Table Talk - June 8, 2025

It's Official - the Hub is Here!

On Thursday, June 5, we reached a milestone five years in the making when we cut the ribbon on the Seacoast Regional Food Hub alongside our Lower Merrimack Valley Food Coalition partners and community of support. But the Hub is already making a huge impact on the region.
In the past year, dozens of local leaders, donors and community members toured the facility as it was renovated and came to life.
We now have 15 partners actively benefiting from the Hub’s distribution and storage, and the number continues to grow. New additions in 2025 include Lazarus House and Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, as well as Dracut Food Pantry. 
In the first quarter of 2025, we moved 767,622 pounds of food through the Hub, putting us on a pace to distribute nearly 3 million pounds across our region this year. And we’re just getting started. Learn more about the Hub here.

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Programs Step Up to Meet Demand

​The number of people seeking our services continues a steady climb, with 14,726 visits served at our free markets through April - a 13 percent rise over the same period last year.
When we ask new registrants if they have run out of food with no money to buy more in the last 3 months, 80% say yes. Recent newcomers include a single mother of four working full-time, a young man who is out of work due to a car accident, and a retired woman on a fixed income who makes up for rising grocery costs by picking up a few extra items at ONT.
Our program team continues to step up and meet the needs of our guests by:

• Working with distributors like Amazon to supplement our food supply
• Adding a new refrigerator at our Community Meal to help us serve as many as 400 meals on a given night
• Securing more than $33,000 in new SNAP funds for our guests through April

We can't fulfill our mission without our community of support. The need will continue to rise. Join us to make sure every neighbor's table is full at ourneighborstable.org/how-you-can-help.

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Help Us Feed Kids This Summer

We’re officially halfway to the $50K match — can you help?
If we reach $50,000 by July 1, anonymous donors will match every dollar, doubling the impact to $100,000 in support of programs like summer lunch.
When school lets out, hundreds of local kids lose access to free breakfast and lunch, adding 10 extra meals per week to family food budgets. Our School Lunch Program bridges that gap, ensuring every child has three healthy meals a day.
​Together, we can fill every table.

Donate Today

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​Rally Your Network - Start a Friend Campaign!

More and more people are giving back alongside their friends and neighbors — and having fun along the way. Friend Campaigns bring neighbors and networks together through events and gatherings, strengthening connections while supporting a meaningful cause.
Already this year, ONT has been supported by Mark Moccia’s Comedy  Night, a Cassette Culture rock concert, the Tennis for Our Tables event, the Wolfe Club Ball, Greg DeVenne and Jennifer Glendon’s event at Riptide Cafe (pictured) and more.
So far this year, ONT has benefited from events across the region, including Greg DeVenne and Jennifer Glendon’s event at Riptide Cafe (pictured). Local schools are stepping up through Dollar Drives, rallying their communities to help neighbors in need. Molin Upper Elementary School in Newburyport raised $15,000 through their drive, and more schools are joining the effort.
Interested in organizing a Friend Campaign to support our neighbors? Contact Community Engagement Coordinator Leanne Cavallaro at [email protected].

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Meet our New Staff

​At Our Neighbors’ Table, we are a small team that wants to make a big impact. Our newest team members are, pictured, from left, Hub Operations Supervisor Adam Letendre, Market Supervisor Bergen Daley and Development Director Chris Nazareth. If you are interested in joining us, visit ourneighborstable.org/job-opportunities.