost of $3/meal, the cost of feeding each child for the 9 weeks of summer vacation is $300. Compounded with costs of summer camp and childcare, the loss of school lunches quickly turns summer fun into summer angst. This makes summer the hungriest time of year for children.

ONT is proud to provide relief to these families, and to do so with wholesome, nutritious foods that children WILL eat! ONT's market serves families living in northeastern Essex County (see list of eligible towns below) with a genuine weekly shopping experience throughout the year featuring a full array of grocery staples, meats/fish, dairy, and LOTS of fresh produce. The Summer Lunch Program(SLP) provides each enrolled family with even more groceries specifically for breakfast, lunch and snack foods - foods like fresh oranges, cherries, grapes, carrots, hummus, peanut butter and jelly, wheat bread, lunch meat, milk, eggs, and cereal. Families enrolled in the SLP get BOTH the program items and access to the complete market!

Parents from previous years shared how the program helped them:
"Summer is hard financially because the kids are home and eat twice as much. God bless and thank you."
"Very helpful with two small children, especially most of the fresh food."
"[The program gave us] more options and stretched [our] food availability"
"My SNAP benefits didn't come this month so I needed everything!"

Whether kids are home for the summer, at daycare, or at summer camp, their parents can get them started with a wholesome breakfast and pack them healthy, nutritious lunches to keep their bellies full and their energy strong to run, jump, and enjoy the summer just like every kid should.

HOW CAN I REGISTER FOR SLP:
If you have children in your household and you live in one of the towns in our service region, you are eligible for the Summer Lunch Program. Amesbury, Boxford, Byfield, Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, West Newbury, Rowley, Salisbur and South Hampton (NH) are the towns in our service area. To register, call the ONT office at 978-388-1907. Or you can register in person at one of our markets when you come to shop. A complete list of Market hours and locations can be found on our programs page. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT:
Every $1 donated to the Summer Lunch Program provides 1 more meal to our kids. Make a donation now! Kids now have the opportunity to help their peers struggling with hunger by starting a Fill Em Up Bag! The $25 collected will provide breakfast and lunch for a kid for a howl month! Read more about how you can get your kids involved in giving back to their community. 

Throughout the month of April, local restaurants are teaming up to Fill Your Neighbor’s Plate, a campaign designed to support Our Neighbors’ Table’s mission to provide nourishing food to the thousands of local residents in need. The campaign will be featured in a growing list of restaurants including: Agave, The Grog, Lexie’s, Metzy’s Cantina, Michael’s Harborside, Mr. India, the Port Tavern, Paddle Inn and The Poynt (Newburyport); Crave, The Coop Rotisserie, Trina’s Starlite, and Phat Cats Bistro (Amesbury); and Capri and Seaglass (Salisbury).
 
Diners are invited to add a “virtual meal” - tax-deductible donation to ONT - to their restaurant bill. Suggested donation amounts are: $10, enough to provide a week’s worth of fresh produce, meats and dairy to a guest shopping in Our Neighbors’ Table’s markets; or $25 to support a family of four dining at ONT’s Wednesday Meal for an entire month. Every $1 puts another meal on the table for a local individual or family in need.
 
“This campaign is so important to help raise awareness of hunger in our community. With more than 6,000 people struggling to keep food on their tables each day, every bit that people can pitch in makes a real difference,” said Lyndsey Haight, Executive Director of Our Neighbors’ Table. “We are thankful to our restaurant partners for helping to spread our mission to their guests and to all of the diners who donate a virtual meal to feed a neighbor.”
 
Hunger affects 1 out of every 16 people living in northeastern Essex County. That means there are 6,000 neighbors with empty plates on their tables. Even more staggering, 1 out of every 5 of our seniors and 1 out of every 8 children in our region are struggling through each day without enough food. Our Neighbors’ Table has eliminated the traditional approach of strict schedules, cumbersome qualification and limited food selection by offering people-centric experiences and access to fresh, wholesome food when and where people throughout northeastern Essex County need it. Our grocery programs provide food assistance to individuals and families living in Amesbury, Boxford, Byfield, Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury, South Hampton (NH), and West Newbury. Visit ourneighborstable.org for more information.
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As a licensed psychologist, much of Rita’s life was consumed by work and school. But she believes in the importance of giving back and always knew she would volunteer in her retirement when she had more time.  “Volunteering is an essential part of who we are as a country,” Rita says. “You have to reach out to other people and put yourself in their shoes.”

Rita was aware of ONT from living in Amesbury, but she says she was naive about what it actually entailed. After orientation, she realized that ONT wasn't just about food, it was about community. She started helping with the computer on Fridays, then added Saturdays, then Thursday and then Wednesdays.
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Now a fixture in the Market and Warehouse 4 days a week, Rita enjoys working with new volunteers and showing them how to use the computers at checkout. She’s also likes interacting with the guests and seeing them grow more comfortable with the volunteers each week. “I fully believe that any of us is only a few steps away from needing ONT’s services,” Rita says. “I respect that.”

​When she's not at ONT, Rita enjoys photography, art, flowers, gardening, and reading. She has a goal to see all 50 states, she's currently at 25. Thank you Rita, for all of your hard work and dedication to ONT. 

2019 is up and running! Checkout our complete list of 2019 events and mark your calendar.I am fired up! Why, you ask? Well, it’s because of YOU! When you see your neighbors struggling, you act! When you know someone who’s plate is empty, you mobilize to fill it. Whether it’s your time or your donations, you are committed to making sure your neighbors are taken care of and that inspires me every day.
It’s not just me, you’re inspiring others to join in the fight to put food on the table for all of our neighbors. Last year, more than 800 of our neighbors signed up to volunteer or made a donation for the first time. That’s 800 more people who are now aware of food insecurity in our community and 800 more people who, like you, are ready to make a difference. Knowing that so many of our fellow community members agree that NO ONE should go hungry in our backyard is what tells me that creating a food secure region is a goal within our reach
No one of us can eliminate hunger on our own, but, boy, we are powerful together.
Last year, we launched new programs and partnerships across the region - from bussing for seniors in Groveland to shop for groceries at our Amesbury market, to creative strategies to help Newburyport teachers, nurses and school administrators better reach their struggling families, to our new Market in Newburyport. As a result, we put food on the table for more than 4,000 of the 6,000 neighbors who were worrying about where they’d get their next meal.
I hope you’re as fired us as I am for the year ahead. And, if you are, I want to hear you! Keep me going, keep our team going, and share with me what is energizing you. Please, will you take a minute and share your inspiration with us? Tell us why you invest in ONT. Tell us what it means to put food on the table for your neighbors. Tell us what will keep you fired up!
Let’s make 2019 an even stronger year and reach 5,000 neighbors! 

Lyndsey Haight
Executive Director

​P.S. Checkout our complete list of 2019 events and mark your calendars! 

Looking for a  way to give back as a group – either a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues?  ONT's Market and Meal Sponsorships offer the unique opportunity for group volunteer service.

Wednesday Meal Sponsorship:
Each week, ONT welcomes 150 guests to dine at our weekly Wednesday Meal. The chef prepared 3 course meal is open to any one in any community. Sponsors commit to a $500 financial contribution and bring a group of 8 volunteers to serve the meal. Dates are available on a first-come first-serve basis and are booking up fast!
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Market Sponsorship:
Over 450 households shop for their groceries each week at the ONT Market. Sponsors commit a minimum of $800 and may send a team of up to 5 volunteers to work a shift in the market, assisting guests with their weekly shopping. Market shifts are available Wednesday—Saturday.
Email Lyndsey or call her at 978-388-1907 x11 if you’re interested in either opportunity. Our Meal sponsor dates are booking up fast already!

​We'll be growing our team in 2019! ONT has been approved to host an AmeriCorps *VISTA member for a year, starting in the summer of 2019. The AmeriCorps is a national service program (a domestic version of the Peace Corps) and members volunteer at an organization full-time for a year to build capacity. We know the AmeriCorps is a great thing, both Alice (Volunteer Coordinator) and Lesley (Development Manager) are AmeriCorps alums! ONT's AmeriCorps *VISTA member will serve as a “Community Engagement Coordinator,” focusing on building organizational relationships and participation with volunteers and community groups.  Stay tuned – we will be releasing more information and a job posting for this position soon.

 ​As I write to you, the Amesbury Market is bustling with shoppers picking out their turkeys and bagging up their squash and potatoes and all the other essentials that they’ll prepare for a Thanksgiving feast with their family and friends. Volunteers are cheerfully meeting and greeting and holiday spirit is alive and present!
Now is always a busy time of year, this year being no different. In fact, when we opened our doors yesterday, we had already pre-registered 900 households for Thanksgiving and Christmas groceries (100 more than we served last year) and more are registering each day. But thanks to the more than 100 volunteers working this week and the continued support of a community always ready to rise to the challenge, every guest at our door will leave with arms full of groceries for the week and all the fixings needed for a holiday to be thankful for.
It may feel like magic, but the truth is happy Thanksgivings start with YOU. For all this, for your support, I extend my heartfelt thanks and share sincere gratitude on behalf of the Board and staff, and most importantly our guests. If you’ve made your gift this year, know that your generosity is already at work. And if you’re thinking about what or how much to give this holiday season, know your donation not only puts meals on your neighbor’s table today, it wraps her in a community that feeds her hope for tomorrow.
 
We wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Warm Wishes,
Lyndsey Haight
​Executive Director

​ONT is excited to officially announce the opening of a weekly market in Newburyport. The program opened in June thanks to a partnership with Community Service of Newburyport and is currently serving residents of Newburyport, Newbury and West Newbury every Thursday, 11:00am – 2:00pm. After years of partnering on referring local residents to each agency’s services, CSN’s move to their new location at St. Paul’s Church in 2018 was the catalyst to bring ONT and CSN’s strengths and resources under one roof. The soft opening in June allowed both organizations to get settled in and work out any challenges. CSN officially welcomed the community at their ribbon-cutting on October 22nd, and both organizations are now looking forward to getting the word out. Read more about what impact ONT is making in Newburyport.

This year's Annual Breakfast was an inspiring morning celebrating the collective impact of the community joining together to create food security. Dr. Gail Fayre of Anna Jacques Hospital, volunteer Bob Murciak and board member Kellyn Nahas bravely shared their own stories with the group. (pictured here right to left with emcee Dana Marshall)
Read more about the breakfast and 2018 impact. #whatsyourstory