South Shore Food Bank launches initiative to connect local business, food pantry leaders
ROCKLAND – The South Shore Food Bank has launched a new initiative to connect local business and food pantry leaders in a skills sharing program.
Ten leaders from food pantries across the South Shore will meet monthly with business owners to share information on topics such as board leadership, fundraising and marketing strategies.
The South Shore Food Bank is a regional food bank for pickup and storage of deliveries, and serves as the hub for food distribution between the Greater Boston Food Bank and roughly 18 pantries on the South Shore.
The Weymouth Food Pantry launched the organization last year and opened a new warehouse that offers storage capacity for up to 600,000 pounds of perishable and nonperishable food for pantries across the South Shore.
“Independent, grassroots organizations play a vital role in addressing food security and
health outcomes of residents in the region,” Pamela Denholm, executive director of South Shore Food Bank, said in a statement. “We hope to support community leaders as they rise to meet the ever changing challenges around food security and food equity in our communities.”
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Food pantries across the region have reported, on average, a 113% increase in
clients since the start of the pandemic and they continue to see elevated levels of need.
On the South Shore, Denholm said this can mostly be attributed to increased cost of groceries, higher gas prices and shortages in housing.
Through the leadership program, the South Shore Food Bank hopes to strengthen the
network of food security organizations and build skills necessary for success.
The regional organization has pursued other projects to improve food distribution. Earlier this year, South Shore Food Bank received a refrigerated van through Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore Food Bank to connect business, food pantry leaders