Food For Free distributes food to several local organizations, alleviating food insecurity throughout the region.

By Christa Lee

Food insecurity has a formidable opponent in Food for Free, a Boston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting food pantries through logistical operations. On March 17, Food for Free partnered with The Greater Boston Food Bank and Salem Pantry to gather unused seafood at the Seafood Expo North America 2026 (SENA) at the Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center.

“You’re just trying to run around this convention center to find food that’s been left behind by people participating in the Seafood Expo,” said Andrew Dunn, the Associate Director of Development at Food for Free. It was a successful food recovery effort as a total of 11,500 pounds of seafood has already been distributed to 7 organizations–Cambridge Community Center, Grant Manor Tenants Association Food Bank, East End House, Elizabeth Peabody House, Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Project Soup, and St. Paul AME Church–to serve their communities.

Food for Free “works as a logistics backbone” by providing transportation services and serving around 132,000 local residents annually through strategic food purchases and food recovery efforts. They also coordinate monthly “School Markets” at 72 Somerville schools in a year, bringing food like fresh produce, milk, and meat on elementary and middle school campuses for parents and guardians to benefit from as they pick up their kids.

“It’s an unfortunate fact that about 40% of people who are food insecure are highly resistant to going to free food programs or food pantries due to stigma or fear of not being deserving,” said Andrew. “What we can do to help alleviate those pressures is to deliver that in a culturally acceptable way.”

If you are food insecure and want to sign up for support, you can contact any of these organizations: Allston/Brighton Food Pantry, Cambridge Community Center, East End House, Elizabeth Peabody House, Grant Manor Tenants Association Food Bank, Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Project Soup, and St. Paul AME Church.