A Space for More Places at Our Table

The federal government announced last week that they would be dedicating time and resources to fulfill a goal to end hunger by 2030.

We commend the administration for joining the fight and making food insecurity and consequently, health overall a priority. While the news is exciting it doesn’t change anything we do here at B&R. 

Since the day we opened our doors over 40 years ago, we have addressed food insecurity with an emphasis on empowering our community and leading with compassion. Overtime, we’ve added other services including an Emergency Food Pantry, clothing, toiletries, laundry services, a Monthly Mobile Meals program, and a Food Rescue program. And we have always done this without accepting any form of government funding.

As the Executive Summary states, this is a mission that the government can’t undertake alone. At Bread & Roses, we believe that grassroots community efforts are imperative in addressing the food scarcity crisis and the growing needs in our community.

As we look forward, we plan to expand our programs and services to reduce the barriers to food access across Lawrence and the Merrimack Valley. To do so, we have our own goal: to find a 5,000 square foot space in North Lawrence that would allow us to serve more than 350 people a night during our community meals. And with a bigger pantry, we could distribute 6000 pantry orders annually, more than doubling what we fulfill now.  

Our services currently help more than 20,000 households annually. We know that a larger space would significantly expand the number of people we assist and look forward to growing the Bread & Roses community.