Early in the pandemic, O’Neil Outar faced an unusual line of Newton Center traffic. He presumed the cause was an accident but was startled to see that it was a queue for the Newton Food Pantry. Soon he began supporting the Newton Food Pantry and the Centre Street Food Pantry, and thinking of where he could make an impact on such a crucial human need. Within a couple of years, he has transitioned from a 25-year career in higher education development to his current job at The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), where began November 6 as Executive Vice President of Advancement.
Mr. Outar will lead the GBFB’s fundraising, communications and marketing strategies, budgeting, and public policies to advance the nonprofit’s fundraising efforts as well as its mission to end hunger in Eastern Massachusetts. He describes his position as a “chief revenue officer” for the GBFB, as he is responsible for revenues in the form of cash and non-food, in-kind contributions. The GBFB receives funds from philanthropy (corporate, foundations, and individuals) and the state of Massachusetts, and commodities from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Mr. Outar was born in New Amsterdam, Guyana and has lived in Newton for ten years. He is a first-generation college graduate and says that his experience as an immigrant to the U.S. informs his understanding of the lack of a safety net and insecurity that many immigrants experience.
The Greater Boston Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1981, soliciting and receiving charitable financial, as well as in-kind food donations from corporations, foundations, and individuals throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Donations can be made online.
The Greater Boston Food Bank operates from a distribution center in South Boston, from which 109 million pounds of food is distributed per year across Eastern Massachusetts through more than 600 partner agencies and direct distribution sites such as food pantries, soup kitchens and meal programs, and senior centers.
